A roundup of the latest ICT/technology news from across the Caribbean region for the period Monday 6 March to Sunday 11 March 2017.

Monday, 6 March 2017

Cyber war!

Barbados – The ruling Democratic Labour Party (DLP) is giving itself a pat on the back following last weekend’s mid-year conference at which Prime Minister Freundel Stuart and members of his Cabinet sought to present the ‘facts’ about Government’s performance over the past nine years… more

Flow lays off workers in team restructure

Cayman Islands – Local telecommunications company Flow, the brand name of Cable & Wireless, confirmed that they have laid off seven Caymanians workers and two ex-pat positions have been cut in what it described as “adjustments to how we run our business”… more

Jamaica Police Using WhatsApp to Tackle Sexual Exploitation of Children

Jamaica – The Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) is using messaging service WhatsApp to tackle the sexual exploitation of children via social media… more

Marketing Strategies Today: Video blogging tips

Regional – Want to watch profits rolling into your business? Then go for online video blogging! It is deemed to be the future in Internet marketing… more

PM: Full proclamation of e-legislation soon

Trinidad and Tobago – Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley on Monday delivered the feature address at the Regional Standardization Forum for Bridging the Standardization Gap (BSG) at the Office of the Parliament, International Waterfront Centre, Port of Spain… more

PM: Over 2 million cellphone subscriptions

Trinidad and Tobago – TRINIDAD and Tobago has achieved a mobile penetration market of 155 per cent of the population or over two million subscriptions to cellular phones, Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley said yesterday as he addressed Government’s role in moving this country further into the information age… more

Tuesday, 7 March 2017

USE ICT TECHNOLOGIES TO MAKE PUBLIC SERVICE MORE EFFICIENT

Barbados – BY utilising information and communications technology (ICT), even some that are decades old, Government could ensure that the public service becomes much more efficient… more

Flow Caribbean president promotes deregulation in Cayman

Cayman Islands – For Flow’s Caribbean President Garfield Sinclair, the future of the Cayman Islands and global business lies in digital connectivity… more

Trace and Studio Mobile launch Trace FM Haïti

Haiti – nternational media group Trace joins forces with Studio Mobile to launch Trace FM Haïti, which aims to become the best station targeting Haitian youth who accounts for 60 per cent of the Island’s population… more

Digicel eyeing Nokia 3310 for summer

Jamaica – Finnish brand Nokia recently unveiled a revamped version of its iconic 3310 model and telecommunications company Digicel plans to make it available in Jamaica this summer… more

Digicel Promo for Samsung Smartphone

Saint Lucia – DIGICEL St. Lucia has launched yet another exciting and cool promotion to coincide with the new month of March… more

PM: T&T to get e-legislation to make it ICT ready “soon”

Trinidad and Tobago – Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley says Government is committed to ensuring the proclamation of e-legislation with supporting rules and regulations in “the not too distant future… more

T&T in excess of two million mobile subscribers

Trinidad and Tobago – As of September 2016, there were in excess of two million mobile subscribers in a population of 1.4 million people in T&T… more

Wednesday, 8 March 2017

Flow To Go exceeds BTC’s expectations

Bahamas – As an early Christmas present, Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) launched its mobile television service, Flow To Go… more

Cyberbullying on the rise among San Pedro’s youth

Belize – Cyberbullying has become more prevalent, especially with the rapid advance of technology and its accessibility… more

Guyana prepares for Electronic Visa (E-Visa) and Work Visa System

Guyana – Guyana, concerned about bogus immigration stamps in foreigners’ passports and human trafficking, is moving to introduce an Electronic Visa (E-Visa) and Work Visa System as part of the implementation and development of a modern visa issuance policy and system… more

#IWD2017: Online platform on gender-based violence to be launched today

Jamaica – The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) said it is pleased to be partnering with the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport to launch an online platform on gender-based violence — ‘Break the Silence’ — at the International Women’s Day: Unite to End GBV Concert, which will be held today at Emancipation Park… more

Digicel Needs To Boost Cash To Pay Down Debt, Says Fitch

Regional – A top ratings agency is saying Digicel Group needs to improve its free cash flow by next March in order to offset debt maturities… more

TSTT, Massy team up

Trinidad and Tobago – THE country’s largest telecommunications provider, Telecommunications Services of Trinidad and Tobago Limited (TSTT), has signed a deal with the country’s newest, Massy Communications, that would have the two share infrastructure and save foreign exchange… more

Thursday, 9 March 2017

BTC bridging the digital divide

Bahamas – Over the last two years Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) has been hard at work on a number of initiatives to progress the “smart island” agenda for the country. Last year, the company began a focused partnership with the Registrar General’s Department aimed at making the registration process for all Family Islanders seamless… more

BTC’s Flow to Go service hits 14,000 subs in two months

Bahamas – Bahamas operator BTC has announced that its Flow to Go mobile TV service has reached 14,000 subscriptions just two months after its introduction… more

BTC restoration expected to be 99% complete by end of the month

Bahamas – In October of 2016 Hurricane Matthew ripped through The Bahamas as a very large and very dangerous Category 4 system, bringing with it heavy rains, and high winds which downed power lines, uprooted trees, flooded low lying areas and left a trail destruction in its wake – particularly on Grand Bahama which received a near direct hit… more

Barbados Schools Get $5M Donation in Tech Gear from China

Barbados – Barbados schools and education institutions received a donation of US$5 million from the People’s Republic of China in order to give a boost to their teaching facilities Wednesday… more

Altice Q4 sales up 6% to EUR 189 mln in Dominican Republic

Dominican Republic – Altice announced fourth-quarter revenues of EUR 188.8 million for its Orange Dominicana brand in the Dominican Republic, up 6.6 percent year on year on a constant currency basis and 6.0 percent on a reported basis… more

GTT joins call for gender equality in workplaces

Guyana – GTT yesterday pledged to continue to “Be Bold For Change” as part of the company’s activities in observance of International Women’s Day 2017… more

Why is GTT on voicemail when people call for emergency purposes?

Guyana – Dear Editor, Last Saturday I noticed my internet went down very early in the morning… more

Secretary General’s Address on International Women’s Day

Regional – “International Women’s Day is a time to reflect on progress made, to call for change and to celebrate acts of courage and determination by ordinary women who have played an extraordinary role in the history of their countries and communities” United Nations… more

Technology Upgrade for Courts

Regional – A STATE of the art e-filing system with a fully-integrated modern e-case management system is to be implemented in all member states and territories of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (ECSC)… more

Innovation and commercial banking

Trinidad and Tobago – In Trinidad and Tobago, commercial banks play a most crucial and pivotal role in the financial system… more

TSTT partners with NWRHA

Trinidad and Tobago – TSTT’s partnership with the North West Regional Health Authority (NWRHA) to install a modern closed circuit TV (CCTV) system at the Port-of-Spain General Hospital is providing a state-of-the-art video surveillance system that is unlike anything used at the institution before… more

We’re Secure: Digicel Denies Security Breach

Trinidad and Tobago – Telecommunications company Digicel insists its network is safe, reliable and secure, following a claim that Trinidad and Tobago’s prime minister may have had some of his text messages and emails intercepted… more

Friday, 10 March 2017

BTC Post-Paid Customers Angry After Overcharging For Services

Bahamas – IRATE Bahamas Telecommunications Company post-paid mobile customers yesterday told The Tribune they now have “issues of trust” and are contemplating leaving BTC for its competitor Aliv, after they were overcharged for services and did not learn of the issue until weeks after the extra fees were heaped on their bills… more

GTT launches 4G service in Guyana

Guyana – The Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GTT) has finally activated its 4G-LTE service, rolling out the technology for customers on the Essequibo Coast some four months ahead of schedule, reports Demerara Waves, citing the company’s CEO Justin Nedd… more

Ready TV to make Portmore its home base

Jamaica – The Jamaican government, the Opposition, the church and the residents of Portmore, St Catherine seem to be rallying behind the decision of new digital cable company, Ready TV, to make the dormitory town its home base… more

Saturday, 11 March 2017

New BTC fiber network expected for GB

Bahamas – Eldri Ferguson-Mackey, BTC Northern Bahamas Vice President, said that despite experiencing setbacks with its system due to the passing of Hurricane Matthew, the company is pleased to announce that it is now in the process of upgrading the fiber network, which is proposed for a November delivery for Grand Bahama… more

Cops getting hands-on Cybercrime training in Panama

Guyana – Guyana is being represented at an international Cybercrime Capacity Building Project for Latin America and the Caribbean… more

Sunday, 12 March 2017

Government Firm On BPO Tax – Stakeholders Warn That This Could Drive Away Investors

Jamaica – Minister of State in the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service Fayval Williams has slammed the door in the faces of operators in the business processing outsourcing (BPO) industry who have been pushing for a rollback of the 12.5 per cent corporate income tax (CIT) levied on the sector… more

 

Image credits:  GotCredit (flickr);   Wikipedia;  The Eleutheran;  Wikipedia

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