Roundup: for the week ending 30 October 2016

A roundup of the latest ICT/technology news from across the Caribbean region for the period Monday 24 October to Sunday 30 October 2016.

Monday, 24 October 2016

Bahamas Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) public update

Bahamas – The Hon. Jerome K. Fitzgerald, Minister with responsibility for the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) wishes to advise the public, particularly civil society that the Freedom of Information committee met with the Minister of Education early last week and provided him with a copy of a report following their wide consultations… more

E-commerce ‘growing too slowly’

Barbados – WITH THE GROWING IMPACT of technology on the way business is done, now may be the time for the private sector to start pursuing e-commerce solutions full throttle… more

Dominican Republic to activate 5,000 free Wi-Fi hotspots

Dominican Republic – The Dominican Republic has announced plans to activate some 5,000 free Wi-Fi hotspots in parks, public squares, universities, schools and hospitals throughout the country as part of its “Digital Republic” programme for 2016-2020… more

E-Networks to Deliver O3b “Fiber from the Sky” Connectivity to Guyana Goldfields’ Mining Facility

Guyana – O3b Networks today announced that Guyanese Service Provider E-Networks will be delivering O3b’s high-speed, low latency connectivity to Guyana Goldfield’s Aurora Gold Mine… more

Spent money on GTT promotion that was not applicable to me

Guyana – Dear Editor, It may have been a smart marketing tactic by GTT, but I put it down in my books as being dishonest and deceptive… more

Empowering the Digital Citizen in the ECTEL Member States

Regional – Chances are for the last couple of months, you may have heard or seen several public service announcements on radio and television and also posted in social media in the ECTEL Member States of Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts & Nevis, Saint Lucia and St. Vincent and the Grenadines… more

Marketing Strategies Today: Facebook engagement tips that ensure success

Regional – For any business to run successfully online, it must have a grand appearance on the world’s most popular online social media platform — Facebook… more

The era of knowledge

Trinidad and Tobago – TODAY the T&T Chamber is pleased to reproduce an edited version of the opening address delivered by Ronald Hinds, senior vice president on the occasion of the launch of the T&T Chamber’s ICT Pro TT committee on October 13, 2016… more

Tuesday, 25 October 2016

Digital direction

Barbados – Send and receive money digitally, educate children digitally, and attract tourists while building businesses with pop culture… more

Computer geeks to compete in major ‘Hackathon’ event

Guyana – The Ministry of Public Telecommunications (MoPT) will stage its first Hackathon in November at the Arthur Chung Convention Centre, Liliendaal, East Coast Demerara… more

Technology at centre of border security — Security ministry

Jamaica – The government is undertaking several technology-driven initiatives to improve border security in Jamaica… more

Flow Study help

Regional – Students preparing for the Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT), the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) and Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) can now choose when, how and where they want to study… more

Regulators Conference Gets Under Way Today

Regional – The Organisation Of Caribbean Utility Regulators (OOCUR) is expected to approve a proposal for the group to work with the Caribbean Telecommunications Union (CTU) in the regional push for a single information and communications technology (ICT) space that could see the scrapping of roaming charges in two years’ time… more

Two sudden resignations at Flow

Regional – Telecommunications giant Flow has been hit by two sudden resignations… more

Online tax punishing ‘small man,’ Senator says

Trinidad and Tobago – Government’s seven percent on-line tax is punishing the “little man” who is “intervening in big people” business, says Independent Senator Stephen Creese… more

The challenges of the Data Protection Bill

Trinidad and Tobago – During Saturday’s Media Association talk, I posted a particularly provocative statement by Ria Mohammed-Davidson about the thorny issues that surround the pending passage into law of the remaining elements of the Data Protection Bill. The pithy excerpt immediately generated confusion in my social media circles… more

Wednesday, 26 October 2016

Flow announces successful testing of LTE technology

Barbados – Barbados is poised to welcome the next generation of mobile telephony… more

Belize upgrades banking to expedite payments

Belize – s of 8:30 this morning, commercial banks in Belize began to operate the newly launched Automated Payment and Securities Settlement System (APSSS or APS3 for short), which means that customers are now able to send funds instantly from their commercial bank to an unrelated commercial bank, cutting back on the waiting period that could span as many as 7 days… more

Industry analysts find Flow fastest local provider

Cayman Islands – Independent telecoms analyst Ookla, which operates speedtest.net, an online portal that measures internet speeds, has found that Flow has the fastest broadband and mobile services in the Cayman Islands, based on raw data records for the past six months… more

NBD rewards customers during its Swipe Local Campaign

Dominica – The National Bank of Dominica Ltd (NBD) rewarded five of its customers for using their debit cards at point of sale machines… more

Cyber Security Awareness Day October 31

Jamaica – Jamaica will observe Cyber Security Awareness Day on October 31… more

CaribNOG 12 off to a successful start in St Maarten

Regional – Even with its minor geographical footprint, the Caribbean has a major appetite for the Internet… more

ECTEL for OOCUR Conference in Jamaica

Regional – The Eastern Caribbean Telecommunications Authority (ECTEL) is being represented at the 14th Annual Conference of the Organization of Caribbean Utility Regulators (OOCUR) being convened in Montego Bay, Jamaica, from October 26 to 28, 2016… more

Flow unveils app to help CXC students

Regional – As parent and students get fully into the school term, Flow unveils its e-leaning platform, Flow Study, an online portal to help students better prepare for the CAPE and CSEC examinations… more

Thursday, 27 October 2016

VGambling Appoints Director

Antigua and Barbuda – VGambling Inc. (OTCQB: GMBL) (or the “Company”), a next generation online gambling company specifically focused on eSports, has recently appointed Mr. David George Atmore Watt, FCCA as a Member of the Board of Directors of the Company… more

Cable Bahamas hits full network restoration of services to all areas on New Providence

Bahamas – Cable Bahamas teams have been working at a fever pitch to restore services to customers affected by Hurricane Matthew, and announced today that full network restoration has been achieved for those on New Providence… more

BUSINESS BYTE: Digicel launches mobile stream music app in time for festive season

Dominica – Digicel has unveiled the latest addition to its range of entertainment products – d’Music – a mobile streaming app that gives customers access to a playlist of over 20 million songs across all genres – including the very best local and regional and international selections… more

Chile signals interest in telecoms

Guyana – President David Granger has described his official state visit to Chile and meeting with President Michelle Bachelet as highly successful and one that needed to happen. Not only does it open the door to deepened cooperation between the two countries but it solidifies linkages between Chile and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), he said… more

Gov’t creating supportive framework for science and technology

Guyana – The government plans on putting policies, laws and regulations in place to foster the development of the local science and technology sector… more

GTT Hack-a-ton set for Nov 4-6 at Conference Centre $500,000 for winning team

Guyana – The Ministry of Public Telecommunications is inviting web designers, software developers, computer programmers, and other interested persons to showcase their talents by participating in its first ‘Hack-a-ton.’ … more

PM Commends OUR

Jamaica – Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, says the Office of Utilities Regulation (OUR) must be commended for its work in policing and protecting the interest of consumers… more

Primary Schools to be Equipped with ICT

Jamaica – Education, Youth and Information Minister, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, says a programme is to be announced shortly to facilitate the establishment of an information communication technology (ICT) infrastructure in primary institutions… more

Global internet giant backs Caribbean technology development

Regional – A global Internet giant is partnering with a Caribbean-based group to advance regional technology development… more

Telecoms Director Calls For Regional Consultations On Net Neutrality And Regulations

Regional – The Managing Director of the Eastern Caribbean Telecommunications Authority, Embert Charles, has called for full public consultations throughout the region with a view to quickly resolving the concerns about net neutrality and regulations… more

2016 C-TEC conference and EXPO a resounding success with over 1,000 participants A kaleidoscope of technology in education.

Sint Maarten – On October 23 through 25, the Hillside Christian School and the adjoining NIPA were the scene of a dazzling array of lectures and workshops on applying twenty-first-century technology in education, constituting the second annual C-TEC conference… more

Thompson new Digicel chairman

Trinidad and Tobago – SACHA Thompson has been appointed as the new chairman of Digicel Trinidad and Tobago… more

TSTT Vigilance partners with Ministry for regional security conference

Trinidad and Tobago – The increase in illegal guns, ammunition and illicit drug trade, emerging Caribbean health issues, money laundering, human trafficking and the possibility of major security events, as well as proposed solutions to address them together as a region, were the focus of the Twelfth Conference of Defense Ministers of the Americas (XII CDMA), recently held at the Hyatt Regency, Port-of-Spain… more

Friday, 28 October 2016

HON. MELFORD NICHOLAS: ANTIGUA IS OPEN FOR BPO BUSINESS

Antigua and Barbuda – For years, the Philippines has held the distinction of the world leader in voice services as more and more companies outsource their operations in the Southeast Asian nation… more

Cable Bahamas launches free, unlimited WiFi hotspot at GB headquarters

Bahamas – In a move to help Grand Bahamians who have suffered so much devastation in the aftermath of Hurricane Matthew get connected to family, friends and loved ones, Cable Bahamas has activated a free WiFi hotspot at its main office on East Atlantic Drive in Freeport… more

Cable: Network fully restored in Nassau

Bahamas – Cable Bahamas yesterday said it was turning its focus to customer billing adjustments, having achieved full network restoration on New Providence… more

Sales Agents Lose BTC ‘Contract Breach’ Claim

Bahamas – “Veteran” sales agents have lost their ‘breach of contract’ appeal against the Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC), the Court of Appeal finding they effectively consented to giving up 45 per cent of their revenue earnings… more

DIGICEL SWITCHES ON BARBADOS’ FIRST 4G LTE NETWORK

Barbados – To mark the 50th Anniversary of Independence, Digicel (Barbados) Limited is going into overdrive with the launch of the first 4G LTE network on the island… more

BTL rolls out Hypernet service to Los Lagos

Belize – Residents in the Los Lagos community now have access to high speed internet connection via fiber-optic cables, through Belize Telemidia Limited’s Hypernet service… more

60,000 Switch Using Number Portability – Wheatley

Jamaica – Energy Minister Dr Andrew Wheatley says some 60,000 people have so far switched networks under the number portability system… more

Jamaica Not Lagging Behind In Science Research … But Needs More Innovative Minds To Grow The Economy

Jamaica – Even though Jamaica is not lagging behind where scientific research and development are concerned, Minister of Science, Energy and Technology Andrew Wheatley has called for more innovative minds to be developed in the island in order to boost the economy, similar to what happens in countries that enjoy First World status… more

Juliet Holness Lauds Cybersecurity Workshop

Jamaica – Member of Parliament for East Rural St Andrew, Juliet Holness was among several Commonwealth parliamentarians and policymakers who attended a workshop on cybersecurity in Washington, DC, between October 17 and 20… more

Minister Wheatley endorses Techstart online

Jamaica – Science, Energy and Technology Minister, Dr Andrew Wheatley, has endorsed Techstart.online, which provides free business support services to technology start-ups… more

Digicel Knocks Caribbean Approach To Net Neutrality

Regional – One of the region’s largest telecommunications players, Digicel, is knocking Caribbean governments for using what it says is a legislative-driven approach to affirm commitments to net neutrality rather than using thorough research-driven policy… more

IDB President Says Digital Finance Can Boost Regional Economies

Regional – President of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) Group, Luis Alberto Moreno, says digital finance has the potential to significantly boost the economies of countries throughout the region… more

Silicon Caribe to stage first Caribbean Bloggers Week

Regional – SILICON CARIBE the award-winning Caribbean Tech Media and Events brand, will stage the first annual Caribbean Blogger’s Week across the Region and Diaspora, from December 5th to 10th, 2016… more

TelEm CTO speaks at tech conference

Sint Maarten – TelEm Group management and personnel were “well represented” at the tech conference that kicked off at Sonesta Great Bay Beach Resort, Casino and Spa on Monday… more

BATT lists benefits of electronic payments

Trinidad and Tobago – The Bankers Association of T&T (BATT), in a response to the decision by the Petroleum Dealers Association’s (PDA) to stop accepting electronic payments at gas stations because of increased operating costs, has underscored the immense benefits electronic payments offer to customers and merchants… more

Saturday, 29 October 2016

Gov’t working to boost BPO investment

Jamaica – Prime Minister Andrew Holness says the government is working to review its regulatory and legislative framework in order to make Jamaica the country of choice for business process outsourcing (BPO)… more

Caribbean faces serious cyber security threats.

Regional – Keep it secret. And make sure it’s safe.Don’t use your real name, your birth date, or any single word. Instead, try a short phrase that includes some numerals and even some punctuation… more

Caribbean mobile entrepreneurs urged to participate in Canadian government funded project

Regional – Regional mobile entrepreneurs are being given an opportunity to compete for a share of US$75,000 and be recognized as some of the top tech talent in the region under a project aimed at enhancing the mobile app development ecosystem across the Caribbean Community (CARICOM)… more

Commentary: The View from Europe: Action needed to address Caribbean cyber security

Regional – Just over a week ago Google, Facebook, Amazon, Twitter, Netflix, Visa and many more premium providers of global web services, temporarily went offline… more

Sunday, 30 October 2016

CONSUMER CONCERNS…GTT must desist from latest consumer harassment

Guyana – The Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Co. (GTT) since its establishment in Guyana over a quarter of a century ago, has been doing better than any other company with an average profitability of 30% per annum… more

BPO Company IBEX Plans Rollout To Three More Parishes

Jamaica – Business process out-sourcing company IBEX Global Solutions says it plans to expand to at least three other parishes in the short term, which would boost its Jamaican workforce to 5,000, up from the 500 it started with in June this year… more

Employment In Jamaica’s BPO Sector Grows Nearly 100% Over 5 Years

Jamaica – Jamaica’s Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) sector has recorded a near 100 per cent increase in employment over the last five years… more

Fatal Distraction – Technology Use Contributes To Deadly Crashes

Jamaica – Auto insurers believe drivers who text, use smartphone apps, or are otherwise distracted are a big factor in the recent surge in traffic fatalities and injuries, an industry official said Thursday… more

Holness promises housing, more comforts for growing BPO sector

Jamaica – Prime Minister Andrew Holness indicates that the government’s Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) strategy includes the vision of purpose-built facilities, including housing… more

IBEX Global considers Mandeville, Montego Bay for expansion

Jamaica – CEO of IBEX Global Bob Dechant says the recent acquisition of a Fortune 10 client with a “huge appetite for growth”, will drive expansion for its Jamaican operation going forward… more

Jamaica to make its regulatory, legislative framework BPO friendly

Jamaica – The government is now reviewing the country’s regulatory and legislative framework in a bid to make Jamaica the country of choice for business process outsourcing, according to the prime minister… more

More Courtrooms To Get Video Link Technology

Jamaica – Work is to start before the end of this fiscal year to retrofit 19 additional courtrooms with video link technology… more

 

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