A roundup of the latest ICT/technology news from across the Caribbean region for the period Monday 21 August to Sunday 27 August 2017.

Monday, 21 August 2017

Ericsson, CWC demo gigabit LTE in Antigua and Barbuda

Antigua and Barbuda – Ericsson and Cable & Wireless Communications (CWC) have announced the details of the successful trial of 1 Gbps speeds conducted on the ‘pre-5G’ network in Antigua and Barbuda… more

Caribbean Economist joins BITT as their Chief Economist

Barbados – The Barbados based FinTech company, Bitt, disclosed the appointment of Marla Dukharan as its Chief Economist, retroactively effective August 1^st2017… more

Denis O’Brien eyes Cuba for new underwater fibre optic cable

Cuba – Deep Blue Cable, Denis O’Brien’s $350 million Caribbean undersea telco infrastructure company, is eyeing a potential landing on the communist island of Cuba for its high-speed fibre-optic cable, which would be used by broadband providers and internet companies… more

GovNet Design Completed

Jamaica – The design for the Government’s proposed communications network, GovNet, which is expected to result in greater interconnectivity and efficiency in the public sector, has been completed… more

Overseas Exam Council to invest $200m in ICT equipment for Jamaica

Jamaica – The Overseas Examinations Commission (OEC) has announced its intention to invest J$200 million in ICT equipment, inclusive of computers, software, UPS and security systems, to schools across Jamaica over the next three years… more

Digicel Founder’s Fingers in Pie of New Telecoms Operator

Regional – Irish business magnate Denis O’Brien, founder and chairman of telecommunications provider Digicel, is behind the St Lucia-based subsea cable operator Deep Blue Cable that has announced plans to operate a fibre-optic cable network that will provide connectivity across the Caribbean… more

Eastern Caribbean to get new telecoms law

Regional – Five Caribbean states are to enact a new telecommunications law to replace existing regulations that date back to 2000… more

Five Caribbean states work on new law for joint regulator

Regional – Five Caribbean states are to enact a new telecommunications law to replace existing regulations that date back to 2000… more

Tuesday, 22 August 2017

Cayman could benefit from regional undersea fiber-optic cable project

Cayman Islands – The Cayman Islands is currently connected to only two underwater fiber-optic cable systems, both of which are around 20 years old… more

Dominican Tech Start-Up Caribonix Emerges as Winners in CTEP Regional Competition

Dominica – Caribonix, a Dominican Tech start-up emerged as winners of the validation stage of the Caribbean Tech Entrepreneurs Program (CTEP) Regional Competition Finals… more

BPO Sensitisation Series Starts With A Bang

Jamaica – The Business Process Industry Association of Jamaica (BPIAJ) series of workshops, which is designed to help players in small and medium-size enterprises to become more proficient, got off to an encouraging start last weekend with scores of potential investors and small operators showing up for the first event at the J. Wray & Nephew Auditorium in New Kingston… more

Data Protection Bill to be Tabled in September

Jamaica – The Government’s Data Protection Bill, which aims to safeguard the privacy of individuals whose personal information has been documented by entities with whom they interface, is expected to be tabled in September when the Houses of Parliament reconvene following the August summer recess… more

Gov’t committed to knowledge-based society — Wheatley

Jamaica – Minister of Science, Energy and Technology, Dr Andrew Wheatley, says the Government is committed to a knowledge-based digital society whereby Jamaicans, particularly youth, have greater access to technology… more

Mega-technology companies ready to meet with Jamaica Tourism

Jamaica – Jamaica Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, is set to travel to San Francisco, California, this week to engage in strategic meetings with American technology mega-companies Google, Airbnb, and Uber Technologies Inc… more

Bahamas PM urges Caribbean broadcasters to maintain high standards of ethics

Regional – Bahamas Prime Minister Hubert A Minnis has called on Caribbean broadcasters to maintain the highest standards of ethics and security in a changing environment that’s characterised by various initiatives utilising the social media platform… more

C&W BUSINESS REINFORCES COMMITMENT TO CUSTOMER DATA SAFETY BY ACHIEVING INTERNATIONAL ISO 27001 CERTIFICATION

Regional – C&W Business, a division of C&W Communications (C&W), a full-service communications and entertainment provider operating in the Caribbean and Latin America, announced it has achieved compliance with ISO/IEC 27001:2013 (ISO 27001)… more

Caribbean urged to fully embrace digital technology

Regional – Guyana’s Minister of Public Telecommunications, Cathy Hughes, on Tuesday said that the Caribbean needs to commit to digital developments in the media, warning that telecommunications and digital technology are changing rapidly… more

CARIFESTA XIII WEBSITE UP AND RUNNING AGAIN

Regional – An overload of traffic, with people seeking to get information from the CARIFESTA Website over the weekend caused the site to crash and users were getting a ‘site unavailable’ message up to yesterday… more

NEMO’s Social Media Worries

Saint Lucia – The Deputy Director of the National Emergency Management Organisation (NEMO) has given a reason for the organisation’s lack of presence on social media… more

$1billion for ICT Wishlist

Trinidad and Tobago – So, what’s the plan then? … more

Wednesday, 23 August 2017

Social Media and Technology Communications takeover

Bahamas – The Hon. Cathy Humes, Minister of Public Telecommunications for Guyana discussed matters concerning digital developments in Caribbean Media at the 48th Annual General Assembly of the Caribbean Broadcasting Union… more

NEW ASHCROFT COMPANY, MIDWAY, CAN PURSUE US$27.4 MILLION ARBITRAL AWARD FROM BELIZE, US FEDERAL JUDGE RULES

Belize – U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly ruled today that a Turks and Caicos company formed by the Michael Ashcroft group of companies some months ago can pursue the Government of Belize over a confirmed US$27.4 million arbitral award that was granted as a result of litigation over GOB’s acquisition of Belize Telemedia Limited (BTL)… more

600 new jobs coming as IBEX expands Portmore operations

Jamaica – Business process outsourcing company IBEX Global Jamaica is expanding its business operation in Portmore Pines Plaza, St Catherine, by some 30,000 square feet as it seeks to fulfil its commitment of 5,000 jobs to Jamaica… more

Government is Committed to Knowledge-Based Society – Technology Minister

Jamaica – Minister of Science, Energy and Technology, Dr. the Hon. Andrew Wheatley, says the Government is committed to a knowledge-based digital society whereby Jamaicans, particularly youth, have greater access to technology… more

In Brief: Jamaica parliament to discuss cybersecurity

Jamaica – Jamaica’s parliament is set to discuss proposed tech-focused legislation and revisions to existing laws when it goes into session next month… more

Taiwanese-funded Multi-Channel Data Centre to improve government efficiency

Saint Lucia – The Government of Saint Lucia continues to see Information Communications Technology (ICT) as one of the most significant drivers of sustainable growth and development and is committed to ICT as a focal point of our country’s development strategy… more

Thursday, 24 August 2017

BVI internet woes reach regional body

British Virgin Islands – The Caribbean Telecommunications Union (CTU), which yesterday wrapped up a forum on internet service regionally, said it has found out that people in the British Virgin Islands (BVI) are not satisfied with the amount of money they have to spend for relatively poor quality internet service… more

Gov’t spending $100K to improve ICT chances

British Virgin Islands – The British Virgin Islands (BVI) government is spending just shy of $100,000 for an Information Communication Technology (ICT) programme that will help the territory to set new compliance standards for users of technologies… more

GOV.JM is a Secure Website

Jamaica – Science, Energy and Technology Minister, Dr. the Hon. Andrew Wheatley, is reassuring the public that the newly launched GOV.JM is a secure portal, and users’ personal information will not be compromised… more

Broadcasters urged to catch up, Guyana Telecomms Minister with real talk at meeting

Regional – She would have certainly shocked the room, but not because it would have been a revolutionary statement but because she dared to say it out loud … broadcasting is dying… more

Digicel and Huawei Technologies bring Ultra HD TV through fibre

Regional – Digicel Group and Huawei Technologies continue to push the boundaries of technology and put the real power of fibre to the test – this time with the first-ever local linear broadcast of Ultra High Definition TV (UHD-TV) in the Caribbean… more

ECTEL member states to undertake a process of telecommunications reform

Regional – The five member states of the Eastern Caribbean Telecommunications Authority (ECTEL) are currently undergoing a process of reform to update the telecommunications framework with legislation. A new Electronic Communications Bill is expected to come before the Parliaments of the five member states for debate and subsequent passage into law… more

C&W Business Achieves ISO 27001 Certification

St. Lucia trade license applications now online

Saint Lucia – The Department of Commerce, International Trade, Investment, Enterprise Development and Consumer Affairs will host a 9 a.m. press briefing on the launch of the online trade license application process, this week. The department has embarked on a number of initiatives aimed at improving the business environment… more

Taiwan funds new data center in Saint Lucia to fuel Government digitization

Saint Lucia – The Republic of China (Taiwan) has given more than EC$1 million in funding to the Government of Saint Lucia for the development of a multi-channel data center (MCDC)… more

Drones being used to map lands

Trinidad and Tobago – MAPS completed with the help of unmanned aerial vehicles, known as “drones”, will help new valuation assessors collect data for the Valuation Division of the Ministry of Finance, a senior University of the West Indies (The UWI) lecturer confirmed yesterday… more

Friday, 25 August 2017

Digicel announces new CEO Kerchelle Jn Charles-Hodge

Anguilla– Digicel has announced that Kerchell Jn Charles-Hodge is the new Chief Executive Officer for its Anguilla operations… more

BTC technicians still fighting for ‘fair deal’

Bahamas – The Bahamas Telecommunications Company’s (BTC) technicians are continuing their fight with BTC executives to fix what they have suggested are unfair terms of their employment. They have suggested that some of the terms under which they work might even go against the country’s labor laws… more

O’Brien-backed Caribbean cable system could link to Cuba – report

Cuba – The Deep Blue Cable undersea cable infrastructure company backed by Digicel Group founder and chairman Denis O’Brien could land two spurs of its Caribbean network on the island of Cuba, according to a report in the Irish Times… more

BUSINESS BYTE: EPIC Communications announces Anniversary Promos

Dominica – EPIC Communications Inc. is celebrating its 3^rd Anniversary today, August 25^th, 2017. For the weekend, the company will be having some really cool activities in town… more

Digicel, Huawei in first Caribbean 4K IPTV trial

Regional – Digicel Group announced that it teamed up with Huawei Technologies to carry out the first local linear broadcast of Ultra HD TV in the Caribbean via its fibre-based IPTV service… more

Flow and WWE® Announce Multi-Year Agreement to Televise Raw® and SmackDown® Across the Caribbean

Regional – WWE (NYSE: WWE) and Flow 1 — the Caribbean’s go-to channel for leading local, regional and global content — today announced a multi-year agreement to televise WWE’s flagship programmes Raw and SmackDown live beginning this Monday, August. 28… more

Huawei powers Digicel UHD

Regional – Multi-play telco Digicel and Huawei Technologies have teamed up to push the boundaries of technology and put the real power of fibre to the test with the first-ever local linear broadcast of Ultra HD TV in the Caribbean… more

Flow Gifts Phones In Endless Everything Summer

Saint Lucia – Two Flow customers are the owners of brand new smartphones, packed wigth and seven others each picked up $300.00 cash in the Endless Everything Summer promotion… more

Bmobile goes unlimited

Trinidad and Tobago – Bmobile is now offering unlimited plans for prepaid, postpaid and landline customers… more

‘Unlimited’ phone plans launched

Trinidad and Tobago – TELECOMS provider Telecommunications Services of Trinidad and Tobago (TSTT) has unveiled its “Unlimited” plans for pre-paid, post-paid and landline customers… more

Saturday, 26 August 2017

Real Estate Broker in the Bahamas Bats for Airbnb

Bahamas – While some hoteliers across the Caribbean may want to clip Airbnb’s wings, a top real estate broker in The Bahamas believes it’s better for everyone if the online homestay network soars… more

Technology Minister Says Gov.jm Portal Is Safe

Jamaica – The Technology Minister Dr Andrew Wheatley is reassuring members of the public that the government’s newly-launched web portal, GOV.JM, is secure and that their personal information will not be compromised… more

Protect scarlet ibis with drones

Trinidad and Tobago – The solution to the poaching of the scarlet ibis in the Caroni Swamp Bird Sanctuary seems fairly simple from this layman’s point of view—use camera drones… more

Sunday, 27 August 2017

Health + Tech | Technophobia Pain! – Overcoming The Fear Of Technology Could Maximise Health Outcomes

Jamaica – Many born into a generation of rapidly changing technology are able to seamlessly adapt to the almost per-second changes… more

No Grave Concerns For Headphone Party Trend

Jamaica – Normally when an individual plugs in their headphones into a device to listen to music, they become detached from the world, but the emerging silent party trend is quite the opposite… more

Samsung Note 8 for Jamaican launch on September 29

Jamaica – The Samsung 8 has arrived. The August 23 launch in New York was streamed to journalists, bloggers and influencers worldwide… more

CBU Demands Clear Policy For Regional Broadcasters

Regional – Leading regional electronic media houses are taking a strong position on the need for clear policy and regulatory approaches to ensuring the financial viability of the indigenous broadcast sector… more

Image credits: carterse (flickr); Wikipedia; Wikipedia; Wikipedia; Wikipedia;

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Roundup: for the week ending 27 August 2017