A roundup of the latest ICT/technology news from across the Caribbean region for the period Monday 14 September to Sunday 20 September2015.
Monday, 14 September 2015
Close to One Hundred Million Dollars to be Paid as Part of Settlement
Belize – The settlement of B.T.L. comes on the heels of the settlement for the nationalization of the other utility company, Belize Electricity Limited… more
G.O.B. Settles Compensation for B.T.L. 6 Years after Nationalization
Belize – Six years after the first nationalization of Belize Telemedia, Prime Minister Dean Barrow announced this afternoon that an agreement had been reached to settle compensation for the telephone company which the government first nationalized in 2009 and then in 2011… more
New TV option opens for Cayman residents
Cayman Islands – Local residents now have new a choice in how they get their TV… more
Jamaicans tearing up social media with daylong platform on Snapchat
Jamaica – Quick: What do you know about Jamaica? If you’re racking your brain for “Cool Runnings” quotes, stop right there… more
Flow Scores Touchdown with NFL Sunday Ticket
Regional – NFL fans across the Caribbean have scored a big win with Flow. C&W Communications, which operates both the LIME and Flow brands, has secured a five-year agreement to offer various NFL assets including NFL Sunday Ticket, NFL Network and NFL RedZone for its cable TV line-up across the region… more
Marketing Strategies Today: How important is video in your marketing?
Regional – When attempting to answer this question it is important to note that this year has been christened “The Year of Video Marketing”, as thousands of businesses find new and creative ways to use this medium to get more customers… more
Tuesday, 15 September 2015
Mobile Auction Delayed Again
Bahamas – The arrival of a second mobile provider in the Bahamas has been further delayed, Tribune Business can reveal, after the final phase of the selection process was postponed yet again… more
Fonseca vs Barrow on Telecommunications Bill in the House of Representatives
Belize – Today the House of Representative met in Belmopan for a Special Sitting to introduce the Telecommunications Acquisition Settlement Bill 2015… more
Leader of Opposition Finds Fault with G.O.B. Settlement, Blames P.M.’s Arrogance
Belize – Those figures aren’t sitting well with the Opposition People’s United Party, which doesn’t share G.O.B.’s triumphal touting of the settlement with the Ashcroft Group. Fonseca says that the only reason taxpayers will have to bear this multi-million dollar load is because of the PM’s pettiness and arrogance… more
P.M. Divulges Settlement Figures with Ashcroft Group
Belize – Against that backdrop, the PM also got into more detail on the financial aspect of the settlement package between G.O.B. and the Ashcroft Group… more
Settlement of B.T.L. Nationalization Goes Before House of Representatives
Belize – The House of Representatives met in special sitting today. There were two main issues on the agenda—the passing of the Vesting Act relating to the sale of FCIB to Heritage Bank and the compensation for Belize Telemedia Limited… more
Toledo West Area Rep and Finnegan Trade Shots over B.T.L. Settlement
Belize – One more thing on the settlement of B.T.L. At today’s sitting, firebrand area representative for Toledo West, Oscar Requeña also got in some shots at Prime Minister Dean Barrow for the settlement – money which he says could be used in more critical areas, like in the health system, for instance… more
Guyana wants Google to remove names akin to Venezuela from Essequibo Coast map
Guyana – Guyana wants the San Francisco-based technology giant, Google, to erase certain place names in Essequibo that indicate that they are part of Venezuela… more
State media boards named
Guyana – Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo on Tuesday announced that there would be major policy reforms at the State-owned radio, television and newspapers… more
Digicel to make decision on IPO date soon
Jamaica – Digicel may set a date for its initial public offer after this week’s decision on US interest rates… more
Radio Jamaica shareholders assured about Gleaner takeover
Jamaica – Lester Spaulding, Chairman of Radio Jamaica Limited, on Tuesday sought to assure shareholders that the takeover of the Gleaner’s media assets will not put them at a disadvantage… more
Dominican Republic hosts broadband development forum
Regional – Ministers and deputy ministers of telecommunications and business leaders from over 20 countries from Latin America and the Caribbean convened to launch the second ministerial forum for broadband development in the Dominican Republic… more
Wednesday, 16 September 2015
URCA mandates Cable Bahamas outline price changes
Bahamas – The Utilities Regulation & Competition Authority (URCA) has mandated that Cable Bahamas Ltd (CBL) “clearly outline” that upcoming changes to the cable television purveyor’s channel offering will constitute price increases, and that Cable clearly identify “the quantum of all such increases in its communications to the public.” … more
Lisa Shoman on B.T.L. Settlement
Belize – As we told you, the settlement was penned and approved in both houses of the National Assembly in a matter of four business days. Senator Shoman says that’s just plain indecent haste, and claimed that Prime Minister Dean Barrow will rue the day he spawned this demon child… more
P.M. Barrow Under Fire for Mishandling Nationalization and Settlement
Belize – The sixty million plus dollars being paid in this first instance to the Ashcroft Group is based on an estimate share value of one dollar and forty-four cents. But when government sold shares in B.T.L. to S.S.B., for example, they did so for five dollars per share… more
Senate Majority Supports B.T.L. Settlement
Belize – The fact is that despite the fire and fury over the B.T.L. settlement today, any debate has been rendered purely academic because the government has the majority in the Senate… more
Flow calls for greater penalties to halt cable theft ‘terrorism’
Jamaica – Garfield Sinclair, chief executive officer at Cable & Wireless Jamaica (C&WJA) which now trades as Flow, has called on Government to enact stiffer penalties for cable theft which he terms ‘terrorism’… more
Former President says T&T must look to Technology to move Forward.
Trinidad and Tobago – Countries such as Trinidad and Tobago must look for their future and economic well being to innovation and technology rather sole reliance on natural resources… more
Thursday, 17 September 2015
REVTV offers enhanced HBO package with first run Showtime originals
Bahamas – Cable Bahamas announced that effective October 15, its REVTV subscribers will enjoy some of their favorite first run Showtime series on the HBO Caribbean channel, just 24 hours after the U.S. premiere, bringing greater value for REVTV subscribers… more
ON THE RIGHT: Threat to region’s infrastructure
Barbados – THE WORLD HAS NEVER been smaller, with more of us connected at even higher internet speeds than ever before. The Internet of Things (IoT) has changed the way we interface with each other, revolutionised business processes, and altered the way in which countries and critical infrastructure are operated… more
THE ISSUE: Managing use of information must be improved
Barbados – CONCERN CONTINUES about the state of crime in Barbados and other Caribbean countries. Much of this relates to gun offences and other violent crimes… more
BTL bought and paid for
Belize – On Monday September 14, the government announced that it had come to a settlement in the BTL matter putting to an end 6 years of litigation over the price for the company… more
Vandals cause disruption to FLOW service in 4 parishes
Jamaica – FLOW Jamaica has reported that service to customers in four parishes has been disrupted as vandals have again caused major damage to its system… more
Sprint adds 33 countries to its Open World add-on plan for travelers
Regional – Sprint has fired a new salvo in the wireless industry’s war for world travelers… more
T-Mobile expands global roaming to 145 countries
Regional – T-Mobile US said it has added 20 countries to its Simple Global international roaming service, bringing the total to 145 countries where customers can access free text messaging, data and low-cost calling from their mobile device… more
Friday, 18 September 2015
Hackers Demand $30k From Bahamian Bank
Bahamas – Hackers are trying to extort $30,000 from the Bahamas-based Fidelity Group of Companies, which yesterday moved to reassure clients there had been no widespread leak of personal financial data… more
New IP legislation propels Bahamas forward on competitiveness
Bahamas – The compendium of intellectual property (IP) legislation just passed in the Senate – necessary partly because The Bahamas signed the economic partnership agreement (EPA) with the European Union and Cariforum and partly as preparation for The Bahamas accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO) – “propels the Commonwealth of The Bahamas forward” in terms of global competitiveness, according to Attorney General Allyson Maynard-Gibson… more
URCA mandates Cable Bahamas outline price changes
Bahamas – Cable Bahamas announced that its REVTV Starz subscribers will soon enjoy their favorite first-run Starz series on FOX+ beginning November 1, bringing hit movies, original series and specials like WWE pay-per-view events to FOX+ subscribers on REVTV… more
BCCI slams GOB for BTL settlement
Belize – The Belize Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) does not support the terms of the Belize Telemedia Limited (BTL) settlement with Lord Michael Ashcroft in regards to the legislation passed this week allowing government to request unknown sums of money for the settlement… more
BCWU protests BTL settlement deal
Belize – On the heels of a strongly worded press release indicating how much they were blindsided by Monday’s bombshell news of a settlement between the alliance of former owners of Belize Telemedia Limited (BTL) and the Government of Belize, members of the Belize Communication Workers Union (BCWU) were protesting in down town Belize City today, walking along Albert and Regent Street between the two BTL offices located on Regent and Church Streets respectively… more
Belize pays USD 81 mln compensation for BTL nationalisation
Belize – Belize’s government has agreed to pay BZD 163 million (around USD 81 million) to Ashcroft Alliance as compensation for the August 2009 re-nationalisation of incumbent telecoms operator Belize Telemedia Limited (BTL), reports local website 7 News Belize… more
BTL employees disgusted with GOB over settlement
Belize – Belize Telemedia Limited (BTL) employees expressed their disgust with government over the recent settlement with Lord Michael Ashcroft in a scathing release, in which they condemn GOB for being no better than the People’s United Party (PUP) government when things came to a head in 2005… more
Continue Fighting or Settle? The ongoing BTL Saga by: Aria Lightfoot
Belize – Belize Telecommunications Limited now Belize Telemedia Limited has existed in Belize for decades and arguably one of the highest income/profit generators of any other business entity that currently exists in Belize… more
Dominican Republic launches ‘Connected Homes’ project
Dominican Republic – The Dominican Republic’s telecoms regulator Indotel has announced the launch of a project designed to increase the number of internet-connected households… more
Digicel moves further into broadcasting
Jamaica – Mobile communications company Digicel is expanding its operations into the broadcasting industry… more
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+ enters Jamaican market
Jamaica – SAMSUNG’S latest mobile phone, the Galaxy S6 Edge+, already on the global market, is being launched onto the Jamaican market today, the company has announced via press release… more
Social media anti-crime protest Sept 25-28
Jamaica – Blackout4peace is the hash tag and message that the Police Youth Club National Council hopes Jamaican social media users, particularly the youth, will broadcast during a social media protest against crime and violence planned for later this month… more
Cable Industry Veteran Michael Willner Joins Digicel Group Board
Regional – Cable industry veteran Michael Willner has been appointed to the Board of Directors of Digicel Group, effective 1st November 2015, it was announced today… more
CWC and Ericsson deliver world class mobile broadband
Regional – Cable & Wireless Communications (CWC) extends partnership with Ericsson for the deployment of 4G LTE technology, 3G network transformation and the latest Ericsson software with advanced smartphone features… more
CyberCrime: A look into the mind of a hacker
Regional – IT used to be that several months would go by without any mention of a website being hacked. Unfortunately, it now seems to be a weekly or even daily event… more
Fujitsu moves ahead with greater cloud security
Regional – FUJITSU is driving for more market share for its cloud services now that its Enterprise Operations Centre (EOC) in Trinidad has become the first cloud provider in the Caribbean region to have ISO 27001 certification and to meet the Type 2 SOC 2 criteria for security, availability and confidentiality… more
New Digicel appointment signals shift into broader media market
Regional – DIGICEL has appointed cable industry veteran Michael Willner to its group board of directors in the latest sign of the mobile telecom operator’s shift into the broader media market… more
Scotiabank Wins Award
Regional – Scotiabank is celebrating a regional sweep of Global Finance Magazine’s Best Digital Bank Awards for 2015, winning the prestigious recognition in St. Lucia and 21 other countries… more
UNESCO OECS Internet Conference Plans Going Well
Regional – UNESCO Secretary General for St. Kitts and Nevis Mr. Antonio Maynard says plans for next week’s conference On the Ethical Dimensions of the Information Society and Internet Privacy to be held at the St. Kitts Marriott Resort are going well… more
Saturday, 19 September 2015
BTL “disappointed” with employees
Belize – A press release under the hand of chairman of Belize Telemedia Limited (BTL), Net Vasquez, declares the company “disappointed” with the decision of the Belize Communications Workers Union (BCWU) to air its grievances on the BTL settlement with former owners publicly rather than come with their concerns to the Board of Directors… more
CWC prepares for LTE
Regional – Mobile data traffic is expected to grow seven-fold in the Caribbean and Latin America by 2020 Cable & Wireless Communications Plc (CWC) has extended its strategic partnership with Ericsson to transform the operator’s 3G network and deploy 4G LTE technology… more
Sunday, 20 September 2015
Some agencies ‘slack’ with personal information
Barbados – CONCERNS have been raised that some agencies entrusted with the personal information of clients are not paying as much attention to security as they ought to be… more
VIDEO: Reginald Farley on cyber crime
Barbados – EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Barbados Reginald Farley urges everyone with an online account or credit card to be vigilant about cyber crime… more
The challenges of building an information society
Guyana – In the interest of information and guidance, an information society is an environment in which the creation, distribution, and manipulation of information has become the most significant economic and cultural activity… more
Hot air won’t get you far in IT
Regional – A man flying in a hot air balloon suddenly realises he’s lost. He reduces height and spots a man down below. He lowers the balloon further and shouts to get directions, “Excuse me, can you tell me where I am?” … more
Internet data privacy
Regional – BASED ON WHAT WE SEE as auditors, it is clear that the main cyberchallenges facing the region is a significant lack of regional cyber/information technology security awareness, and adherence to international best practices and standards… more
Image credits: Yon Garin (flickr); Belize Web; Wikipedia; Wikipedia; Brands of the World
______________
