A roundup of the latest ICT/technology news from across the Caribbean region for the period Monday 22 June to Sunday 28 June 2015.
Monday, 22 June 2015
URCA Targets Cable 27% Price Increase Decision In ‘First Half’
Bahamas – Regulators aim to release a decision on Cable Bahamas’ bid for a 27 per cent basic TV price increase “within the first half” of 2015, after rejecting the company’s claim they are ‘sitting’ on the application… more
Get on board with new technology
Barbados – Without doubt, a large number of schoolchildren in Barbados own and use mobile phones… more
LIME responds to internet speed petition
Cayman Islands – An online petition is circulating throughout Cayman demanding “decent internet” on the island. Local campaigner Sandra Catron started the petition and said it’s time to mandate that customers actually receive the broadband internet speeds they are paying for… more
Expect Glitches As Number Portability Rolls Out – Technology Minister
Jamaica – Technology Minister Phillip Paulwell says there may be minor glitches following last night’s implementation of the number portability system which will allow consumers to switch networks while retaining their telephone numbers… more
Number Portability Now In Effect
Jamaica – Effective midnight Sunday, Jamaican consumers were able to switch from one telecommunications network to the other and maintain their numbers… more
Number Portability To Benefit Consumers
Jamaica – Jamaican consumers can now benefit from the introduction of number portability… more
Caribbean Slow To Adopt New Internet Technology
Regional – In the Caribbean, we routinely use our smartphones, tablets, laptops and other connected devices for work, play and everything in-between… more
Education Ministry bans Charlie Charlie game
Saint Kitts and Nevis – WEEKS after the Evangelical Association expressed concern over the Charlie Charlie Challenge being taken by children across the schools in the Federation, the Ministry of Education has imposed a ban on the practice… more
Tuesday, 23 June 2015
BTC union rejects industrial agreement proposal
Bahamas – Bahamas Communications and Public Officers Union (BCPOU) President Bernard Evans said yesterday the union has reached an impasse with the Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) over aspects of its new industrial agreement… more
Digicel Play media department outsourced
Dominica – Digicel Play 767 News, formally SAT Telecoms has been outsourced to another local news media CBN4 News, one year after the company bought over SAT Telecoms… more
The MENFP offers a mobile application to revise the BAC
Haiti – Following a request of Nesmy Manigat, the Minister of National Education, who wanted to provide support to students in public schools, especially those in the graduating class, a web application has been created by Jean Charles Joseph Mackendie,… more
5 websites hosted by JIS defaced
Jamaica – The Jamaica Information Service says five websites hosted by the organisation were also defaced after last night’s breach of its system… more
ECTEL To Address Impact Of On Cable And Wireless And Flow Merger
Regional – The Eastern Caribbean Telecommunications Authority-ECTEL says it has commenced engagement with Cable and Wireless to address the impact of its merger with Columbus Communications Ltd, on Member States… more
Police introduces Central Dispatch Center
Sint Maarten – Police officially announced the opening of the Central Dispatch Center linking the ambulance department and the police to one communication line… more
Getting into over the top
Trinidad and Tobago – It proved to be one of the Telecommunications Authority’s more heated consultations, but for once, the fire wasn’t coming from the floor… more
Introduce CCTV system in our prisons
Trinidad and Tobago – The recent incident of alleged prisoner brutality in one of the nation’s prisons calls for the urgent introduction of a CCTV system in all of the prisons in both Trinidad and Tobago… more
MyBIGTV now showing in T&T
Trinidad and Tobago – MyBIGTV.com is shaking up T&T’s TV landscape with a new over-the-top offering—featuring live TV, movies, sports and news programming… more
Wednesday, 24 June 2015
Columbus International to acquire Marpin 2K4
Dominica – Barbados-based telecoms provider Columbus International, which was purchased by Cable and Wireless Communications (CWC) in a USD1.85 billion deal that completed in April this year, is reportedly closing in on its own takeover of Dominica’s Marpin Telecoms & Broadcasting (Marpin 2K4)… more
200 customers switch networks with number portability
Jamaica – Science, Technology, Energy, and Mining Minister Phillip Paulwell says he is delighted with the progress of the implementation of number portability in Jamaica… more
200 Switch Phone Networks In Two Days
Jamaica – Technology Minister, Phillip Paulwell says in two days over 200 Jamaican consumers have switched their phone networks through number portability… more
Government urged to do security audit of online services and websites
Jamaica – In the wake of Tuesday’s cyber attacks on a number of Government of Jamaica websites, Dr. Andrew Wheatley, Opposition Spokesman on ICT, has made another call for the Government to conduct security audits of all government online services and websites… more
“Caribbean moving to IPv6…slowly – Dominica hosts ARIN Internet Development workshop” By Gerard Best
Regional – In the Caribbean, we routinely use our smartphones, tablets, laptops and other connected devices for work, play and everything in-between… more
Success requires failure
Regional – The route to being that elusive, enigmatic creature, an entrepreneur, was neither a straight line nor a conscious choice for Herbert “Haz” Samuel, the Anthony N Sabga Caribbean Awards for Excellence Laureate in Entrepreneurship in 2015… more
ANSA McAL chooses Digicel/Cisco partnership project
Trinidad and Tobago – Through a billion dollar investment in its fibre network, Digicel is positioned to deliver savings to small, medium and large businesses… more
Thursday, 25 June 2015
PLP Responds to Tough Call’s Commentary: “Attempts To Reclaim BTC Are A Monumental Waste” July 1st 2012
Bahamas – Press Statement by Progressive Liberal Party on July 1st 2012 Response to Tough Call’s Commentary: “Attempts To Reclaim BTC Are A Monumental Waste… more
Web Shop Operators Mull ‘Discrimination’ Lawsuit Against Banks
Bahamas – Bahamian web shop operators may sue the Canadian-owned commercial banks for “discrimination” over their refusal to accept deposits from a legalised gaming sector, a well-known QC said yesterday… more
$50K to be won as Digicel turns up the heat
British Virgin Islands – Digicel, the BVI’s bigger, better network, is turning up the heat throughout the summer by offering its valued customer’s a chance to win $50,000 in cash and prizes with its “Red Hot Summer” promotion… more
Cyberbullying on social media linked to teen depression
Cayman Islands – Cyberbullying on social media is linked to depression in teenagers, according to new research that analyzed multiple studies of the online phenomenon… more
Digicel Play confirms outsourcing of its media department
Dominica – Digicel Play has confirmed that it has outsourced its Media Department 767 News to CBN4 News, its strategic partner… more
Former Digicel Play media staff declare no fair play at all in Roseau
Dominica – It seems that a “business decision” by Digicel Play, formerly SAT Telecommunications, to outsource its entire media department to another media house CBN4 News, is not sitting well with employees… more
Cell phones thieves strike on Essequibo Coast
Guyana – Police are attempting to retrieve a number of cell phones, memory cards, computers and other electronic gadgets from some thieves who broke into a businessman’s store at Anna Regina… more
500 Mobile Customers Switch To Lime
Jamaica – Telecommunications company LIME is reporting that it has now had 503 requests from customers wanting to switch from the Digicel network… more
Number Portability battle heats up
Jamaica – Only three days after Number Portability has been in effect and already reports have surfaced that there has been a steady shift between the providers… more
New safe drinking app to help drivers
Trinidad and Tobago – MASSY Distribution, in association with Pernod-Ricard, launched a smartphone application yesterday that would enable users to immediately evaluate their own blood-alcohol content, which would hopefully lead to more informed choices with regard to how they get home… more
Friday, 26 June 2015
Union: 140 to go at BTC
Bahamas – One hundred and forty employees of the Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) will be made redundant next Tuesday, Bahamas Communications and Public Officers Union (BCPOU) President Bernard Evans said yesterday… more
Layoffs to follow LIME/FLOW merger
Barbados – Another round of layoffs is pending at telecommunications company, LIME, following its decision to merge operations with former rival FLOW… more
Digicel Files Registration Statement for Proposed Initial Public Offering
Regional – Digicel Group Limited (Digicel), a leading provider of communications services in 31 markets in the Caribbean and South Pacific regions, announced today that it has publicly filed a registration statement on Form F-1 with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) relating to a proposed initial public offering of its Class A common shares… more
Digicel seeks $200m on NY Stock Exchange
Regional – Telecoms giant Digicel Group Limited today announced that it will be launching an Initial Public Offering (IPO) on the New York Stock Exchange from which it expects to raise $200 million… more
The Cold Shadow of Innovation
Saint Lucia – IN a crowded market area, you go past several vendors, all selling and displaying the same items, in the same manner… more
Going Round And Round With Lime
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines – Four months ago, I received a phone call from LIME, asking if I wanted to upgrade my Internet service… more
Saturday, 27 June 2015
BTC union: Employees ready to act
Bahamas – National Congress of Trade Unions of the Bahamas (NCTUB) General Secretary Jennifer Isaacs-Dotson said yesterday the umbrella union is ready to stand with employees of the Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) if they decide to take action next week… more
Minnis says BTC layoffs inhumane
Bahamas – Free National Movement (FNM) Leader Dr. Hubert Minnis said yesterday that reportedly plans for redundancies at the Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) are totally “inhumane”… more
ICT – Telecoms Liberalisation…Now
Guyana – In 1990, the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GT&T) was granted an exclusive licence to provide: 1) public, radio, and pay station telephone, national and international voice and international data transmission, 2) sale of advertising in any directories of telephone numbers, and 3) switched or non-switched private line service supported by facilities constructed over public right of way… more
1,200 mobile customers switch to Digicel
Jamaica – Telecoms provider Digicel says in the last 48 hours more than 1,200 mobile customers have ported in to its network, following the introduction of number portability… more
Photos: Free Phone, Sim Card And $6,000 Credit Promises Draw Crowds To Phone Outlets
Jamaica – Members of the police force spent a big portion of this morning trying to control large crowds that gathered at various Digicel outlets in the Corporate Area… more
Digicel flotation comes at crunch time for Denis O’Brien firm
Regional – Denis O’Brien’s Digicel’s planned flotation is a signal that the business has arrived at a crossroads… more
Digicel’s risks include taxes, earthquakes and ‘customer churn’
Regional – Digicel’s near-300-page IPO registration document includes 29 pages of potential risk factors that could affect the business in the years ahead… more
Digicel Postpaid Customers Win Cash
Saint Lucia – DIGICEL, which brands itself as the region’s leading telecommunications provider, continues to reward its customers across St. Lucia… more
Sunday, 28 June 2015
Belize ranks 175th with slowest download speeds of 200 examined countries
Belize – A new survey by the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Pulse website, lists Belize at 175th of 200 countries when considering actual download speeds across the world, as of June 2015… more
Jamaican sentenced to prison in US on lottery fraud charges
Jamaica – Damion Byran Barrett, the first Jamaica to be extradited to the United States to face lottery fraud charges, has been sentenced to almost four years in a US federal prison… more
One more word on productivity
Jamaica – always had the uncomfortable feeling that if I wasn’t sitting in front of a computer typing, I was wasting my time — but I pushed myself to take a wider view of what was “productive”. Time spent with my family and friends was never wasted. — Gretchen Rubin… more
Police probing hacking of JIS website
Jamaica – MINISTER of state in the Ministry of Science, Technology, Energy and Mining Julian Robinson says the police have started investigations into the hacking of the Jamaica Information Service (JIS) website, and those of five other entities which the JIS hosts… more
David Jessop: Education, Caribbean Innovation And The Future
Regional – For many years now, the Caribbean has been able to cultivate a generally positive image of high literacy levels and academic achievement… more
Digicel’s Upcoming IPO Spells Debt Relief
Regional – Denis O’Brien’s plan to offer shares in his Digicel Group to the public and list the telecommunications company on the New York Stock Exchange signals a shift away from debt to equity… more
Image credits: GotCredit (flickr) ; Wikimedia; Wikipedia; The Eleutheran; Brands of the World
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