A roundup of the latest ICT/technology news from across the Caribbean region for the period Monday 13 February to Sunday 19 February 2017.

Monday, 13 February 2017

Attorneys say reject creation of national fingerprint database

Antigua and Barbuda – Local, regional and international lawyers are telling Antiguans and Barbudans to reject the recently declared government policy of setting up a data bank of fingerprints for broader use, deeming such unjustifiable, “an invasion of privacy” and likely an initiative originating outside the country… more

Call For Resistance To ‘Dangerous’ Spying Bill

Bahamas – FORMER Bahamas Bar Association President Elsworth Johnson yesterday joined activist calls for Bahamians to organise protests and public resistance to the recently tabled Interception of Communications Bill (ICB) 2017, which he called “dangerous” spying legislation… more

Cable & Wireless Could Be Worth Buying

Regional – John Malone and his Liberty Global group are known for creating value for their investors… more

Digicel endorses regional co-regulated approach to open internet

Regional – Speaking at the 11th Capacity Caribbean Conference in Puerto Rico, David Geary, General Counsel for Digicel Caribbean, compared the debate on Net Neutrality to that of Brexit in the United Kingdom… more

General Counsel for Digicel Caribbean compares Net Neutrality to Brexit

Tuesday, 14 February 2017

Antigua And Barbuda Launch World’s First Tourism Social Media Channel Dedicated To Romance

Antigua and Barbuda – Antigua and Barbuda is celebrating Valentine’s Day by launching the world’s first tourism social media channel dedicated to romance on Facebook… more

Attorney General: Interception Bill Will Enhance Privacy, Not Harm It

Bahamas – ATTORNEY General Allyson Maynard-Gibson yesterday defended the Interception of Communications Bill as an important anti-crime tool that would enhance the privacy of law-abiding citizens rather than encroach upon it, as detractors claim… more

Mobile number portability delayed until March

Bahamas – The launch date for consumers to experience mobile number portability (MNP) in The Bahamas was set for today, but is now expected to occur in March 2017… more

URCA announces delayed implementation of Mobile Number Portability (MNP)

Bahamas – On 23 December 2016, the Utilities Regulation and Competition Authority (URCA) issued its Preliminary Determination on Mobile Number Portability (MNP)… more

Regulator seeks to gain trust with consistency

Cayman Islands – The newly appointed boss of the government’s newest regulator says there are several challenges ahead for the new office but one of the most important is gaining the trust of the stakeholders across the utilities that he and the team will be regulating… more

17,500 Tablets to be Provided for Schools

Jamaica – The Government is to spend $7 million to provide 17,500 tablets to increase learning opportunities to students under the Tablet in Schools programme… more

Cable Workers Go On Strike

Saint Kitts and Nevis – The technical staff at The Cable has taken industrial action after employee concerns about salary increase and other issues were reportedly not met by the Board of Directors… more

CWU: Pay pension sums for Telco, TSTT!

Trinidad and Tobago – THE Communication Workers Union (CWU) last week held its fourth in a series of weekly protests outside RBC Bank, Independence Square, Portof- Spain, to demand that the bank does its duty as trustee for the pension fund of TSTT and Telco and make payments to retirees… more

Ministry plans crackdown on Uber drivers

Trinidad and Tobago – If you are a “PH” (private hire) taxi driver working with ride sharing app, Uber, you better watch out… more

Trinidad and Tobago launches Lime365 campaign and GoTrinBago mobile destination app

Trinidad and Tobago – Lime365 was designed to highlight and promote the destination’s active annual event calendar. In Trinidad and Tobago’s local parlance, to lime (verb) is to “hang out or socialize” and a lime (noun) is a social event. Lime365 boasts that there is something to do every day in Trinidad and Tobago… more

Wednesday, 15 February 2017

Bahamas AG on the Interception of Communications Bill

Bahamas – Statement from the Hon. Allyson Maynard Gibson, Attorney-General and Minister of Legal Affairs on the Interception of Communications Bill, 2017… more

Government launches Electronic Single Window

Barbados – The Barbados government Wednesday announced plans to establish the relevant institutional infrastructure to ensure that greater levels of efficiency, productivity and international competitiveness are achieved… more

New utilities regulator aims to bridge OfReg ‘skills gap’

Cayman Islands – The new chief executive of the commission charged with oversight of local utilities acknowledged a “skills gap,” but said he hoped to make Cayman “the Singapore of the Caribbean.” … more

GTT announces restructuring, 120 to be laid off

Guyana – GTT today said that a restructuring of its operations will see 120 positions becoming redundant… more

GTT begins sending home 120 workers

Guyana – The Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GTT) on Wednesday announced that it would be sending home 120 persons over the next 12 months as part of plans to adapt the company to liberalised telecommunications sector in the country… more

Jamaica Implements One-Stop Economic Data Portal

Jamaica – Jamaica became the first Caribbean country and the second in the Western Hemisphere to implement the recommendations of the Enhanced General Data Dissemination System (e-GDDS) when it launched the National Summary Data Page (NSDP) earlier today… more

OUR does not regulate cable service

Jamaica – Dear Editor, On February 7, 2017, the Jamaica Observer published a letter from a FLOW customer who complained about her favourite shows being dropped from her cable package… more

OUR Telecoms Contract Review Awaits Tax Information From Consultant

Jamaica – The Office of Utilities Regulation (OUR) is trying to ascertain whether the consultant it engaged to assess contracts issued by telecoms operators is tax compliant… more

Government Officially Launches 5 Additional Apps For E Government Portal

Saint Kitts and Nevis – The Team Unity Government officially launched 5 additional applications (apps) for its E-Government portal during a ceremony at the OTI conference room on Wednesday… more

Beesion to Enable TSTT’s Retail Transformation and Omni-Channel Experience

Trinidad and Tobago – Beesion Technologies, the pioneer of low-code telecom software, was selected by Telecommunications Services of Trinidad & Tobago Limited (TSTT) to transform the bmobile in-store experience to support both wireless and wireline services across the company’s 10 corporate-owned stores and 90 national resellers… more

Thursday, 16 February 2017

BENEFITS ABOUND FROM ELECTRONIC SINGLE WINDOW, SAYS MINISTER

Barbados – Multiple benefits are expected to be derived from the newly launched Barbados Electronic Single Window (BESW)… more

Telecoms provider promises better service

Barbados – Local businesses are demanding more of their telecommunications provider as they seek to become more competitive… more

OfReg chief settles in quickly

Cayman Islands – Although he has only been in office for three weeks, Mr. Morgan has already identified some challenges and set goals for the regulatory body… more

120 to lose jobs in GTT restructuring as liberalization looms

Guyana – As Government continues negotiations with the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GTT) to end its monopoly and to allow new players in the market, that US-owned entity has announced plans to send home up to 120 staff members over the next 12 months… more

New York-based Guyanese pushing technology in teaching Mathematics

Guyana – As Caribbean Community (Caricom) leaders prepare to discuss, among other matters, the future of Information Communications Technology (ICT) in the region, a group of Caribbean Professionals has rolled out an application to help students learn Mathematics at the Caribbean Examination Council (CXC) level… more

Online move

Guyana – Doing business with Government is about to get a lot easier – at least that is what officials are promising with the implementation of an Electronic Single-Window (ESW) system… more

Next «Karavan Tèk-Tèk» in Jacmel

Haiti – The General Directorate of the Executive Body of the National Telecommunications Council (CONATEL) informs the general public that it will organize the 2nd edition of the “Karavan Tèk-Tèk” on Friday 17 and Saturday 18 February 2017 from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm In the Southeast Department, at the Convention Center in Jacmel… more

PM breaks ground for BPO complex in Portmore

Jamaica – Prime Minister Andrew Holness today broke ground for the construction of a 150,000 sq ft Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) space at the Portmore Informatics Park, which is expected to employ 3,000 persons… more

Cable & Wireless Reports Preliminary Results

Regional – Cable & Wireless Communications Limited (“CWC”) is the leading telecommunications operator in substantially all of its consumer markets, which are predominantly located in the Caribbean and Latin America, providing entertainment, information and communication services to 3.5 million mobile, 0.4 million television, 0.6 million internet and 0.8 million fixed-line telephony subscribers… more

Cable & Wireless Transforms its Network with Cisco and Ericsson

Regional – There are obviously many, many challenges involved in building a next-generation network, but in terms of geography, not too many operators face the challenges Cable & Wireless Communications face… more

CARICOM high-level confab… Roadmap on single Regional ICT space to be presented

Regional – Aside from the issue of crime and the withdrawal of correspondent banking relationships within the Region, the creation of a single Information and Communications Technology (ICT) space, will engage regional heads as the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) convenes its high-level confabulation today… more

Government Launches Five New Mobile Interactive Apps Aimed At Expanding The Technological Footprint Of St. Kitts And Nevis

Saint Kitts And Nevis – The launch of five new interactive mobile apps forms part of the government’s strategy to strengthen Information Communication and Technology (ICT) in St. Kitts and Nevis and increase the exchange of information, said the Honourable Shawn Richards, Deputy Prime Minister… more

Government To Introduce Comprehensive E-Payment Service

Saint Kitts And Nevis – The Government of St. Kitts and Nevis is in the process of introducing an electronic payment system across all ministries and departments, which will afford persons the opportunity to make payments online, said Attorney General and Minister of Communications, the Honourable Vincent Byron Jr, during the launch of the e-Government Mobile Applications on Wednesday, February 15… more

Free viewing of HBO and Max this weekend with Flow

Saint Lucia – This weekend Flow has an exciting treat for its TV customers. They will be able to view all HBO and Max channels free, all weekend long! … more

bmobile partners with Naparima College for TT’s first Smart School

Trinidad and Tobago – “Students in a small economy like Trinidad and Tobago may not be exposed to many of the experiences that students in first world countries have, but through a partnership with TSTT and the benefits of the advancements in technology this brings, our students will be able to gain this kind of global experience… more

Friday, 17 February 2017

BPO sector heating up

Jamaica – Country manager of Sutherland Global Services Limited (SGS), Odetta Rockhead-Kerr, says that the company wants to triple its workforce over the next three years — but which is facing a significant shortage of leadership — guaranteeing employment to those who successfully complete a new associate degree in business process outsourcing being offered by the Portmore Community College (PCC)… more

Digicel rolls out new mobile plan

Jamaica – Telecoms provider Digicel yesterday announced that it has rolled out a new mobile plan which, it said, will give customers greater data and text space, as well as more talk time… more

FSC, Liberty Still Haggling Over Mandatory Offer For C&W Jamaica Shares

Jamaica – The Financial Services Commission (FSC) is not commenting on infor-mation that Liberty Global has been asked to make a mandatory offer for the shares in Cable & Wireless Jamaica, which trades as FLOW Jamaica… more

Portmore Informatics Park expansion under way

Regional – The Port Authority of Jamaica (PAJ) yesterday broke ground for an expanded Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) cluster in Portmore, the Portmore Informatics Park (PIP), a project valued at $2.2 billion… more

Regional leaders end successful summit in Guyana

Regional – Caribbean Community (CARICOM) leaders have ended a two-day summit here adopting decisions that they said are important to moving the 15-member regional integration movement “towards its objects”… more

Roadmap to single ICT space submitted to CARICOM heads

Regional – A roadmap towards creating a single ICT space for the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) is being tabled at the 28th Inter-sessional CARICOM summit for the approval of the conference of heads of government… more

Nevis observes ICT week

Saint Kitts and Nevis – Managing Director of ECTEL Embert Charles, will be the feature speaker when the Nevis Island Administration’s Information Technology Department holds its Delta Awards Dinner and Ceremony this Saturday, February 18th… more

NIA Information Technology Department Observes ICT Week

Saint Kitts and Nevis – An Introduction to ICT for Positive, Social and Economic Development is the theme under which the Nevis Island Administration Information Technology Department is hosting its Information and Communication Technology week (ICT)… more

Saturday, 18 February 2017

MAVIS BECKLES: Technology good and bad

Barbados – TECHNOLOGY IS A wonderful thing. When I was growing up and anybody did tell me dat one day in my lifetime every and anybody would have a phone walking ’bout wid it attached tuh dem evah where duh went, I would not even be able tuh comprehend dat… more

PM and CARICOM Heads Agree on Regional ICT and Tourism Agenda

Regional – Prime Minister, Dr. Keith Rowley and other regional leaders have approved a draft roadmap for the region’s single Information and Communications Technology (ICT) space… more

Careful steps on Cybercrime Bill

Trinidad and Tobago – Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi’s recent pronouncement of an intention to amend the Cybercrime Bill to deal with social media abusers has brought the country to another crossroads in its still young life… more

Sunday, 19 February 2017

Speednet Belize allies with Tango Telecom for CDMA to GSM upgrade

Belize – Tango Telecom, a leading provider of Data Monetisation Solutions for evolving mobile networks, today announced an upgrade deal with Speednet, Belize for its Subscriber Interaction Manager… more

Image credits: carterse (flickr); Wikipedia; The West Indian News; Wikipedia; Facebook

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Roundup: for the week ending 19 February 2017