A roundup of ICT/technology news from across the Caribbean region for the period Monday 13 October to 19 October 2014.
Monday, 13 October 2014
BTC’s winning personalities honoured
Bahamas – BTC recently honoured some very special BTC employees who had received the votes of their associates nationwide in nominations for most consistent hard work with a positive attitude during the first quarter of the year… more
Digicel (Guyana) wins approval for new fibre-optic cable
Guyana – The Guyana government is poised to grant Digicel (Guyana) Limited approval to run a submarine fibre-optic cable that would see mobile phone subscribers getting a higher quality service and the company investing in a number of other areas… more
Technology a key part of T&T Restaurant Week
Trinidad and Tobago – Through a growing access to mobile technology, more and more people are communicating and receiving information in real-time… more
T&T active in global Internet debate
Trinidad and Tobago – T&T has come in for praise from the international community supporting the global Internet. Raul Echeberría, vice president of global engagement at the Internet Society (ISOC) described T&T as “very active” in high-level international debates on issues related to the governance of the global Internet… more
Tuesday, 14 October 2014
BTC MPLS Enterprise Push and IP TV
Bahamas – BTC CEO Leon Williams has announced that the roll out of business enterprise solution Multi-Protocol Label Switching (MPLS) and Internet Protocol Television (IPTV), will be mid-2015… more
Christie: Data protection critical in ‘information age’
Bahamas – The implementation of value-added tax (VAT), anti-money laundering legislation and the proposed implementation of the Credit Bureau of The Bahamas will mean an increased need for the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner to ensure that each individual’s personal information is indeed protected and secured, according to the prime minister… more
Haiti PM brings business background to government, says Denis O’Brien
Haiti – Irish Billionaire and top foreign investor in Haiti, Denis O’Brien, has hailed the business background brought by Haitian Prime minister Laurent Lamothe to the government he described as doing a good job and O’Brien said that the building blocks that the Caribbean country needs were now in place… more
A start-up’s journey with Start-Up Jamaica
Jamaica – To make men of mice isn’t a saying we often hear when we think of businesses and entrepreneurs. My experience and time at Start-Up Jamaica and its boot camp has truly pulled out the best in me and highlighted how much more I can grow professionally… more
TelEm Group mobile, data networks ride out hurricane Gonzalo.
Sint Maarten – TelEm Group management last night thanked the company’s team of technicians and engineers who kept voice and mobile date services up and running for customers badly affected by hurricane Gonzalo, Monday night and all day Tuesday… more
Caribbean voices joining global Internet debate
Regional – The Internet Corporation of Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN)—the entity that controls key bits of the Internet—gathers in Los Angeles this week to tackle an array of hot issues, in particular, governance of the Internet… more
Customers complain of lost credit
Trinidad and Tobago – Bmobile customers yesterday vented their frustration as they complained of credit disappearing from their prepaid accounts… more
Futurist to headline T&T ICT conference
Trinidad and Tobago – Technology is no longer a silo and it is not exclusive to those in the ICT field. Technology has an effect on everyone, particularly in the way business is done… more
TSTT working to resolve mobile issue
Trinidad and Tobago – TSTT wishes to advise that it is investigating an issue that is causing an incorrect charge to be registered against customers accounts when ever a data-related service is being used on a mobile device… more
Wednesday, 15 October 2014
BTC celebrates opening of Harbour Island store
Bahamas – Underlining their commitment to open sixty-one BTC retail stores throughout the islands of The Bahamas before 2016, residents of Harbour Island and neighbouring settlements celebrated the opening of the twenty-eighth BTC ‘Best In Class’ Experience store on the North Eleuthera island… more
PM Christie remarks at 2nd Data Protection Symposium
Bahamas – It is my pleasure to bring opening remarks at this 2nd Annual National Data Protection Symposium… more
[Video] Submarine cable likely for Digicel
Guyana – Mobile telecommunications provider Digicel is expected to receive formal approval soon for its own submarine fibre optic cable, which it plans to use to enhance its services with the expected liberalisation of the telecoms sector… more
Infokat promises to be Google for Jamaican businesses
Jamaica – JAMAICAN entrepreneurs can now get answers to their frequently asked questions (FAQs) directly from local and international business leaders using Infokat… more
Minister Paulwell Assures Number Portability by May 2015
Jamaica – Minister of Science, Technology, Energy and Mining, Hon. Phillip Paulwell, says that number portability will be in place by May next year… more
OUR invites applications for Number Portability Licence
Jamaica – THE Office of Utilities Regulation (OUR) has invited entities interested in a licence to provide Number Portability administration services to submit applications no later than December 1, 2014… more
Jamaica’s Team Node420 wins regional code sprint in Suriname
Regional – A group of Jamaican developers won top regional honours in a regional hackathon, held as part of the Caribbean Week of Agriculture in Suriname… more
“Tell Us What Matters to You” — Flow Reaches Out to Its Customers
Regional – Columbus Communications, operators of the Flow and Columbus Business Solutions brands, today asked customers to tell them how they feel about Flow’s service… more
LIME launches nationwide 4G
Saint Kitts and Nevis – Telecoms Company LIME has launched its 100% 4G coverage across St. Kitts and Nevis. Top level local and regional LIME Execs were at a launch Wednesday at Port Zante, at the site of one of the company’s transmitters… more
Free data for today, says Bmobile
Trinidad and Tobago – TSTT is rebating customers after a software glitch that affected thousands of mobile subscribers… more
Phone troubles hit TSTT customers
Trinidad and Tobago – UNTOLD numbers of pre-paid and post-paid customers of the Telecommunications Services of Trinidad and Tobago (TSTT) were yesterday unable to make calls or use mobile data services after their accounts were erroneously charged… more
TSTT customers to get rebate within 24 hours
Trinidad and Tobago – Telecoms provider TSTT has started rebating the accounts of customers affected by Tuesday’s software issue… more
TSTT starts rebate and provides Free Data to affected customers
Trinidad and Tobago – TSTT has begun rebating the accounts of customers affected by Tuesday’s software issue and the company also wishes to express its appreciation for the understanding shown by customers and is offering FREE data to all prepaid customers from 1 P.M. to 12 Midnight Wednesday 15th October… more
Thursday, 16 October 2014
Digicel says sorry for porno boo boo
Barbados – Digicel today issued an apology to its customers and the general public, but its remorse had nothing to do with its telecommunications service… more
LIME launches 4G for corporate clients in Dominica
Dominica – Telecoms operator LIME, owned by UK-based Cable & Wireless Communications, invested USD 4.5 million to launch its 4G network in Dominica… more
BPO sector celebrates reduction in illegal activity
Jamaica – A year ago, lotto scamming activities threatened to flat-line the business processing outsourcing (BPO) sector… more
Internet Café Brings The World To Treadways
Jamaica – Joyous shouts and cheers filled the atmosphere in Treadways recently as residents of the St Catherine community showed appreciation for the opening of an Internet café… more
New Cable & Wireless upgrading all Caribbean regional operations
Regional – Following the recent announcement of a $160 million investment on the island, LIME has launched “Upgrade Barbados”… more
LIME launches 100% 4G coverage in SKN
Saint Kitts and Nevis – TELECOMMUNICATIONS giant LIME launched its Federation-wide 4G service yesterday (Oct. 15) – which would see customers in all corners of the island accessing the service – following a four-year $4.5M project… more
Deloitte official: T&T has to bridge digital divide
Trinidad and Tobago – Larry Quinlan, global chief information officer at global professional services firm Deloitte, says T&T and the Caribbean region must come up with ways to bridge the digital divide… more
Free data for TSTT customers
Trinidad and Tobago – “REBATES” and “free data” were the words of the day for pre-paid customers of the Telecommunications Services of Trinidad and Tobago (TSTT) who on Tuesday were unable to make mobile calls or use mobile data because of a “software issue” related to “specialised applications” purchased from an overseas billing service provider… more
Friday, 17 October 2014
BTC business tour marks 3rd quarter of first year for LIME CEO
Bahamas – Marking a nine month milestone in his first year as the CEO of Cable & Wireless Plc (CWC) Phil Bentley is leading an employee ‘getting to know you’ BTC Team Talk Live visit that will bring him in touch with BTC employees nationwide… more
Cable And Wireless ‘Investing Heavily’ In BTC
Bahamas – PHIL Bentley, CEO of Cable and Wireless, says the company is investing “heavily” in Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) to improve its mobile reliability in the Bahamas… more
BUSINESS BYTE: LIME launches Upgrade Dominica
Dominica – On the heels of the recent announcement of a EC$16 million investment on the island, LIME today launched “Upgrade Dominica”… more
BUSINESS BYTE: SAT Telecommunications becomes Digicel Play
Dominica – From today, customers across Dominica can take advantage of best value superfast broadband, coupled with cable TV, as they experience the world of Digicel Play for the first time… more
Digicel submarine cable approval…Jagdeo was not speaking on administration’s behalf – Dr. Luncheon
Guyana – Government’s main spokesperson, Dr. Roger Luncheon has said that he does not believe that Former President Bharrat… more
Ministry: BK was not assigned to area where GT&T cable damaged
Guyana – The Ministry of Public Works today said that an area of the East Bank Highway Expansion project where GT&T cables were damaged by construction activity had not been assigned to BK International for work to be done… more
CVM Slacking Off On Editing Vulgarity
Jamaica – THE EDITOR, Sir: I happened to be watching one of my favourite movies (There’s Something about Mary) on CVM at midnight on October 15, 2014 and heard the following: … more
Do we have a ICT framework?
Jamaica – Dear Editor, The Government of Jamaica has been unhurried in taking advantage of information and communication technology (ICT) to renovate and streamline the public sector, and in adopting a perspective that ICT governance is as significant to national infrastructure as energy, water and roads… more
Letter Of The Day – Jamaica Lags In IT Governance
Jamaica – THE EDITOR, Sir: The Government of Jamaica (GOJ) has been unhurried in taking advantage of information and communications technology (ICT) to renovate and streamline the public sector, and in adopting a perspective that ICT governance is as significant to national infrastructure as energy, water and roads… more
Saturday, 18 October 2014
Disgusted With Flow!
Jamaica – Permit me to register my disgust and anger at Columbus Communications, operators of Flow, for what I view to be robbery being inflicted monthly on its customers… more
LIME Infringes Intellectual Property Rights
Jamaica – THE EDITOR, Sir: As we draw close to the end of 2014, undoubtedly the 2015 edition of the LIME/Yellow Pages telephone directory will be published in a couple of weeks and be distributed to a number of offices and residents all across the island… more
Snapshot: Actual Internet Download Speeds From Across The Caribbean, September 2014
Regional – An update of actual Internet download speeds in 27 Caribbean countries and a comparison with results recorded in May 2014… more
LIME Upgrades
Saint Lucia – LIME customers have begun to experience St. Lucia’s first ever nationwide Superfast 4G network and Superfast Broadband as part of broader investment-led strategy by LIME across the region… more
Sunday, 19 October 2014
Digicel Brings In 8 Technicians From Jamaica
Jamaica – Digicel flew in a team of eight people today [Oct 19] to assist with repairing its network following Hurricane Gonzalo, with the technicians flying in from the head office in Jamaica, and landing earlier this afternoon… more
Replacement laptop didn’t carry warranty
Jamaica – Dear Claudienne, On September 3, 2011, my wife and I purchased a Dell DC15P32E225B Inspiron M5030-Notebook-black laptop computer at the May Pen Branch of Courts… more
Samsung smartphones might have taken number one spot in Jamaica
Jamaica – SAMSUNG smartphones have taken the lead in Jamaica from rivals including BlackBerry (BB), reckons Kenneth Moore… more
Why did Richard Young resign from OCM and what does it mean?
Trinidad and Tobago – On Thursday, the T&T Stock Exchange (TTSE) posted on its website that Richard Young had resigned as a director of One Caribbean Media two days previously “because of a potential conflict of interest as another company on whose board he serves will be entering the market and be in direct competition with a subsidiary of the OCM Group.” … more
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