A roundup of ICT/technology news from across the Caribbean region during the period Monday 16 June to Sunday 22 June 2014.
Monday, 16 June 2014
‘Valiant Effort’ To Close BTC Deal
Bahamas – The Government and Cable & Wireless Communications (CWC) still have not closed their ‘2 per cent’ deal over the Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC), despite making a “very, very valiant effort” to do so last week… more
DigiCell Launches PrePaid Voice Roaming Service!
Belize – As of Friday, June 13, 2014, DigiCell PrePaid customers can enjoy the freedom of using DigiCell’s Voice Roaming service in over 30 countries around the world… more
When BPO Becomes Knowledge Outsourcing
Belize – We all know about business process outsourcing, or BPO – which basically refers to the call centers that you can find all over Belize these days… more
Jamaica Set to Launch Internet Exchange Point in August
Jamaica – Jamaica is expected to benefit significantly from an Internet exchange point facility, which the ministry of science, technology, energy and mining expects to have in place by August… more
OECS to boost businesses with Technology
Saint Kitts and Nevis – EIGHT businesses in St. Kitts are presently engaged in discussions with the Export Development Unit of the Organisation of the Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) on boosting their entities with the use of Technology… more
Opposition sounds warning on Cyber Bill
Trinidad and Tobago – A cyber-crime bill proposed by the Government could clamp down on the free exchange of online information including the recent revelations of scandals/controversies involving Government officials, the Opposition warned last Friday… more
TSTT explains Internet/landline billing
Trinidad and Tobago – Problem: Guardian Media Ltd staff member Raymond Grant said before June last year he had Internet, Blink Entertainment and a landline with TSTT, costing roughly $300 a month… more
Tuesday, 17 June 2014
Cable Scores 900 Sport Subscribers With World Cup
Bahamas – Cable Bahamas has added an estimated 800-900 subscribers to its sports package since the soccer World Cup started, with a senior executive confirming it was still trying to “clear up” transmission quality issues with the master Caribbean rights holder… more
CWC Still Claims 51% BTC Ownership
Bahamas – Cable & Wireless Communications (CWC) is still claiming 51 per cent majority control of the Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC), raising fresh questions over the Government’s assertion to have regained majority ownership for the Bahamian people… more
Flow helping small businesses
Barbados – After rolling out its services just over a year ago in Barbados, telecommunications company Columbus has declared it is ready to take over as the number one provider for the small and medium sized enterprises (SME) sector… more
ICTA head ‘terminated’ but paid out
Cayman Islands – The former managing director of the Cayman Islands Information and Communication Technology Authority had his contract terminated three months prior to its completion, but was still paid the remainder of his salary, Planning Minister Kurt Tibbetts revealed last week… more
Five million suspended pre-paid users given 90 days to register
Dominican Republic – The Dominican Republic’s telecoms regulator Indotel has given the owners of millions of suspended pre-paid accounts 90 days in which to register their details and reactivate their number… more
Procrastinators left without cell phone service
Dominican Republic – Procrastination reared its lazy head in the Dominican Republic once again, as users of prepaid cell phones were left without service after the deadline issued by the regulator Indotel expired midnight Thursday… more
Telecom sector grows to 16.2% of GDP in Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic – The contribution of the telecommunications industry to gross domestic product in the Dominican Republic has grown from 4.6 percent in 2000 to 16.2 percent in 2013, reports Diario Libre… more
The wonderful world of apps
Regional – For many busy people, mobile applications or apps have made life a lot easier… more
Information Security Gets Examined In ICT Workshop
Saint Kitts and Nevis – Issues of confidentiality, integrity and availability of information within the public sector are key talking points in a June 19 Information and Communication Technology (ICT) workshop… more
Turks and Caicos media challenge gag order
Turks and Caicos Islands – A court order restricting the press from reporting details of one of the many ongoing corruption cases in the Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI) was successfully challenged by the local media last week… more
Wednesday, 18 June 2014
Gov’t And CWC ‘Cannot Both Be Right’ On BTC
Bahamas – Free National Movement (FNM) chairman Darron Cash yesterday charged that the Government and Cable and Wireless Communication (CWC) “cannot both be right” regarding claims to the majority control of the Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC)… more
July 3 For ‘BTC 2%’ Agreement’s Closure
Bahamas – The Government and Cable & Wireless Communications (CWC) are hoping to conclude their ‘2 per cent’ deal over the Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) by July 3, Tribune Business can reveal… more
Government reveals details of new ICTA boss
Cayman Islands – Following revelations in Finance Committee last week that Alee Fa’amoe had been given the top job at the Information and Communications Technology Authority (ICTA), government officials released a statement Wednesday detailing the local telecom expert’s appointment… more
Digicel Guyana welcomes promised ending of GT&T monopoly
Guyana – Digicel Guyana CEO Gregory Dean is optimistic that the Telecommunications Bill will be passed next month ending the more than 20-year-old monopoly of Guyana Telephone & Telegraph Company, GT&T in the provision of international calls… more
CXC Going Live with Electronic Marking in 2014
Regional – The Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) is utilising electronic marking or e-marking for some of its scripts for the 2014 May/June examination sitting… more
UK company acquires the Caribbean’s largest internet registrar
Regional – CentralNic plc, the registry service provider powering the sale of domain names through online retailers globally, has acquired the business and certain of the assets of Internet.BS Corp, registered in The Bahamas — the leading retailer of domain names in the Caribbean and one of the world’s top thirty domain name retailers (or “registrars”)… more
Thursday, 19 June 2014
Call to get serious about technology
Barbados – Senator Esther Byer Suckoo has urged the public service to utilise the technology available for doing business and cut down on the “paper-passing”… more
Unions cream off BTL
Belize – The Government of Belize under Prime Minister Dean Barrow has opened the books to the Union negotiating team who have been seeking a salary increase for public officers and teachers… more
Dominican consumers can access Google Play Books
Dominican Republic – The Dominican Republic is now one of the 12 new countries with access to Google Play Books store, Google announced Wednesday. After this expansion, the service is now available in a total of 57 countries… more
“Dominican Republic – Telecoms, IP Networks, Digital Media and Forecasts” Published
Dominican Republic – Recently published research from BuddeComm, “Dominican Republic – Telecoms, IP Networks, Digital Media and Forecasts”, is now available at Fast Market Research… more
Grenada to Distribute Tablets in Schools
Grenada – Grenada will be launching a programme to distribute tablet computers in the country’s schools in September, the government announced this week… more
Wheatley says number portability explanation weak
Jamaica – THE Opposition Spokesman on ICT and Digital Economy Development, Dr Andrew Wheatley, has criticised junior minister Julian Robinson’s explanation of the further delays in implementing number portability as unacceptable and weak… more
Columbus Business Solutions Completes SOC 1 (SSAE 16) & ISAE 3402 TYPE 1 Examination
Regional – Columbus Business Solutions (CBS), a division of Columbus International Inc. (Columbus), and a provider of premium telecommunications services to businesses in the greater Caribbean, Andean and Central American regions, is proud to announce that it has been awarded three international standards certifications… more
T&T media group wants cybercrime legislation revisited
Trinidad and Tobago – The Trinidad and Tobago Publishers and Broadcasters Association (TTPBA) is calling on the coalition people’s Partnership Government to redraft and revise legislation aimed at clamping down on computer hacking that Opposition legislators have warned could seriously affect press freedom… more
Friday, 20 June 2014
LIME not worried about losing landlines
Barbados – As mobile phones become more pervasive across the island, telecommunications company LIME is not worried that customers will be giving up their landlines any time soon… more
LIME solves landline problem
Barbados – After days of experiencing disruption to their landline service, customers of telecommunications company, LIME, can now make contact with businesses and households without hindrance… more
BPO sector growth squeezed – Epstein
Jamaica – YONI Epstein is concerned about apparent stagnation experienced by the business process outsourcing (BPO) sector since the start of the year… more
LIME cuts call rate for data customers
Jamaica – TELECOMMUNICATIONS provider LIME has introduced a lower call rate of $1.99 per minute for prepaid mobile Internet customers… more
Local call centre lands US$20-m deal
Jamaica – FullGram International, a Kingston-based call centre, has secured a US$20 million ($2.2 billion) contract with US-based Education Source… more
Men accused of stealing cell site batteries remanded
Jamaica – TWO men who were allegedly found in a car with 10 cell tower batteries belonging to telecommunications company LIME, were on Wednesday denied bail in the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate’s Court… more
Plenary session of parliament reconvenes on Monday regarding proposed merger between TELEM and UTS
Sint Maarten – A plenary session of the House of Parliament will be reconvened on June 23 in the afternoon… more
Saturday, 21 June 2014
More public WiFi access coming
Barbados – Plans are moving ahead towards the installation of WiFi access points at various bus stops and in the country’s south coast boardwalk area… more
Government To Ban Use Of Cell Phones While Driving
Jamaica – Motorists will have to get used to missing telephone calls and avoid reading text messages when driving, as new laws in the Road Traffic bill propose the banning of electronic communication devices while driving… more
Why Wait Another Year For Number Portability?
Jamaica – THE EDITOR, Sir: ‘Number portability by end of year’ was title of the story carried in The Gleaner on March 6, 2014, in which it reported State Minister Julian Robinson as saying that, by November to December, number portability would be implemented first with mobile numbers, and fixed lines coming on stream in the following year… more
Public Sector Information Security Prioritized
Saint Kitts and Nevis – A two-day workshop designed by The Department of Information Technology to strengthen and preserve the confidentiality, integrity and availability of information within the public sector concluded today (June 20)… more
T&T companies win Microsoft Partner awards
Trinidad and Tobago – Five organisations based in T&T and the eastern and southern Caribbean were among the winners of the 2014 Microsoft Partner of the Year Awards, which celebrates top partners solving customer challenges with creative technology solutions… more
Sunday, 22 June 2014
TechLink Kickoff in Barbados
Barbados – “Don’t Predict the Future; Enable It.” … more
A JC man at Flow’s control
Jamaica – IT was the inspiration of former Jamaica premier, Norman Manley, and his son, Michael, the island’s fourth prime minister, that propelled an aspiring young man to want to attend one of this country’s leading institutions of secondary learning, Jamaica College (JC)… more
Warning signals over two new T&T anti-crime bills
Jamaica – BOTH the Government and media enterprises of Jamaica should consider acquainting themselves with two new pieces of legislation introduced last week in Trinidad and Tobago’s House of Representatives as new initiatives to combat frightening levels of serious criminality, including rising rates of gun-related killings and violence… more
Duprey loses bid to ‘gag’ media
Trinidad and Tobago – The Central Bank’s multi-billion dollar claim against businessman Lawrence Duprey and his former executives will continue in the High court on July 30 as the lawsuit progresses to a case management conference set for that date by Justice Robin Mohammed… more
Trinidad and Tobago’s Cyber Crime Bill May Be The Beginning of an Already Failed Quest
Trinidad and Tobago – Probably wary of sporadic incidences in the world of virtual reality, the Caribbean Island nation of Trinidad and Tobago has ambitiously decided to make a mark in the international fight against cyber crimes by announcing the piloting of a cybercrime bill… more
Image credits: Flow; Caribbean Trakker; Wikipedia; Wikipedia
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