A roundup of ICT/technology news from across the Caribbean region during the period Monday 14 April to Sunday 20 April 2014.
Monday, 14 April 2014
LIME Announces LTE Services in Antigua & Barbuda
Antigua and Barbuda – Caribbean operator LIME has announced plans to launch 4G LTE mobile data services in the island territory of Antigua & Barbuda… more
Radio Spectrum Fees $500k Below Target
Bahamas – Radio spectrum fees are generating almost $500,000 less than they should be, due to the existence of “legacy arrangements” with certain operators… more
Library to digitise documents
British Virgin Islands – Newspapers, magazines, festival booklets and government reports will be converted to a digital format as part of a new project that will be launched during Library Week celebrations, according to Government Information Services… more
LIME launches Easter Bonanza promotion
Dominica – If you are looking for the Easter Bunny; LIME is where you will find him preparing for the exciting LIME Easter Bonanza promotion… more
Dominican telcos object to Altice’s acquisition of Orange
Dominican Republic – Cellcos Claro Dominicana and Trilogy Dominicana (Viva) have filed a complaint against telecoms watchdog Instituto Dominicano de las Telecomunicaciones’ (Indotel’s) approval for the sale of Orange Dominicana to Luxembourg-based investment fund Altice Group… more
Phones For The Taking
Jamaica – Confessed ‘teka’, Peter, has revealed that his syndicate is just one of many operating all across the island under the same mantra… more
Phone Thieves Bypassing Security Systems
Jamaica – Blocking the International Mobile Equipment Identification (IMEI) of a smart phone reported stolen was once thought to be an effective measure to deter phone thieves. However this has changed in recent years as criminals have found new ways to circumvent the security system in Jamaica… more
St Mary Parish Council going paperless
Jamaica – THE St Mary Parish Council is hoping to see significant savings from its decision to go paperless as it equip its members with tablet computers… more
Greater divide in use of ICT
Regional – As the scope of technology continues to expand rapidly, so too does the digital divide between countries making effective use of telecommunications… more
Representing the Caribbean: ICANN Roadshow comes to Trinidad and Tobago
Regional – Local and regional technology experts will gather in Port of Spain, Trinidad later this month to share their knowledge with participants in a roadshow organised by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN)… more
CWU accuses TSTT, OSH agency of collusion
Trinidad and Tobago – Communications Workers’ Union (CWU) president Joseph Remy and secretary general John Julien have said they believe the Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) agency and Telecommunications Services of Trinidad and Tobago TSTT are in collusion over the procuring of equipment for staff… more
Galaxy S5 debuts at The Falls
Trinidad and Tobago – The Samsung Galaxy S5 took centre stage at bmobile’s the Falls at West Mall’s Retail Store when it officially went on sale to the general public on April 8… more
Tuesday, 15 April 2014
Digicel Meeting Barbadians’ Appetite For 4G Connectivity – Implements 4G Upgrades Across The Island
Barbados – Smartphone users in Barbados will now have even greater 4G connectivity thanks to the widespread upgrade recently completed by number one mobile telecommunications provider, Digicel… more
Nelson Young Case Moves Closer to Completion
Belize – Earlier this year we told you that Nelson Young, former employee of Belize Telemedia Limited (BTL), has been waiting for at least a year for the decision of an Essential Services Tribunal convened by the Ministry of Labour in 2012 to look into his case… more
FREE “Internet on the Go” for Digicel Postpaid Customers
Saint Kitts and Nevis – Digicel St. Kitts and Nevis has launched today, Tuesday, 15th April, another extraordinary promotion for Postpaid customers: A FREE Huawei USB Dongle, FREE monthly subscription for three months with NO deposit required… more
Exploring Trinidad & Tobago’s Digital Divide (Part 2)
Trinidad and Tobago – Global Voices talks with Kenfield Griffith, co-founder and Chief Executive Officer ofmSurvey, which recently completed a nationwide mobile survey for the Telecommunications Authority of Trinidad and Tobago (TATT), which assessed the scope of the country’s digital divide… more
Wednesday, 16 April 2014
Cadets Complete GATE Training
Antigua and Barbuda – Thirteen young Antiguans are equipped to become entrepreneurs after completing training through the Government Assisted Technology Endeavour (GATE) ICT programme… more
Union Praises Anwar Barrow for Role in Collective Bargaining Agreement
Belize – The Shareholders of BTL were first to give a nod of approval for the ascension of Anwar Barrow to the post of Chairman of the company. However, the most enthusiastic support has been expressed by the workers of the telecommunications company… more
FinScan opens Cayman Islands data centre
Cayman Islands – FinScan, a leading global provider of sanctions/Politically Exposed Persons (PEP) screening solutions, document verification, and sanctions lists today announced the opening of a data center in the Cayman Islands… more
Danger of self-censorship in Haiti after official warning to radio stations
Haiti – Press freedom organisation Reporters Without Borders said it is alarmed by the communiqué that the National Telecommunications Council (CONATEL) in Haiti issued on 8 April condemning “certain” radio stations that “systematically broadcast false information liable to disturb pubic order, destabilize the Republic’s institutions and attack the integrity of many citizens.” … more
DigInnovate 2014: Caribbean Internet, Marketing and Financing technology experts to present a conference for Small Medium Enterprise (SME)
Jamaica – A team of Caribbean Internet, Marketing and Financing technology experts have collaborated to present a game-changing conference for the Small Medium Enterprise (SME) sector that will set the trend in the Caribbean regional technology industry for 2014 and beyond… more
Elephant Gets Larger, Grows Workforce Fivefold
Jamaica – The Elephant Group which moved into a larger operating space at the end of March says it has grown its workforce from 80 to 400 employees… more
The Computer: the New Weapon of Choice
Jamaica – LAST week, news broke worldwide of a new computer virus discovered known as the “Heartbleed” computer bug, which allows hackers to manipulate the OpenSSL encryption software used by most websites, giving them access to stored data such as credit card information, passwords, and other personal details. Internet giants such as Google, Microsoft and LinkedIn went into an unsurprising panic, encouraging users to change their passwords… more
‘Who Am I Online?’
Jamaica – YOUNG people, aged 13 to 18, are invited to express their views on the issue of responsible Internet and social media usage by entering the Jamaica Information Service (JIS) video blog (vlog) competition aptly titled ‘Who Am I Online?’ … more
Pensioners Not Happy With New Cable TV Charges
Sint Maarten – As of the 1st April, pensioners are now being charged USD45 to view their favorite television programs supplied by Statia Cable TV… more
Thursday, 17 April 2014
ITU to host telecommunications law workshop in Dominica
Dominica – The Commonwealth of Dominica will be the venue for the International Telecommunications Union’s (ITU) workshop on matters relating to telecommunications law and dispute resolution from April 22 to 24, 2014… more
150,000 Dominicans affected by TelexFree enterprise
Dominican Republic – The Specialized Prosecutor for Money Laundering and the District Attorney’s office started an investigation into the alleged laundering of assets, fraud and violations of the Security, Monetary and Financial laws involving the TelexFree Dominicana commercial enterprise… more
CompHaiti And Tech Data Partnership Brings Thousands Of Laptops To Haitian Students
Haiti – CompHaiti SA and Tech Data have teamed up to bring thousands of HP laptops to university students in Haiti, who otherwise wouldn’t be able to afford the technology… more
LIME Reassured By Guilty Plea For Cable Theft
Jamaica – The recent guilty pleas of two men for stealing its copper cables has given telecommunications firm, LIME, reason to hope there will be a reduction in future incidents as the company’s new anti-theft system fulfils its intended purpose… more
Software Company Medullan Expands To Jamaica
Jamaica – Software development firm and IT consultancy Medullan Inc officially launched operations in Jamaica on Wednesday and is on the hunt for creative talent… more
Engineering Institute to hold Caribbean Internet Governance forum
Regional – Regional technology experts will share their insights on global Internet Governance issues, from a Caribbean perspective, at an upcoming forum hosted by The University of the West Indies (UWI)… more
Missing the boat: The problem of chronic Caribbean underrepresentation
Regional – One of the main reasons for focusing on capacity-building in the Caribbean region specifically is that Caribbean societies remain severely underrepresented at international meetings where decisions are being made concerning the development and governance of the global Internet… more
Regional cyber security firm issues security advisory
Regional – The Caribbean Cyber Security Center has urged all Caribbean businesses, governments, and home users running the Microsoft Windows XP operating system (OS) to aggressively plan to upgrade from Windows XP, which is no longer being supported by Microsoft as of April 8, 2014… more
Technology Matters: Doing good is good business
Regional – Technology can turn a cause into a movement, faster than ever before. Yet, in an Internet-enabled world of social networks, mobile payments, virtual learning and crowdsourcing, most firms’ approach to social giving remains stuck in the corporate dark-ages… more
LIME Internet Service Repairs Delayed
Saint Kitts and Nevis – Bad news for LIME internet customers this week: the telecoms company announced Thursday that their long anticipated project to resolve congestion issues has run into snags… more
Blink gigabit community: Satisfying the need for speed
Trinidad and Tobago – WE live in a world that is defined by the speed at which we can get things done. Horse drawn carriages have long been replaced by cars, some fast enough to be called Jaguars and the advent of the Internet has made digital communication the method of choice over traditional postal services for sending and receiving information… more
Friday, 18 April 2014
Connecting and disconnecting
Guyana – It has to be one of the great paradoxes of the digital age: as computers and the internet make our lives easier, so do they seem to make them more complicated… more
Saturday, 19 April 2014
TelEm staff march to Govt building
Saint Maarten – A large group of workers from the TelEm Group marched from their offices on Pond Island to the Government Administration Building on Friday to signal their firm position against the merger of the TelEm and the United Telecommunications Services (UTS)… more
Sunday, 20 April 2014
Digicel 4G Boom
Jamaica – As part of its 4G mobile network expansion across the island, Digicel technical team visited St Mary and Manchester recently where they installed and activated new 4G mobile cell sites to provide residents of Carron Hall and Moore Hall with full coverage… more
No Custom Duty on ‘phablets’
Jamaica – Effective May 1, ‘phablets’ — a cross between a smart-phone and a tablet — will be reclassified and no longer attract customs duties… more
Vision 2050 IT Programme Kicks Off
Jamaica – The Vision 2050 Information Technology (IT) training programme aimed at providing hundreds of financially challenged residents of West Rural St Andrew with the opportunity to learn and develop income-earning skills kicked off last week at the Red Hills Primary School with the registration of the first batch of an estimated 400 participants… more
St. Kitts and Nevis represented at CTU’s Executive Council Meeting in Suriname
Saint Kitts and Nevis – Caribbean leaders met in Suriname last week to push forward the region’s technology development agenda. The South American country hosted an executive meeting of the Caribbean Telecommunications Union (CTU) at the Hotel Krasnapolsky, Paramaribo… more
Image credits: Mars Hill Church (flickr); Wikipedia; Wikipedia; Wikipedia
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