A roundup of ICT/technology news from across the Caribbean region for the period Monday 6 April to Sunday 12 April 2015.
Monday, 6 April 2015
Beware the pitfalls of social media
Jamaica – Deputy Commissioner of Police Novlette Grant has urged young people who frequent social media sites to be careful of the messages they are sending about themselves… more
Mobay To Host ‘Tech Expo’ This Weekend
Jamaica – Jewel’s Unique Services & Events will be seeking to make a major imprint on local business when it stages its inaugural one-day Technology Business Expo 2015 at the Montego Bay Community College this Saturday, starting at 9 a.m… more
Cable & Wireless strengthens Caribbean position with Columbus acquisition
Regional – Increasing its presence across the Caribbean, comms titan Cable & Wireless Communications has completed its $1.85 billion acquisition of the total equity of digital cable TV and broadband provider Columbus International… more
Paying for phone service we’re not receiving
Trinidad and Tobago – It is with intense frustration that I bring to your attention my experience with Telecommunications Services of Trinidad and Tobago (TSTT)/blink… more
Union calls for deeper probe into CWC-Columbus merger:
Trinidad and Tobago – Within hours of announcements from Cable and Wireless Communications (CWC) and Columbus International of the finalisation of their US$3.025 billion merger, the most vocal critic of the deal, the Communication Workers’ Union CWU), sent off letters calling for a deeper probe of its approval by the Telecommunications Authority of T&T (Tatt)… more
Tuesday, 7 April 2015
Cable Bahamas, HBO team up to bring Game of Thrones to newcomers
Bahamas – BO’s Game of Thrones phenomenon is about to enter its fifth season, returning April 12 exclusively in The Bahamas on Cable Bahamas’ REVTV digital television service… more
Tech Report: Barbados To Establish Cyber-Crime Lab
Barbados – While participating in a panel discussion entitled ‘The Internet, the Law and the Public: How Cyber Secure Are We?’, Acting Asst. Commissioner of Police Erwin Boyce disclosed that the force was receiving assistance from an international agency, to establish a Cyber-Crime Lab… more
Telecoms merger good for customers
Regional – Two billion-dollar telecommunication companies have joined forces to take technology and customer service to the next level. Cable and Wireless Communications, which operates as LIME throughout the Caribbean, announced the company has complete its US$1.85 billion acquisition of all of the equity of Columbus International Inc… more
Wednesday, 8 April 2015
More CWC jobs likely
Barbados – It will be at least another year before Barbadians and others in the Caribbean see the consummation of the Cable & Wireless Communications (CWC) and Columbus International Inc. marriage… more
New Internet laws on the cards
Barbados – LEGISLATION AIMED SPECIFICALLY at cybercrime may soon be coming for Barbados… more
Digicel Cayman CEO sees room for growth, improvements
Cayman Islands – The chief executive officer of Digicel Cayman, in an interview with the Cayman Compass, said the country’s diverse population presents unique challenges for the mobile phone carrier… more
Donation of laptops to help NWDA
Cayman Islands – A technological helping hand is given to job seekers registered with the National Workforce Development Agency (NWDA). The agency last week received 18 refurbished laptops from local company KRyS Global… more
12-year-old launches messaging App
Dominica – Competing against giant messaging Apps such a Facebook Chat and WhatsApp may sound rather daunting but 12-year-old Jaheim Pierre is going for it anyway… more
BRIEF-Eutelsat and Telespazio France win deal in Guyana
Guyana – Eutelsat Communications SA: … more
Poor quality internet service on ECD
Guyana – Dear Editor, A delinquent and cheap internet service on the East Coast Demerara has been noticeable for some time now and we are beginning to think that it is a deliberate exercise to frustrate us… more
Are You a Cyber Criminal?
Regional – “Every time we view images and videos, knowing they were recorded and shared without the consent of those shown, we become accessories to a criminal act. Every time we share such material, we become criminals…” … more
“Cyber Security and Critical Infrastructure in the Americas”
Regional – The General Secretariat of the Organization of American States (OAS), through its Secretariat for Multidimensional Security, and the information technology security company Trend Micro today presented the report “Cyber Security and Critical Infrastructure in the Americas,” which gathers the views of governments and security professionals from key industries, such as communications, finance, manufacturing, energy and security, on cyber vulnerability in the region… more
LIME parent buys regional telecom
Regional – Cable & Wireless, the London-based parent company of Virgin Islands telecommunications firm LIME, has completed a $1.85 billion acquisition of its major Caribbean competitor, the Barbados-based Columbus International Inc… more
Digicel joins Saint Lucia Internet Exchange
Saint Lucia – Saint Lucia’s Internet users can look forward to better connectivity and faster speeds between local Internet service providers (ISPs)… more
Sky brings a breath of fresh air
Trinidad and Tobago – “A breath of fresh air.” That is how programme consultant Jessie-May Ventour described Sky 99.5 FM, Guardian Media Limited’s (GML) newest radio station and the latest to join the FM bandwidth… more
Thursday, 9 April 2015
Digicel welcomes FTC decision on LIME/Flow
Barbados – The following is a statement from Digicel in response to the Fair Trading Commission’s approval of the Cable and Wireless Communications/Columbus International Inc merger… more
Don’t get caught in the web
Barbados – As much as the Internet is a reservoir of knowledge, it is also a playground for both prey and predator with access not dependent on country of birth, passport or visa… more
Online Potential
Barbados – MORE Barbadian goods and services need to be available online… more
Blogger paid to attack CCT, Penn wonders
British Virgin Islands – While explaining that CCT Global Communications was pressured into charging for incoming calls in the past, the company’s Chief Executive Officer, Averad Penn, said it appears a competitor in the telecoms market is behind certain negative comments (blogs) in the online media about the local company… more
CWC/FLOW merger could result in more jobs
Regional – CEO of Cable and Wireless Communications, CWC, Phil Bentley, says the impending merger with FLOW’s parent Columbus International could create more jobs than previously estimated… more
Ministry Of Education Donates Six Laptop Computers To Operation Future
Saint Kitts and Nevis – The Ministry of Education has fulfilled a request by Operation Future to donate laptop computers to aid in ongoing after-school and weekend programmes… more
CWC/Columbus merger subject to thorough analysis
Trinidad and Tobago – THE Telecommunications Authority of Trinidad and Tobago (TATT) says it approved the acquisition of Columbus International after long and careful analysis including consultations with other regulators in the Caribbean about the impact the acquisition would have on telecommunications in Trinidad and Tobago as well as in the Caribbean… more
Friday, 10 April 2015
BTC Staff On ‘Pins And Needles’ Over Job Cuts
Bahamas – BAHAMAS Communications and Public Officers Union (BCPOU) president Bernard Evans said yesterday that employees at the Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) were on “pins and needles” over imminent redundancies, with a meeting expected with management early next week… more
THE ISSUE: Jury still out on merger
Barbados – What are the implications of the Fair Trading Commission’s conditional approval of the LIME and Flow merger? … more
BTL unveils 2015 Directory
Belize – The Belize Telemedia Limited unveiled the 2015 installment of its annual telephone directory, at a brief ceremony at its Church Street office in Belize City on Friday… more
Texts to warn of pending disasters
British Virgin Islands – The next time a hurricane threatens the Virgin Islands, residents are likely to receive text messages warning them of potential dangers… more
A Better Nation, By Design
Jamaica – WE marvel at its clean lines, powerful processing and the wide variety of apps available to give it added utility, uniqueness and value… more
First J’can extradited to US for lottery scamming pleads guilty
Jamaica – A Jamaican man pleaded guilty today in the US District Court in the Southern District of Florida in Fort Lauderdale to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, the Justice Department announced… more
Flow Sues Former Boss, Digicel Over Departure
Jamaica – Columbus Communications Jamaica Limited, trading as Flow, has taken its former managing director Sean Latty and Digicel Jamaica Limited to court seeking orders to bind Latty to his contract of employment with Flow… more
Regional digital currency boost
Regional – Bitt Digital Inc., a Barbados based company established to facilitate transactions involving digital currencies, has secured $3 million in capital to develop and expand its trading platform… more
Saturday, 11 April 2015
FTC upgrade
Barbados – A complete upgrade is coming for legislation governing the Fair Trading Commission (FTC) and the Office of Public Counsel… more
People’s Report: Lime Touches Base With Disgruntled Customer
Jamaica – This is LIME’s response to the article titled ‘Appealing to LIME for Internet service’ that was published in The Gleaner on April 4, 2015… more
Coming On Stream With Music In A Digital Age
Regional – Record and CD sales have been on a spiral decline since the early 2000s, having been replaced by Digital music sales… more
Sunday, 12 April 2015
Regulator, GT&T at odds with rate hikes rejection
Guyana – An application by the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GT&T) to hike rates for a number of services has resulted in regulators now contemplating an investigation to determine the true value of the assets of the Telephone company… more
The Internet and some common scams
Guyana – It is becoming even clearer now. The internet as we know it is essential, one may even say critical to our daily dealings. Technologically, the leaps and bounds made to improve the way we communicate are astounding, to say the least… more
Jamaican companies failing at internet sales
Jamaica – COMPANIES in Jamaica with over one-quarter million online followers are failing to convert that interest into sales, argued social marketer Douglas Ames… more
NOT ALL BLACK AND WHITE: Will Digicel buy what CWC must sell?
Regional – Who said this? “We are investing heavily in cable TV, content and fibre across our markets to ensure that (our company) is positioned at the forefront of a data intensive world . . . . We look forward to expanding our footprint further in this space in the coming year . . . more
FIU now target for scammers
Trinidad and Tobago – In two years, people living in T&T lost over $2 million to lottery scams… more
Image credits: NS Newsflash (flickr); Wikipedia; Wikipedia; Wikipedia
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