A roundup of ICT/technology news from across the Caribbean region for the period Monday 2 February to 8 February 2015.
Monday, 2 February 2015
GT&T unveils cheaper, ten times faster internet speed this year
Guyana – As local telecoms companies ready for an open market, with new liberalization laws expected, there is good news for customers… more
Opposition welcomes National Cyber Security Strategy
Jamaica – Opposition spokesperson on Science, Information and Communications Technology (ICT), Digital Society Development Dr Andrew Wheatley has welcomed the creation and launch of the National Cyber Security Strategy… more
Digicel Emerges as the Chairman of CANTO’s Board of Directors
Regional – On the 26th of January, Digicel was voted Chairman of the CANTO Board of Directors at the 31st Annual General Meeting (AGM) of CANTO held in Paramaribo Suriname… more
Mitchell: Roaming bill too high
Regional – Grenada Prime Minister Dr Keith Mitchell said roaming charges pose a challenge to an integrated Caribbean platform and are too costly… more
Tuesday, 3 February 2015
Union Boss: Cable Staff Set To Take Strike Vote
Bahamas – A trade union leader yesterday said Cable Bahamas employees had agreed to take a strike vote, following Friday’s ‘sick out’ and increasing frustration over the company’s failure to conclude an industrial agreement… more
Haitian radio and TV interference covers 40% of the border
Dominican Republic – The spokesman for the Dominican Liberation Party (PLD) in the Senate said that Haitian radio and telephone interference in the border area is reaching nearly 40%, which causes cultural, social and economic damage as well as endangers national security… more
J$29-b upgrade coming for LIME
Jamaica – LIME Jamaica today announced that parent company Cable and Wireless Communications PLC (CWC) is currently in Jamaica to give an update on a planned J$29-billion investment in technology upgrade… more
LIME To Pay Digicel $1.5 Billion
Jamaica – Telecommunication company LIME is to pay more than $1.5 billion to its competitor Digicel (Jamaica ) Limited for wrongly withholding money due for calls from LIME’s fixed-line customers to Digicel mobile phones… more
LaRocque: Critical role for ICT in Caricom
Regional – ICT is the new frontier for regional integration, Caricom Secretary-General Irwin LaRocque said yesterday as he underscored the critical role of the Caribbean Telecommunications Union (CTU) in the integration architecture… more
Minister defends approval of CWC/Columbus
Regional – Just weeks after approving the US$3 billion acquisition of Columbus International by Cable and Wireless Communications (CWC), Phillip Paulwell, Jamaica’s Minister of Science, Technology, Energy and Mining, has defended the decision… more
Nevis seniors commence computer classes
Saint Kitts and Nevis – Senior citizens of Nevis now have the opportunity to learn to communicate with family and friends via the internet, through an eight-week introduction to computer class… more
Internet Society comes to T&T this week
Trinidad and Tobago – The Internet Society Deploy360 Programme will extend the discussion of emerging technology issues to more countries and promote technology dialogue at a local level through the addition of regions to its 2015 ION Conference Series… more
Wednesday, 4 February 2015
Frank Schilling: Unlocking the value of domain names
Cayman Islands – There are many residents of Grand Cayman who have probably never heard of Frank Schilling nor of his Cayman-based companies, Uniregistry and DomainNameSales… more
Premier seeks CCTV upgrades
Cayman Islands – Government will significantly step up its investment in CCTV cameras around the island amid concerns that the quality of the images is not high enough at night… more
Digitalization of Civil Registry at an advanced stage
Dominica – The long waiting period in obtaining documents from government’s Registry will soon be a thing of the past… more
GT&T promises internet upgrade ‘in near future’
Guyana – Fixed line incumbent Guyana Telephone and Telegraph (GT&T) has announced that it will introduce faster and cheaper fixed internet services ‘in the very near future’, whilst plans to upgrade its mobile networks with 3G and 4G technology are also in the works but will have to wait for the government approvals… more
Digicel labels Netflix streaming index unfair
Jamaica – NETFLIX, the US-based movie streaming company, has published an index that lists Digicel Jamaica as streaming its services at the slowest rate among providers in 26 nations… more
CWC holds first Board meeting for 2015 in Jamaica
Regional – Jamaica is hosting the first Board meeting of LIME’s parent company, Cable and Wireless Communication (CWC) for 2015… more
ICT sector fundamental to CARICOM growth and development, says secretary general
Regional – Irwin LaRocque, secretary-general of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), on Monday underscored the critical role that the Caribbean Telecommunications Union (CTU) had to play in the integration architecture… more
OECS calls for removal of roaming rates
Regional – The St Lucia-based Organisation of Eastern States (OECS) Commission is calling for the removal of roaming fees attached to mobile calls between the nine-member sub-regional grouping… more
Digicel launches ‘Digicel space’ Mobile Cloud Solution
Saint Kitts and Nevis – Digicel St. Kitts and Nevis today launched its innovative cloud storage solution, “Digicel Space”, a product that allows customers to backup and share information such as photos, videos, contacts and documents – safely and securely… more
Information system upgrade begins at Nevis’ Alexandra Hospital
Saint Kitts and Nevis – The Health Ministry on Nevis continues to make strides to improve health care delivery on the island. The Alexandra Hospital began the first of a two-phase hospital system upgrade on Friday 30 January, 2015… more
Thursday, 5 February 2015
Former owners of BTL, BEL demand utilities back
Belize – The Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) asked the parties in the voluminous case of the acquisitions of Belize Telemedia Limited (BTL) and Belize Electricity Limited (BEL) to submit on January 23 their suggestions for how the court addresses the issue of awards in its forthcoming judgment in the case, which was heard last December at its seat in Trinidad and Tobago… more
What if BTL Returns to Private Ownership?
Belize – With the decision by the C.C.J. imminent, there are already questions about the real, on the ground situation with Belize Telemedia Limited… more
Frank Schilling: A man who knows his domains
Cayman Islands – The narrative of Frank Schilling is a success story, punctuated with a cautionary tale for Cayman… more
HBO Expands Reach In The Caribbean
Regional – “HBO is proud to announce this expansion with Digicel in the Caribbean, further demonstrating our commitment to the region and signifying another positive step towards establishing legitimate relationships with authorized distributors in these markets,” said Javier Figueras, Corporate Vice President of Affiliate Relations at HBO Latin America… more
International Telecommunications Union: ITUI50 Awards Call for Nominations
Regional – World Telecommunication and Information Society Day (WTISD), celebrated each year on 17 May, marks the anniversary of the signature of the first International Telegraph Convention in 1865, which led to the creation of the International Telecommunication Union… more
BLINK’s ‘TV anywhere’ is a game changer
Trinidad and Tobago – BLINK Entertainment customers can look forward to viewing TV anywhere, at any time, on any device with an internet connection… more
Blink Entertainment introduces ‘TV anywhere’
Trinidad and Tobago – Blink Entertainment customers can look forward to viewing TV anywhere, at any time, on any device with an internet connection… more
US$7m needed for cellphone jammers
Trinidad and Tobago – An additional US$7m is needed to procure cellular phone jammers to be placed at the prisons throughout the country to ensure that criminals are prevented from having contact with the outside world… more
Friday, 6 February 2015
BTC now providing LTE coverage in Acklins Bahamas
Bahamas – BTC now has over ninety LTE sites nationally. Just recently three of the six mobile towers in Acklins were upgraded to provide 4G LTE services to the island. The towers located at Lovely Bay, Spring Point and Salina Point, now have 4G LTE services… more
Digicel Business introduces affordable range of cyber security solutions
Jamaica – ICT solutions provider Digicel Business says it has introduced an affordable suite of cyber security options for businesses under its cloud-managed security portfolio… more
Ja has world’s fastest Government and regulator, says Dehring
Jamaica – LIME Jamaica Chairman Chris Dehring has likened the speed of the Government’s approval of the CWC/Columbus merger to that of the island’s world-beating athletes… more
LIME to pay Digicel for withholding money
Jamaica – Telecommunication company Lime is to pay more than J$1.5 billion to Digicel (Jamaica) Ltd for wrongly withholding money due for calls from Lime’s fixed-line customers to Digicel mobile phones,” the Jamaica Gleaner newspaper reported… more
Netflix Ranks Digicel As Slowest In The Region
Jamaica – Internet content provider Netflix has panned Digicel’s wireless service as the slowest in the Latin American and Caribbean region – a ranking the telecoms dismissed as flawed analysis… more
Our Moving Fast To Address ‘Cell Hell’ Grouses
Jamaica – We have taken note of the article headlined ‘Jamaica’s cell hell’, published in The Gleaner on Monday, January 19, 2015, written by your columnist, Dr Garth A. Rattray… more
Paulwell Not In Full Agreement With Our Internet Penetration Report
Jamaica – Technology Minister Phillip Paulwell is pouring cold water on the latest Office of Utilities Regulation (OUR) annual report, which has revealed continued low levels of Internet penetration on the island… more
Samsung launches selfie-designed smartphones
Jamaica – SOUTH Korean technology company Samsung has launched its newest smartphones on the Jamaican market — Galaxy A3 and A5… more
Antigua welcomes CWC/Columbus merger
Regional – Antigua welcomes the US $3 billion merger between Cable and Wireless Corporation and Columbus International but a regulatory framework must be in place first, Melford Nicholas, the island’s Minister of Broadcasting, Telecommunications and Information Technology said yesterday… more
Cybercrime threat to region
Regional – Caribbean countries are at risk of cyber terrorism attacks and cybercrimes as the developing world boosts its information and communication technology (ICT) solutions, according to Phillip Paulwell, president of the Caribbean Telecommunications Union (CTU)… more
OECS calls for removal of roaming rates
Regional – The Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Commission is calling for the removal of roaming fees on mobile calls between the nine-member sub-regional grouping… more
OECS to tighten regulations in ICT sector
Regional – Market competition within the information and communication technology (ICT) sector was discussed at the 60th meeting of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Authority held on Wednesday… more
The Leading Entertainment Provider Launches With Digicel In Six Countries
Regional – HBO Latin America, the sole authorized distributor of HBO content in the Caribbean, continues its expansion in the market through a recent commercial agreement with Digicel in several countries, including Turks & Caicos, Dominica, Nevis, Montserrat, Anguilla and Jamaica, with further growth planned down the line… more
“MyDigicel App” – Customer Care Solutions in the Palm of your Hands
Saint Kitts and Nevis – Gone are the days when you had to rely on a store to purchase credit or call customer care to find out your data balance, all thanks to the new and improved “MyDigicel App”. Digicel St. Kitts and Nevis customers can now take care of many of their customer service needs straight from their handsets… more
TelEm, UTS face problems in upgrading local networks
Sint Maarten – Given difficulties experienced by telecommunications consumers which have become worse recently, The Daily Herald has approached the two main Internet and telephony providers, TelEm Group and United Telecommunication Services (UTS), for insight… more
Saturday, 7 February 2015
Amateur Radio Club Gets C’dIan Aid
Saint Lucia – THE Government of Canada will provide over CA$25,000 to the Saint Lucia Amateur Radio Club to improve amateur radio coverage and communication in Saint Lucia, in the event of a disaster… more
Sunday, 8 February 2015
Grenada PM calls for unity in plans to develop Single CARICOM space
Grenada – Grenada’s Prime Minister Dr. Keith Mitchell Monday said there were still many “vexing” issues confronting the Caribbean as it moves to establish a single Caribbean Community (CARICOM) information, communication and technology (ICT) space… more
Lenovo introduces cutting edge technologies to business community
Guyana – Officials of the Lenovo Group Limited, in collaboration with local technology giant STARR Computer Inc. and Vishnu Panday Associates, hosted a technology forum for corporate and business entities at the Pegasus Hotel on Wednesday last… more
Royale PC replaces tablet
Jamaica – Dear Claudienne, On January 22, 2014, I bought a Super Pad IVIEW seven inch Android Tablet at Royale PC & Electronics Ltd, Shop 2 Tropical Plaza, 12 Constant Spring Road. The price of the tablet was $22,000… more
Beyond the digital divide
Regional – By 2016, one per cent of the world’s population will own more than half of its wealth… more
Leaders reject establishment of OECS consumer protection body
Regional – Leaders at the just concluded 60th OECS (Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States), Authority meeting in Martinique have rejected a proposal for the establishment of the Eastern Caribbean Competition Commission, which would serve as the main consumer protection body for member states… more
Image credit: Yon Garin (flickr); Wikipedia; Wikipedia; Wikipedia; Wikipedia
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