A roundup of ICT/technology news from across the Caribbean region for the period Monday 23 March to Sunday 29 March 2015.

Monday, 23 March 2015

Cable Bahamas could create 250 jobs if it wins second mobile license

Bahamas – Cable Bahamas Limited could create as many as 250 new jobs, if it is awarded the country’s second cellular license, according to Vice President of Marketing David Burrows… more

Ward Avenue ICT facility almost ready

Jamaica – A large information, communication and technology (ICT) facility now nearing completion at Ward Avenue in this south central town could begin its employment phase in “summer” (mid-year), says Member of Parliament for Central Manchester Peter Bunting… more

ANTO, ITU & SIPOS Celebrate Girls in ICT Day 2015 – 23rd April 2015, Theme: “Girls and Women and Innovation”

Regional – Dear Members and ICT Stakeholders, CANTO has partnered with the ITU to ensure that the Girls in ICT Day event is widely celebrated in the Caribbean region… more

Winn Tech Report: SKN Download Speed Ranks Amongst The Lowest

Saint Kitts and Nevis – For years nationals of St. Kitts and Nevis have been proud to boast of our internet connectivity penetration rates, with around 28% of households having “broadband” internet… more

“Make sure!” – Digicel urges Trinidad & Tobago telecoms regulator

Trinidad and Tobago – Digicel Trinidad & Tobago is calling for regulators in the twin-island republic to insist that Cable & Wireless shows binding agreements to sell its stake in Telecommunications Services of Trinidad & Tobago (TSTT) before giving approval for the merger of LIME and Flow in that country… more

Tuesday, 24 March 2015

Columbus Business Solutions offers Cyber Security for Schools

Barbados – Schools are under attack both from internal and external vices… more

BrightPath hosts AppMaster Initiative in Grenada

Grenada – With so much digital media consumption now taking place on mobile apps, it’s no surprise that many tech innovators are focusing not on desktop computers but on smaller, do-it-all, handheld devices. You could say small is the new big… more

LIME Apologises To Users, Voice And Data Service Issues

Jamaica – Telecommunications giant LIME says actions have been taken to resolve problems experienced by some customers in making and receiving calls… more

Austerity Measures Lead to Stability and IT/ BPO Growth For Jamaica

Jamaica – Jamaica’s BPO Sector appears to be gaining strength with strong signs indicating that the country is on track to recover from a serious financial crisis in 2013… more

Caribbean needs to strengthen its Internet infrastructure

Regional – Electronic security threats levels are on the rise globally, and the stakes are getting higher… more

Websites in 2015 and beyond — what is really important?

Regional – THERE is a common misconception among website owners that once they have a visually appealing website with details about their products or services and information on how prospects can contact or make a purchase from their business, all is well… more

TelEm Group Data and internet services restored at approximately 10:00 a.m. Tuesday.

Sint Maarten – TelEm Group’s Technical Department has confirmed that internet and mobile data services were restored at approximately 10:00 am Tuesday morning following a second outage of service at the start of the business day… more

Wednesday, 25 March 2015

COB marks Business Week with focus on innovation and technology

Bahamas – Using a signature platform designed to expose students to the professional diversity and dynamism within the field of business, the Chief Executive Officer of the Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) Mr. Leon Williams recently challenged students at The College of The Bahamas to be imaginative and resourceful in the pursuit of their dreams… more

URCA Bahamas (thebahamasweekly.com)URCA finds BTC in Breach of its Individual Operating License (IOL)

Bahamas – On March 20, 2015, the Utilities Regulation and Competition Authority (URCA) issued its Final Determination and Order to the Bahamas Telecommunications Company Ltd. (BTC) regarding BTC’s March 22, 2014 Network Outage… more

FOR WHAT IT’S WORTH: The virtual existence

Barbados – I CERTAINLY AGREE with the concept of business executives in certain fields using modern communication technology to avoid travel to offices on a daily basis, and, in fact, I think this needs to be utilised more often here in Barbados, especially in the present economic environment… more

Technology key to improving business facilitation, says Inniss

Barbados – MINISTER OF INDUSTRY Donville Inniss says a greater employment and deployment of technology across the public sector will help to drive down the cost of doing business in the island… more

Guyana’s mobile marketing, news delivery get boost

Guyana – Mobile marketing and the delivery of information and entertainment in Guyana have been given another significant boost with the launching of a new mobile app called “SmartSure Guyana”… more

Business Process Outsourcing Sub-Industry To Drive Growth

Jamaica – The business process outsourcing (BPO) sub-industry has been identified as an area which will drive significant economic growth and employment generation… more

Lima to host gathering of Latin American, Caribbean Internet community

Regional – Lima will host a highly anticipated meeting of the regional Internet community from May 18 to 22… more

TELEM and SMCU meet on Suriname contractors

Sint Maarten – On March 15,2015 the group of illegal workers of Surinam whom was working for Telem left the island without being deported from the island… more

Cable & Wireless Agrees To Sell Trinidad Asset

Trinidad and Tobago – Facing regulatory hurdles in Trinidad, Cable & Wireless Communications Plc says it is willing to sell its stake in that country’s largest telecoms within the timeline laid down… more

Thursday, 26 March 2015

BTC Slammed With $1.581m Fine Over Network Outage

Bahamas – The Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) was last night hit with a $1.581 million fine for last March’s network outage, the sector regulator finding it did not take action to maintain a “functioning” communications system… more

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BelizeGovernment’s high school computer lab upgrades continue in Belmopan

Belize – In Prime Minister Barrow’s New Years Address to the people of Belize he said, “If 2014 was a year of infrastructure, 2015 will be a year of technology.” … more

Infotel’s Success a Beacon for BPO Industry

Belize – Infotel started operating in Belize in September of 2006 as a call center with only nine employees. This was a time when the industry was still new, unkown and stigmatized in the country… more

Digicel Wants to Promote Jamaica as an Investment Destination

Jamaica – Digicel is offering to promote Jamaica as an investment destination… more

400 OECS youths to benefit from animation and software development training

Regional – Four hundred young men and women in Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean will be equipped to participate in the global multi-billion dollar mobile application and animation industries… more

Digicel Reportedly Downsizing In Caribbean And Central America

Regional – Digicel is reportedly downsizing in the Caribbean and Central America… more

End of the password era?

Regional – Cybersecurity breaches are now a regular headliner in today’s news cycle. Behind the headlines, lies an unfortunate truth… more

Bitt Begins Caribbean Bitcoin Expansion in Trinidad & Tobago

Trinidad and Tobago – The United States is just now getting its first Bitcoin exchanges via Bitcoin merchant leader Coinbase… more

C&W gets green light to sell TSTT shares

Trinidad and Tobago – The Telecommunications Authority of Trinidad and Tobago (TATT) has given Cable and Wireless Communications (CWC) the greenlight to go ahead and sell its 49 per cent stake in majority State-owned TSTT… more

CWU: TATT has failed Trinidad and Tobago

Trinidad and Tobago – Contacted last night, the Communication Workers’ Union (CWU) general secretary John Julien said it was the first time he was hearing of TATT’s latest decision… more

TSTT inks deal with YuppTV

Trinidad and Tobago – State-controlled telecoms company Telecommunications Services of Trinidad and Tobago (TSTT) has inked a deal with YuppTV to deliver OTT internet television services in the country, NexTV Latam reports… more

Friday, 27 March 2015

BTC Responds to Regulator’s Findings on March 2014 Outage

Bahamas – Following their network outage on March 22nd 2014, The Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) proved sensitive to their customers’ frustrations and acted quickly to apologize for service disruption and promptly awarded financial compensation to customers affected… more

IT expert urges standardized cybercrime framework

Bahamas – The Bahamas needs to adopt a standardized framework for preventing and reporting local cybercrime activity to prevent further security breaches in its financial services and healthcare industries, according to Dr. Raymond Wells, deputy director of Information Technology for the National Insurance Board (NIB)… more

URCA fines BTC $1.5M over March 2014 outage

Bahamas – The Utilities Regulation and Competition Authority has fined the Bahamas Telecommunications Company Limited (BTC) $1.5 million for breaching its Individual Operating License (IOL) in March 2014… more

Barbados flagCops byte-ing into cyber-crime

Barbados – THE LOCAL POLICE FORCE is working with international agencies to establish a cybercrime lab on the island… more

Cyber Security requires vigilance

Barbados – Employing simple common sense and an extra dose of vigilance are key in helping to ensure that one does not become a victim of cyber crime… more

FTC approves LIME, FLOW merger; sets out conditions

Barbados – THE FAIR TRADING Commission has approved the merger of Cable and Wireless Communications Plc which trades as LIME and Columbus International Inc. which operates as FLOW in Barbados… more

Non-Profits must have an online presence

Barbados – In 2015, there is no reason why some non-profit organisations in Barbados are absent from the internet… more

Belize Telemedia Ltd. Issues Alert After Robbers Pose as Company Technicians in City

Belize – Belize Telemedia Limited (BTL) issued a press release late Thursday, March 26, 2015, with serious concerns of a home invasion in Belize City that was alleged to have involved two individuals who were disguised as BTL employees… more

Telemedia’s Claim on Channel 5 Struck Out

Belize – The Court of Appeal delivered a significant judgment ruling in favour of Great Belize Productions/Channel Five, Channel Overseas Investments Limited, Katalyst Developments Limited and Thames Ventures Limited along with several former directors of Belize Telemedia Limited… more

US officials in Cuba on telecoms follow-up

Cuba – A US delegation was in Cuba, following up on the reestablishment of normal telecommunications links as part of their bid to normalise relations, authorities said Wednesday… more

BUSINESS BYTE: Digicel launches its Easter Smartphone Data Promotion

Dominica – Digicel is giving the best value this Easter with the launch of its exciting ‘Easter Smartphone Data Promotion which gives customers who purchase selected 4G enabled smartphones with 500 megabytes of data an additional 500 megabytes of data for free… more

Digicel Business delivers safe and secure cloud storage solution for eCARIB

Jamaica – Digicel Business revolutionised eCarib Marketing with its cloud storage solution which offered the highest level of protection and access for its design files and improved the turnaround time on its projects… more

Government recruits CIO for e-Gov

Jamaica – THE Government has recruited the services of a top information technology executive to oversee the administration of its e-Government (e-Gov) agency… more

Jamaican animators shouldn’t migrate

Jamaica – STATE Minister of Technology Julian Robinson wants animators to set up studios rather than contribute to the brain drain… more

UPDATE: Digicel Confirms Employee Separation Plan

Jamaica – Telecoms company Digicel has confirmed that it is re-organising its business in the Caribbean and Latin America which will result in the separation of some its employees… more

CARICOM looking to Cuba to strengthen ICT sector

Regional – Chairman of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Science, Technology and Innovation Committee Professor Harold Ramkissoon is to lead a delegation to Cuba as the region seeks to strengthen its technology links with Havana… more

Facebook saga continues

Saint Kitts and Nevis – THE two individuals who received letters from former Prime Minister the Rt. Hon. Dr. Denzil Douglas concerning posts on their Facebook pages, have reportedly responded… more

Saturday, 28 March 2015

Merger go-ahead

Barbados – THE CABLE AND WIRELESS Communications and Columbus merger will go ahead but not without certain demands from regulator, the Fair Trading Commission (FTC)… more

Mixed reaction to FTC’s decision

Barbados – A sad day for Barbados! … more

Gleaner Profit Improves In Challenging Media Environment

Jamaica – Like the rest of the world, Jamaica is an increasingly difficult place to be in the media business. In this environment, The Gleaner group, with the strength of its balance sheet, has remained profitable as it responds to challenges posed by rapidly changing media technologies… more

Digicel Calls On ECTEL To Clarify Status Of LIME/Flow Deal Review

Regional – Digicel is calling on the Eastern Caribbean Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (‘ECTEL’) to clarify the status of the regulatory approvals process in relation to the proposed merger between Cable and Wireless Communications (‘CWC’) and FLOW/Columbus Communications… more

TelEm Group internet service affected for two hours Thursday

Sint Maarten – TelEm Group’s internet service was again affected Thursday with the loss of mobile data and internet service to customers throughout St. Maarten… more

Trinidad_and_Tobago FlagWorld press body calls for action by T&T

Trinidad and Tobago – The International Press Institute (IPI) has expressed con­cern over reports of an escalation in online harassment of journalists in Trinidad and Tobago, ahead of elections sche­duled later this year… more

Sunday, 29 March 2015

Cyber crime lab on the cards

Barbados – AS technological crimes become more advanced, Acting Assistant Commissioner of Police, Erwin Boyce, has revealed that a cyber crime lab is to be set up in this country… more

PETER WICKHAM: I ‘fraid monopolies

Barbados – IT IS DIFFICULT to see how the Fair Trading Commission’s approval of the merger of Columbus and Cable & Wireless does not represent a backward step in the ongoing effort to p.rovide best telecommunications deal for Barbadians… more

Tech entrepreneurs head for training in Jordan

Jamaica – Three local start-up technology companies have been selected to benefit from a US$90,000 ($10.3 million)-investment and a trip to Jordan-based accelerator company Oasis500… more

 

Image credits:  filipe ferreira (flickr);  The Bahamas Weekly;  Wikipedia;  Wikipedia;  Wikipedia

_______________