A roundup of the latest ICT/technology news from across the Caribbean region for the period Monday 29 February to Sunday 6 March 2016.
Monday, 29 February 2016
Court hearing looms but union open to settlement in employees’ favour
Antigua and Barbuda – The union representing the 13 workers of telecommunications company LIME, who have been made redundant as a result of its merger with FLOW, said it is willing to accept a last minute settlement ahead of this week’s trial in the Industrial Court… more
Inniss: Technology can improve government efficiency
Barbados – THE GOVERNMENT OF Barbados will be more efficient if it employs more technology, says Minister of Industry, International Business, Commerce and Small Business Development Donville Inniss… more
SMART Signs Agreement with Formula Telecom Solutions
Belize – A brief statement from SMART issued today announces that it has entered into an agreement with Formula Telecom Solutions, a provider of convergent billing, charging, customer care and policy control as well as payment solutions… more
Government IT still under resourced
Cayman Islands – The government is still not investing enough in information technology to ensure its future security or the necessary systems required to move towards comprehensive e-government services… more
Marketing Strategies Today: Top seven online entrepreneurs you must emulate to be successful
Regional – When you are an online entrepreneur, you are a bit of an island out there if you are not plugged into other resources that will be able to help you in this area… more
We all need IT, says CXC head
Regional – INFORMATION technology should be just as important as Mathematics and English and every Caribbean citizen should know how to use a computer, says head of the Caribbean Examination Council (CXC), Prof Sir Hilary Beckles… more
FLOW St. Kitts & Nevis Service Interruption
Saint Kitts and Nevis – FLOW is upgrading its Broadband network in the areas of Half Moon Heights and Camps on Tuesday March 1st, 2016… more
Digicel T&T wins award for broadband speed
Trinidad and Tobago – Digicel Play Group CEO John Suranyi; Digicel Trinidad and Tobago CEO Sacha Thompson and Digicel Play Trinidad and Tobago CEO Garvin Medera are flanked by Digicel brand ambassadors at the Digicel Play launch earlier this year where the Ookla award for being the fastest mobile and fixed line broadband networks in the country was announced… more
Tuesday, 1 March 2016
BTL: 40 Mil For 4GLTE
Belize – BTL 4G – for many phone users saying that name is almost like a curse word – and that’s because of the system’s unreliability, its slowness and the overall congestion… more
BTL goes LTE
Belize – 2017 will see Belize – all of Belize – covered by a 4G LTE network from the state-owned company, Belize Telemedia Limited… more
BTL To Launch “Full Nationwide” 4G LTE In Belize With Huawei
Belize – Belize Telemedia Limited (BTL), under the banner of its DigiCell Mobile brand, and its telecommunications vendor-partner Huawei Technologies, today announced the roll-out of its nationwide 4G LTE network, expected for launch in December of this year… more
ICTA to boost cyber security in face of increasing threats
Cayman Islands – The Information and Communications Technology Authority (ICTA) plans to make internet security a top priority as the Cayman Islands has seen a rise in cyber attacks… more
Gov’t Computer Services starved for resources
Cayman Islands – As cyber threats continue to evolve, more is being asked of the Government Computer Services Department yet the budgetary allocations for the necessary Information Technology (IT) resources have been steadily declining… more
Technology: Former hacker shows off new tricks of the trade
Cayman Islands – Kevin Mitnick, who once was on the FBI’s Most Wanted list and is now a computer security consultant, took to the stage at the Cayman Alternative Investment Summit to show off some of the newest ways hackers are breaking into computer systems… more
FLOW crackdown spreads across region
Regional – THE CRACKDOWN AGAINST people accessing illegal television programming content has moved region-wide… more
C&W Business Launches its Cloud Solutions Suite in St. Kitts & Nevis
Saint Kitts and Nevis – C&W Business, the Business to Government/Business to Business arm of Cable & Wireless Communications, officially unveiled a suite of its cloud-based technological solutions on the island of St. Kitts & Nevis… more
Wednesday, 2 March 2016
Local expert says develop culture of IT
Antigua and Barbuda – A local Information Technology (IT) expert has suggested integrating the use of IT into Antigua & Barbuda’s classrooms, in response to the call for a greater emphasis to be placed on the subject in schools across the region… more
NIB registration drive to ‘cleanse and update’ database
Bahamas – The National Insurance Board (NIB) has embarked on a registration drive designed to “cleanse and update” its database, given that there are 40,000 businesses on its register, and the last time a registration drive was conducted was in 2006, according to NIB Head of Compliance Stephen Thompson… more
Internet service providers urged to move Barbados into top 10
Barbados – MINISTER WITH RESPONSIBILITY for telecommunications, Senator Darcy Boyce, has challenged internet service providers in Barbados to improve their service to the level that would place the island into the top 10 worldwide… more
ON THE LEFT: Common framework among challenges
Barbados – E-GOVERNMENT IS CLOSELY RELATED to the concept of e-governance, which the Commonwealth Secretariat has defined as governments’ “utilisation of information and communications technology to interact with and provide services to businesses, citizens, and other governments with the intent to improve transparency, increase public service efficiency, and deepen democracy”… more
ON THE RIGHT: Some ‘shyness’ to new technologies
Barbados – THE EMERGENCE of the digital era is now the most pervasive and structurally distinctive influence on how governance arrangements are changing and facilitating an unprecedented universality and immediacy of information in industrial states… more
THE ISSUE: Master plan in the works
Barbados – BARBADIANS ARE ABLE to file their income tax returns online. Most people wish they could do so for most things in relation to Government services, including pay road taxes and driving licence fees while sitting in front of their computers… more
Cable Company Jacked
Belize – A cashier was robbed of over $12,000 dollars in Dangriga. On Monday afternoon around 12:50, 19 year old Dianie Munoz was at her workplace: the Southern Cable Network Office… more
ICTA to give telecom customers more choice
Cayman Islands – The Information & Communications Technology Authority (ICTA) plans to give telecoms customers more choice by raising the level of competition in the industry by introducing universal service to Cayman… more
Customs Agency launches new website
Dominican Republic – Customs Director Fernando Fernandez on Tuesday launched a new website, developed under best national and international commercial practices, with statistics and analysis related to business, trade and public activities the Dominican Republic… more
Telecoms Company sues GTT, PUC for US$281M
Guyana – A telecoms company is suing the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company Limited (GTT) and the regulatory body, Public Utilities Commission (PUC) for US$281M, claiming that it was deliberately suppressed from expanding its cell services… more
Accountant faces court for breaches of Cybercrimes Act
Jamaica – Detectives attached to the Fraud Squad unit of the Counter-Terrorism and Organised Crime Investigation Branch charged a man for breaches of the Cybercrimes Act yesterday… more
Minimum wage hike expected to impact BPO sector
Jamaica – A proposed 32 per cent hike in the minimum wage is expected to take a toll on the Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) sector in Jamaica… more
Thales ATC technology to upgrade Jamaica
Jamaica – Thales has been awarded a contract by the Jamaican Civil Aviation Authority (JCAA) to implement an advanced ATM system that will modernise and enhance the delivery of ATC services over Jamaica… more
C&W Business and Scala Announce New Partnership in the Caribbean and Latin American Region to Shape the Future of Digital Signage
Regional – C&W Business, part of C&W Communications (LSE: CWC), today announces a partnership with U.S. based Scala, Inc., the leading provider of end-to-end software solutions for digital signage, visual communications and advertising management, to expand their portfolio of services and offer full-service digital signage networks throughout the Caribbean and Latin American markets… more
Digicel invests USD 389 min in Caribbean FTTH rollout
Regional – Digicel is planning to invest a total of USD 389 million to roll out FTTH infrastructure in Trinidad & Tobago and Barbados, reports local daily Newsday, citing the company’s Trinidad and Tobago CEO Sacha Thompson… more
Flow Sports brings CARIFTA Games in HD to the Caribbean
Regional – Flow has once again given Caribbean sports fans another reason to celebrate – as for the first time in the history of the CARIFTA Games, a three day sports event will be broadcast live in High Definition (HD) across the entire region… more
UN report explores digital currency use in Caribbean
Regional – Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean recently released a report in which it examines the use of digital currency technology in the Caribbean subregion with the goal of drawing attention to the opportunities and liabilities related to this technology… more
The best experience in digital TV is here!
Saint Kitts and Nevis – Cable television subscribers of Digicel Play in Nevis (formerly Caribbean Cable Communications) can now experience best in class digital channels with the click of a button on the remote control… more
80% local content, tax on NLCB, Telecommunications Authority
Trinidad and Tobago – The Caribbean New Media Group (CNMG) report, produced in main by recently-resigned CNMG chair Helen Drayton, recommends that the State-owned media house should broadcast 80 per cent local content and proposes a tax on the Telecommunications Authority and the National Lotteries Control Board to support the purchase and production of local content… more
Broadcast service providers get extension
Trinidad and Tobago – MINISTER of Public Administration Randall Mitchell has approved recommendations from the Telecommunications Authority of Trinidad and Tobago (TATT) and signed documents to renew the concessions of a number of broadcast service providers whose concessions expired last Monday… more
Drayton proposed broadcast trust
Trinidad and Tobago – A BROADCASTING trust corporation should be established and special legislation brought to ensure its editorial independence, former CNMG chairman Helen Drayton recommended in a proposal submitted last year to Communications Minister, Maxie Cuffie… more
Thursday, 3 March 2016
Digicel Play launches in Barbados
Barbados – Digicel Play, the ultimate in home entertainment service that allows customers to view multiple channels and enjoy Internet speeds from 25 megabytes to 1 gigabyte per second has been officially launched in Barbados… more
Digicel top-up
Barbados – DIGICEL CUSTOMERS are being promised more value with the new services the telecommunications company is offering… more
Download a movie in 2 minutes? Flow delivering 1Gbps speed to all customers
Barbados – Flow has landed yet another first for the country… more
Belize Telemedia taps Huawei for nationwide LTE deployment; eyes December launch
Belize – Belize Telemedia Limited (BTL) has selected Chinese vendor Huawei Technologies to roll out a nationwide 4G LTE network for its DigiCell mobile unit… more
Regulators Attend Amateur Radio Administration Course In Mexico City
Belize – Telecommunications regulators from Mexico and Belize attended an Amateur Radio Administration Course (ARAC) February 17-19 in Mexico City. International Amateur Radio Union Region 2 (IARU R2 http://www.iaru.org/region-2.html), the Mexican Federation of Radio Amateurs (FMRE http://www.fmre.org.mx/), and the ARRL sponsored the sessions… more
ICTA to ensure broadband customers get quality service
Cayman Islands – A major priority of the Information & Communications Technology Authority (ICTA) is to increase its focus on quality of service (QOS) standards, beginning with broadband… more
Prosecutors get hi-tech photo App to nab fugitives, felons
Dominican Republic – The Justice Ministry on Thursday unveiled a hi-tech system for prosecutors to identify fugitives and people with rap sheets through photos… more
City getting updated IT software
Guyana – By mid-month around 40 staffers from the Mayor and City Council’s (M&CC) Information Technology (IT) Department and Treasurer’s Department among others would have received training for a modernised computerised system at City Hall… more
FLOW St. Kitts & Nevis Service Restored
Saint Kitts and Nevis – FLOW wishes to advise all of its valued customers on Nevis that services have been restored… more
Friday, 4 March 2016
NIB administration to go online
Bahamas – Labour and National Insurance Minister Shane Gibson yesterday announced the impending launch of a new web-based platform designed to allow registrants of the National Insurance Board (NIB) to conduct their interactions with NIB online… more
Mobile wallet launched
Barbados – BITT, a financial technology and software development company founded and based in Barbados, has taken another major step towards offering easier and cheaper financial services using a digital medium… more
Dominican Republic mobile users grow to 8.7 mln in November
Dominican Republic – There were 8.70 million mobile telephone lines in operation in the Dominican Republic at the end of November 2015, according to data published by the Dominican Telecommunications Institute (Indotel)… more
Netflix ranks Digicel Play’s broadband number one in Jamaica
Jamaica – Digicel Play yesterday said that its all-fibre home entertainment service has been ranked number one in Jamaica for internet transfer speed by Netflix… more
CDB’s VYBZING Programme Announces Animated Music Video Challenge
Regional – “Bring the vibes, bring the creativity” is the call from the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) as it announces its 2016 VYBZING Animated Music Video Challenge to be hosted in Jamaica… more
Mobile phones assist Caribbean in containing spread of chikungunya
Regional – Information generated from mobile phones can be successfully used to contain the spread of non-communicable diseases, as was recently done to stem the spread of the chikungunya virus in the Caribbean… more
Regional central banks wary of digital and mobile money use — new UN study
Regional – A United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) report on the use of digital currency technology in the Caribbean subregion says central banks within the region are demonstrably wary of the technology… more
Government’s E-technology base being strengthed
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines – His Excellency Baushaun Ger, Ambassador of the Republic of China on Taiwan, is looking forward to signing the agreement with this country’s Information Technology Minister Camillo Gonsalves for a new phase of cooperation…. more
‘Digital child molester’ appeals rape conviction
Sint Maarten – Emmanuel York (49), who was described as a “digital child molester” during his trial at the Court of First Instance in January 2015, on Thursday appealed his five-year sentence for the sexual abuse of two minor boys… more
Saturday, 5 March 2016
Jones wowed by Digicel Play
Barbados – Digicel Play, the ultimate in home entertainment service that allows customers to view multiple channels and enjoy Internet speeds from 25 megabytes to one gigabyte per second, was officially launched in Barbados on Monday… more
THE HOYOS FILE: Bitt-er pill to swallow
Barbados – BITT IS THE LOCAL SOFTWARE COMPANY that has been held up as a little bit of Silicon Valley right here in Bimshire, a company we are told ad nauseam that we should admire and hail for bringing the computer age to this country… more
Sunday, 6 March 2016
The implications of technology shifts on news content development
Jamaica – Be careful of predictions on technological outcomes… more
David Jessop | The Cashless Society
Regional – If you read the Financial Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post or some of the world’s other heavyweight newspapers, you may have seen, in recent months, articles discussing the abolition of currency… more
Image credits: Mars Hill Church (flickr); Belize Web; Wikipedia; Wikipedia; Wikipedia;
_______________
