A roundup of the latest ICT/technology news from across the Caribbean region for the period Monday 4 January to Sunday 10 January 2016.
Monday, 4 January 2016
URCA approves Cable Bahamas SuperBasic price hike
Bahamas – The Utilities Regulation and Competition Authority (URCA) has approved Cable Bahamas Limited (CBL) applications for a price increase up to $38 for residential subscribers and $64 for REVTV Business Prime subscribers and the introduction of a new basic television service package… more
Regulator Disputes Cable Basic TV ‘Shortfall’ Claims
Bahamas – Despite ending Cable Bahamas’ four-year wait for a 27 per cent basic TV price increase, regulators are disputing its assertion that it still faces ‘a revenue shortfall’… more
Building A Road Map For Jamaica
Jamaica – Global frontrunners in technology, Fujitsu Caribbean is gearing up to make the future bright for Jamaica, building a ‘road map’ for customers across the region for managing structured and unstructured data… more
Public procurement system being strengthened
Jamaica – The Government has been working to transform and strengthen its public procurement system, to ensure greater transparency and efficiency in the management of this process… more
Marketing Strategies Today: Podcasting persuasion
Regional – Podcasting is a relatively new communication medium. Its growing popularity and low cost of entry make it a great communication and promotional channel for companies to experiment with… more
Tuesday, 5 January 2016
Cable Bahamas on the clock to roll out new prices, service
Bahamas – Cable Bahamas Ltd. has until the end of January 2016 to give notice in at least one newspaper with national circulation of its decision to increase prices, giving subscribers at least 14 days’ notice of the price change, or risk forfeiting the approved 27 percent price hike for its SuperBasic package… more
Cable May Launch Mobile Services Via BTC Network
Bahamas – Regulators are set to explore whether Cable Bahamas could launch its mobile services via the Bahamas Telecommunications Company’s (BTC) network as a temporary measure until its own nationwide infrastructure is built out… more
Cable TV Price Rise ‘Sets Bad Precedent’
Bahamas – The Opposition’s deputy leader yesterday described Cable Bahamas’ recently-approved 27 per cent basic pay-TV price increase as “extremely generous”, arguing: “It sets a bad precedent.” … more
Government signs agreement with Digicel
Barbados – GOVERNMENT TODAY signed an agreement with telecommunications provider Digicel Business that will see the eventual connectivity of all government data and networks… more
Copyright laws: Changing the channel in Cayman
Cayman Islands – The ringing in of the New Year signaled an adieu to one of the minor quirks of popular culture in the Cayman Islands: Our local television station’s arrangement to air content from U.S. network CBS… more
Dominican mobile users grow to 8.69 mln at end Sept
Dominican Republic – There were 8.69 million mobile telephone lines in operation in the Dominican Republic at the end of September 2015, up from 8.02 million the year before, according to data published by the Dominican Telecommunications Institute (Indotel)… more
Tourism twinned with telecoms, not dissolved but tourism stakeholder still worried
Guyana – Days after stating that the Ministry of Tourism has been dissolved, government Tuesday night assured that tourism has not been put on the ministerial back burner but has instead been twinned with Public Telecommunications… more
20-y-o is Jamaica’s first #SocialMillionaire – Wins $1M in Digicel’s ’25 Days of Christmas’
Jamaica – Social media presence has paid off big for 20-year-old Richard Rush, who won $1 million in Digicel’s 25 Days of Christmas Social Media Challenge… more
Digicel Business Achieves Cisco Gold Certification in the Caribbean
Regional – Digicel Business, the region’s leading Business Solutions provider, announced today that it has retained its Cisco® Gold Certification as well as the Master Cloud Managed Services Provider designation for its operations across the Caribbean – the highest levels of partner certifications from Cisco… more
Wednesday, 6 January 2016
Liberty Global’s acquisition of CWC concerns telecoms minister
Antigua and Barbuda – The recent acquisition of Cable and Wireless by British company Liberty Global is of concern to Telecommunications Minister Melford Nicholas… more
Bahamas to see first-ever ITU ‘smart island,’ Christie says
Bahamas – Prime Minister Perry Christie yesterday revealed that The Bahamas has been given a new portfolio within the Caribbean Community (CARICOM): in addition to tourism, The Bahamas now also has responsibility for creative industries… more
Govt launches e-services platform
Bahamas – With the introduction of e-services at the Registrar General’s Department, registered agents will be able to incorporate companies with a turnaround time of 24 hours, and an expedited turnaround time of one hour, pay annual fees, reserve company names, and conduct company searches — among other services — entirely online… more
New Registrar General E-Services ‘Perfect Example’ of Public-Private Partnership Effectiveness
Bahamas – Prime Minister Christie said he is a “firm believer” in the critical importance of Public Private Partnerships (“PPP”) and that the launch of the Registrar General’s Department E-Services facility has been a perfect example of the effectiveness of such partnerships… more
Registrar General’s department launches e-services
Bahamas – The Government of the Bahamas officially launched its E-Services Business Registration Platform at Registrar General’s Department on Shirley and Charlotte Streets, January 5, 2016… more
Govt, Digicel sign WAN deal
Barbados – GOVERNMENT has signed an agreement with Digicel Business for a $2.4 million project that will provide network connectivity throughout the public service… more
WAN savings
Barbados – Government is expected to realize significant savings with the roll out of a $2.4 million Wide Area Network (WAN) programme across all its office locations…. more
IBEX Global to open BPO operation in Kingston
Jamaica – Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) firm IBEX Global relocated a part of its operations in India to Jamaica in 2015, with plans announced to expand centres in Kingston to three by April 2016. The company also expanded to near shore Nicaragua during the period… more
Sutherland Global Services says campus centres “not 100 per cent for profit”
Jamaica – Sutherland Global Services (SGS) has told the Jamaica Observer that, through its campus employment centres, it is looking forward to developing a pool of highly trained workers who have specialist knowledge of the business process outsourcing (BPO) industry… more
Cable & Wireless Panama (CWP) reaches 500Mbps
Regional – Cable & Wireless Communications Plc’s (CWC) business unit in Panama, Cable & Wireless Panama SA (CWP) and Huawei, a leading global information and communications technology (ICT) solutions provider, today announced the first successful trial of the fastest copper based broadband service across Latin America using leading G.fast technology… more
Thursday, 7 January 2016
LIME workers continue to be paid pending March trial
Antigua and Barbuda – The status quo will continue for the 13 LIME workers, who have been made redundant, at least for eight more weeks, when the Industrial Court is expected to conclude “a speedy trial” to determine their fate… more
ITU Bahamas Declaration contemplates ‘smart islands’, ‘smart nations’
Bahamas – Prime Minister Perry Christie on Tuesday noted in passing that the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) had agreed that The Bahamas will feature the world’s first “smart island”. A look at the ITU’s “Bahamas Declaration: Powering Smart Sustainable Cities, Nations & Islands” explains what that might mean for the country… more
Regulator Rejects Cable’s BTC ‘Price Rebalancing’ Fears
Bahamas – Regulators have rejected Cable Bahamas’ pleas to prevent an “inordinate financial burden” being placed on other operators through the absence of long-overdue ‘tariff rebalancing’ by the Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC)… more
URCA approves first ever cable TV rate change
Bahamas – The Utilities Regulation and Competition Authority (URCA) has approved an application from Cable Bahamas Ltd (CBL) to increase the price of REVTV Prime (formerly basic)… more
DIGICEL offers relief
Barbados – Telecommunications company Digicel has announced that it will be absorbing the contentious 4.5 per cent cell phone Value Added Tax (VAT) imposed by the Freundel Stuart administration on January 1 this year… more
New e-government plan being developed by Barbados
Barbados – The ministry of the civil service in Barbados is in the process of developing a new e-government master plan, acting permanent secretary, Allyson Forte, disclosed on Tuesday, as he addressed a brief ceremony before signing a wide area network (WAN) contract between government and Digicel (Barbados) Limited… more
Digicel to hire 60 new employees, Kareem-Nelson among new recruits
British Virgin islands – Digicel BVI announced today (December 7) that it will be hiring 60 new employees over the coming months, with former Head of Corporate Communications at LIME BVI, Kareem-Nelson Hull listed among those already recruited… more
Fibre optic network a priority for 2016 – Looney
British Virgin islands – The introduction of fibre optic network that will make way for faster internet speed will be the first area of focus for Digicel in 2016, the company’s outgoing CEO, Conor Looney has stated… more
Dominican Republic internet accounts triple in 5 years
Dominican Republic – The number of e-mail accounts tripled in the Dominican Republic in the last five years, as reported by the Observatory of the Information Society and Knowledge (OSIC-RD)… more
Commentary: How Haitians used social media to upset the elections
Haiti – Haitians have borrowed a page from the Arab Spring social revolutions to upset Haiti’s latest elections… more
Haiti Opens For Business: What are the Prospects for a BPO Bloom?
Haiti – Haiti is open for BPO business. It’s official… more
No More Locked Cell Phones – Paulwell … Telecom Companies Have Agreed To Move As Part Of Number-Portability Deal
Jamaica – Jamaican consumers can now walk into a retail store of any of the two local telecommunication companies and purchase an unlocked instrument… more
Cable & Wireless Communications and Huawei have successfully tested the first trial of the fastest copper based broadband service with G.fast across Latin America
Regional – Cable & Wireless Communications Plc’s (CWC) business unit in Panama, Cable & Wireless Panama SA (CWP) and Huawei, a leading global information and communications technology (ICT) solutions provider, today announced the first successful trial of the fastest copper based broadband service across Latin America using leading G.fast technology… more
TATT steps up cable compliance
Trinidad and Tobago – Telecommunications Authority of T&T (TATT) CEO Cris Seecharan says the agency is stepping up action to ensure that local cable service providers comply with intellectual property laws… more
Friday, 8 January 2016
Cable Bahamas price hike in February
Bahamas – Cable Bahamas Ltd. has announced that its newly approved 27 percent price hike for what was formerly its basic service will take effect next month. Also next month, Cable Bahamas will launch the new $10 service, to be known as REVTV Prime Local… more
FLOW sets out phone charges
Barbados – THE IMPLEMENTATION and fallout from the newly increased mobile tax may have major repercussions for Flow… more
THE ISSUE (ON THE LEFT): Provide impactful data for leaders
Barbados – QUESTION: What role can good human resources management play in corporate success? … more
Lotto-Scam Cases Dominate St James Circuit Court
Jamaica – Members of the legal fraternity have expressed concern over the number of lottery-scamming cases dominating the St. James Circuit Court’s list for the Hilary term, which runs from January to March… more
FLOW St. Kitts & Nevis return to normal operating hours
Saint Kitts and Nevis – FLOW wishes to announce that we will be returning to our normal operating hours after the Christmas Season for its Retail Stores in both St. Kitts & Nevis effective Monday 11th January, 2016… more
NOTICE: Disruption of mobile and internet services for LIME customers in certain areas
Saint Lucia – LIME wishes to advise customers that there is a temporary disruption of Mobile and Broadband services in the Morne area, which includes Sir Arthur Lewis Community College, The Morne, Goodlands, Millennium Highway & La Toc… more
Saturday, 9 January 2016
A&B visa application process now online
Antigua and Barbuda – The Immigration Department will soon be charging more to process visa applications to enter Antigua & Barbuda following yesterday’s launch of its online e-Visa application programme… more
FNM: Major Conflict in the Ministry of Finance
Bahamas – The FNM is extremely concerned about the potential possibility of a major conflict of interest that may be emerging in the Ministry of Finance… more
Flow’s move
Barbados – It looks as if things are about to heat up in the local telecommunications industry… more
Insufficient cashiers in GT&T’s Brickdam and Church Street branches
Guyana – Dear Editor, I would like to draw attention to the bill payment facilities for DSL and landline services at Guyana Telephone & Telegraph Company Limited (GT&T) local branch offices on Brickdam and Church Streets… more
Remigrant wants compensation from Cable Company
Guyana – Re-migrant, Sybil Mingo, of Henrietta Village, Essequibo Coast, is asking a cable company for a replacement of her 60-inch Mitsubishi flat screen television set. The cable company is “Premium Cable”… more
Why The Official Silence On Internet Misuse?
Saint Lucia – It would seem the World Wide Web is the new Eden, replete with its own “tree of good and evil.” What many people seem not to realize is there’s a price to be paid, depending on the fruit you pick from which tree… more
TATT denies Elias claims
Trinidad and Tobago – CHAIRMAN of Telecommunications Services (TSTT) Emile Elias on Thursday described as false, a newspaper advertisement placed by the Telecommunications Authority of Trinidad and Tobago (TATT) denying charges by TSTT that it tried to impose harsh new conditions on the local telecommunications provider for the renewal of TSTT’s concession agreements… more
Sunday, 10 January 2016
BEHIND THE HEADLINES: Wi-Fi ranking a plus for Barbados
Barbados – As she was getting ready to leave New York for Barbados, a teenager had an urgent, last minute, question for a relative in the country. it was: “Do you have Wi-Fi?”. The answer: “Yes, of course, we do have Wi-Fi.” … more
FLOW soon to enhance portfolio
Barbados – FLOW HAS SOME major enhancements coming soon to its portfolio… more
Farmers Urged To Use Technology As Rada Copes With Staff Shortage
Jamaica – Local farmers are being asked to cling closer to their smartphones and computer screens as the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) deals with a shortage of staff and extension officers to meet their needs… more
FLOW Drives To Build Jamaica Through Innovation And Entrepreneurship
Jamaica – Telecommunications provider FLOW said it ended 2015 proud of its contribution to and promotion of innovation and entrepreneurship through its sponsorship of initiatives that drive growth in these areas… more
Integrate Jamaica’s networks so rural communities can benefit economically
Jamaica – THE emergence of a complex and competitive business environment influenced by globalisation creates challenges to developing countries competing in a hypercompetitive environment… more
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