A roundup of the latest ICT/technology news from across the Caribbean region for the period Monday 22 May to Sunday 28 May 2017.
Monday, 22 May 2017
Aliv: ‘Hundreds’ Of Mobile Users Porting
Bahamas – Aliv’s top executive said yesterday it has seen “hundreds” of customers switch to their network since number portability launched last month, telling this newspaper that the subscriber boost would keep the company in line with its targets… more
Samsung President Set to Meet BTC CEO
Bahamas – Just a week ago, BTC introduced the brand new Samsung Galaxy S8 to the country… more
Cayman spared in global ransomware attack
Cayman Islands – The RCIPS has said that the Financial Crime Unit has not received any reports that anyone in the Cayman Islands has been affected by the recent global cyber attack… more
Dominican regulator urges faster digital TV transition
Dominican Republic – The Dominican Republic’s telecom regulator, Indotel, urged the government to speed up the transition to digital terrestrial television (DTT) in order … more
Chinese Company does not want to pay full amount owed on GTT shares – Prime Minister
Guyana – The Chinese company that owes Guyana US$5M on the controversial GTT shares is not interested in clearing the debt in full. Hong Kong Golden Telecom Company (HKGT), the company that bought Government’s shares in GTT, wants to pay a reduced amount… more
New software for revenue management at DGI
Haiti – New Zealand technology business DataTorque has delivered its revenue management system (RMS) to help the Haitian government improve its collection of tax revenues… more
CARICOM ministers approve integrated work plan for single ICT space
Regional – Caribbean Community (CARICOM) ministers with responsibility for information and communication technologies (ICT) on Friday approved the integrated work plan for the Community’s single ICT space… more
Where the wild data charges roam
Trinidad and Tobago – In a world in which you can stream music, browse Facebook and download your email without expecting to offer up your first born on bended knee to a telco, there is a comfort zone that can build into an expectation that this happens everywhere… more
USVI, Airbnb sign first tax agreement in the Caribbean
United States Virgin Islands – The government of the US Virgin Islands and Airbnb have confirmed the first tax agreement in the Caribbean, which will allow the platform to collect the territory’s 12.5 percent hotel room occupancy tax on behalf of hosts and remit the funds to the Virgin Islands Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR)… more
Tuesday, 23 May 2017
Aliv reaches out to its customers following network outage
Bahamas – Chief Aliv Officer Damian Blackburn said a critical part of Aliv’s operation is to quell customer concerns over outages as quickly as possible and to restore any outages just as fast, after the new mobile provider suffered several glitches late last week… more
BTC and Chamber to Host Disaster Workshop
Bahamas – As a routine, BTC has completed its checks and balances and is ready for the 2017 Hurricane season. Year round, BTC ensures that its network is maintained… more
Flow nets 16 000 subscribers
Barbados – MORE THAN 16 000 mobile subscribers are currently enjoying Flow’s superfast 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) network… more
BVI urged to heed wake-up call, prioritize cyber security
British Virgin Islands – The firm known as BDO BVI said the British Virgin Islands (BVI) should use a recent malware wannacry outbreak as a wake-up call, adding that there is need for the territory to start giving priority to cyber security… more
Dominican regulator calls for earlier analogue switchoff
Dominican Republic – The Dominican Republic’s telecommunications regulator Indotel has called on the government to accelerate the migration to digital terrestrial television (DTT) with a view to freeing up spectrum and meeting the country’s Republica Digital programme… more
Pre-paid Cable TV, Now Ready
Jamaica – … more
Belize Captures First Place in CANTO’s Video Competition
Regional – Belize is no stranger to the CANTO WTISD competition as the country boasts of four (4) first place winners since the inception of the competition… more
Commentary: WannaCry – A Caribbean cyber security perspective
Regional – “Organizations who continue to run Windows XP, software which cannot adequately detect and protect your information assets, and obsolete software, will make your systems easy targets for hackers and cyber criminals, as these systems will be hardest hit as the level of vulnerabilities and exploits are high and easily available.” … more
FLOW to Deliver Internet Upgrade
Saint Lucia – Flow internet customers in the north of the island are in for a significant upgraded in quality of service, the next step in a move to deliver higher levels experience island wide… more
Wednesday, 24 May 2017
BTC opens three new franchise stores
Bahamas – Three more Bahamians became business owners as Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) opened the doors to three new retail experience stores last weekend. The stores are located in Pinder’s Point and West End, Grand Bahama and in Guana Cay, Abaco… more
BTC ready for 2017 hurricane season; yet to complete repairs related to Hurricane Matthew
Bahamas – Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) has invested $1 million in power generation throughout the country in preparation for the 2017 hurricane season, and continues to roll out and expand its fiber optic network throughout the country – a buffer against lost service during major storms… more
AG supports cell phone use in schools
Barbados – A recent video –– filmed with a mobile phone – showing a mob of students at Lester Vaughan School attacking one of their peers in a brutal assault is not enough to sway Attorney General Adriel Brathwaite to reverse his support for legitimizing the use of mobile devices in schools… more
Ban online access to porn!
Barbados – The Ministry of Education has approved our children’s use of cellular phones in our schools. The obvious foreseen risk is our children’s direct access to pornography (porn) on their smart phones… more
CITO Seeking Input
Belize – Today the Central Information Technology Office held a sensitization and validation workshop for their new Information and Communications Technology Policy… more
EvenBet Gaming partners with GamblingTec – Curacao based gambling platform provider and investor
Curacao – Online gaming software developer EvenBet Gaming now provides its poker software to GamblingTec and its platform users… more
PRESS RELEASE: ECTEL MD hands over computers to Haitian students
Haiti – Managing Director of the Eastern Caribbean Telecommunications Authority (ECTEL) Embert Charles has handed over a donation of electronic communications equipment and furniture to the Arcahaie (pronounced Lakayé in creole) community to the north of the Haitian capital, Port au Prince… more
HEART Trust to break ground for BPO Finishing School
Jamaica – Jamaica’s training institute HEART Trust/NTA, in collaboration with private sector bodies, plans to break ground for a BPO Finishing School at the HEART College of Innovation and Technology in Montego Bay by year end… more
ReadyTV Eyes 500,000 Market
Jamaica – Digicel was initially a partner with Chris Dehring in the company that will operate new subscriber service, ReadyTV, but that relationship ended years ago… more
readyTV launches today
Jamaica – The business of providing multiple television channels via cable is disrupted today as Jamaica’s first digital subscription cable service, readytv, launches its services from its head office in Palm Plaza, Portmore, St Catherine… more
PRESS RELEASE: Flow customers enjoying best quality network according to benchmark testing agency
Regional – The Results are in and the good news for Flow customers is confirmation that they are enjoying the best quality network and service levels in the region as measured against the competitor in at least six markets tested so far, by independent benchmark testing agency, P3… more
Governor’s Symposium to focus on ‘ICT Governance’
Sint Maarten – Shaping our Future” is the theme for the invitation-only 2017 Governor’s Symposium set for the auditorium of the American University of the Caribbean (AUC) School of Medicine, in Cupecoy, on Friday June 23… more
Thursday, 25 May 2017
BTC inaugurates 3 new franchise stores in Bahamas
Bahamas – Bahamas operator BTC has announced the opening of three new franchise stores in Pinder’s Point, West End Grand Bahama and Guana Cay… more
BTC Set To Expand Store ‘Touch Points’
Bahamas – The Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) is still aiming to increase its “touch-points” across the Bahamas despite expanding to 34 franchise locations… more
GOB helps internet entrepreneurs start-up
Belize – Faster Internet speeds and the enabling environment to encourage Internet and information and communications entrepreneurs start up new business ventures were the topic of discussion at workshop hosted by the Central Information Technology Office (CITO) at the Best Western Biltmore Plaza hotel in Belize City on Wednesday and Thursday, May 24-25… more
Social media rumors fuel Election Day confusion
Cayman Islands – Political rumors and campaign canvassing confusion colored Election Day in the Cayman Islands. While police reported no serious, election-related misconduct, speculative reports trickled in throughout the day… more
Dominican Republic telecom tax met with opposition
Dominican Republic – The Dominican Republic’s chamber of deputies has approved a fixed tax of US$0.02 on international voice minutes in order to finance … more
Technology boost in Haiti community thanks to ECTEL
Haiti – The Arcahaie community in Haiti has been handed electronic equipment and furniture by the managing director of the Eastern Caribbean Telecommunications Authority ()… more
Right Decisions at the Right Time
Jamaica – A Jamaican Defence Force (JDF) Coast Guard team was busy at their base, HMJS Cagway, in Port Royal, outside of Kingston, during the last two weeks of April.. more
WorldRemit, JMMB Money Transfer launch online transfers to Jamaica
Jamaica – Digital money transfer services WorldRemit and JMMB Money Transfer have partnered to offer bank transfers to Jamaica, according to a press release… more
C&W Communications Announces Caribbean Appointments
Regional – C&W Communications is pleased to announce that Jenson Sylvester, Stephen Price and Ian Serrao have been appointed to the role of Managing Director for Barbados, Jamaica and Trinidad respectively… more
Digicel Limited Announces Early Settlement of Its Tender Offer and Consent Solicitation for Any and All of Its 7.000% Senior Notes Due 2020
Regional – Digicel Limited (“Digicel”, the “Company” or “we”) today announced that it has accepted for purchase $203,330,000 aggregate principal amount, or 81.33%, of its outstanding 7.000% Senior Notes due 2020 (the “Notes”) that were validly tendered and not withdrawn by 5:00 p.m., New York City time on May 19, 2017 (the “Tendered Notes”) pursuant to the Company’s previously announced offer to purchase for cash any and all of the Notes and related solicitation of consents from holders of the Notes… more
Digital identity service production release underway with Caribbean central banks
Regional – Netki, a provider of open source and open standards compliance solutions for blockchains, has announced the first production platform for central banks using its digital identity service… more
Improving productivity across the region key to growth and development
Regional – Productivity, in the broadest terms, refers to the economy’s ability to convert inputs in outputs… more
Samsung launches QLED TV in Caribbean, LatAm markets
Regional – When trying to decide where to mount your new Samsung Electronics QLED TV, it is advised that you choose your wall carefully. You see, you wouldn’t want to run the risk of confusing your TV for a window one day… more
Unleashing IT to achieve business success
Trinidad and Tobago – A 2016 CIO Insight survey found that IT leaders are grappling with how to costeffectively transform their organisations into digital enterprises and consider the cloud as the top way to reduce and manage capital and operational costs… more
Friday, 26 May 2017
BTC’s $8m Network To Boost Gb Service
Bahamas – The Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) yesterday said an $8 million fibre network investment will enable it to launch its FlowTV product on Grand Bahama within the next two weeks… more
Cable TV to undertake network upgrade on May 29
British Virgin Islands – BVI Cable TV, in an effort to upgrade the level of service, is undergoing a network upgrade on May 29, 2017… more
Dominican Republic approves telecom tax to fund 911 service
Dominican Republic – The Dominican Republic’s chamber of deputies has approved a tax of USD 0.02 on international voice minutes with a view to funding the country’s 911 emergency and security system, reports local daily El Dia… more
Digicel apologizes and reassures its customers
Haiti – “Digicel advises its customers that a major electrical energy problem at one of its largest sites has affected some of its services during the day of May 23rd… more
Jamaica lost US$100m to cyber crimes during 2016
Jamaica – Digicel Group has bought another telecoms firm, giving it a presence in at least four French-owned territories… more
US$75,000 Up For Grabs At Tech Entrepreneur Competition In St Kitts
Saint Kitts and Nevis – Twenty-five finalists from the Caribbean will compete in the PitchIT Caribbean Challenge tech entrepreneur competition in St Kitts on June 17… more
Saturday, 27 May 2017
‘Pause’ on cellphones
Barbados – THE CIRCULATION of videos on social media showing schoolchildren engaging in violent behaviour has added fuel to the discusion about cellphones in schools among… more
Schoolboy wins phone after Digicel social media challenge
Jamaica – One thousand likes was all it took for 15-year-old Jonathan Robinson to win himself a brand new smartphone and some unexpected goodies from Digicel… more
GOVERNANCE IN THE AGE OF HYPER-SCRUTINY
Trinidad and Tobago – Granted, it’s taken the government some time to get up to speed, but the scandals are beginning to emerge. The most recent episode involving the Minister of Sport, Youth Affairs and Inarticulateness, Darryl Smith, shows the government doesn’t understand that the agents of hyper-scrutiny didn’t hang up their guns when the People’s Partnership demitted office… more
Trinidad and Tobago ministers rack up big bills – and social media outrage
Trinidad and Tobago – With oil prices down, Trinidad and Tobago’s energy-based economy has had to adjust. These are lean times; foreign exchange is less available and the government is trying to make up the country’s revenue shortfall any way it can… more
Sunday, 28 May 2017
Davon Crump Takes Hard Knocks In Stride – Says Scarce Capital Hobbling BPO Entrepreneurs
Jamaica – He is well known in Montego Bay as the owner and president of business process outsourcing (BPO) company, Global Outsourcing Solutions Limited, and as the straight-talking former president of the Montego Bay Chamber of Commerce, but it has been anything but a smooth road for Davon Crump, a Portlander by birth… more
Image credits: Pexels; Wikipedia; The Eleutheran; Wikipedia; Wikipedia
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