A roundup of the latest ICT/technology news from across the Caribbean region for the period Monday 1 January to Sunday 7 January 2018.
Monday, 1 January 2018
IDB: T&T needs more 4G competitors
Trinidad and Tobago – Trinidad and Tobago has the highest percentage of homes with Internet access in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), but is woefully still short of the average of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries.… more
RC priest takes TATT to task
Trinidad and Tobago – The Telecommunications Authority of TT (TATT) was taken to task by Roman Catholic priest Father Martin Sirju who said the policy of banning seemingly offensive songs had to be consistent and not dependant on race, class or politics… more
TATT issues warning amid controversial song critical of the late mother of Prime Minister
Trinidad and Tobago – The Telecommunications Authority of Trinidad and Tobago (TATT) has warned media houses here that they risk breaching the conditions of their licence if they play a song by a local Chutney artiste aimed at the late mother of Prime Minister Dr. Keith Rowley… more
Tuesday, 2 January 2018
US Call Center Provider Etech Adds 200 Seats to Jamaica Operations
Jamaica – BPO and technology solutions provider Etech Global Services has bulked up in Jamaica, establishing a new contact center in the Montego Bay Free Zone… more
TATT’s absurd position
Trinidad and Tobago – Lo and behold! The Telecommunications Authority of Trinidad and Tobago (TATT) awoke from its deep slumber last Friday to despatch a coded warning to the media against broadcasting Nermal “Massive” Gosein’s controversial chutney song “Rowlee Mother Count”… more
TSTT clears the air on employee redeployment
Trinidad and Tobago – The Telecommunications Company of Trinidad and Tobago (TSTT) is clearing the air on allegations by some members of staff they did not properly inform employees about role reassignment prior to the closure of nine retail outlets on the first day of the year… more
Wednesday, 3 January 2018
House debates telecoms tax bill
Antigua and Barbuda – The House of Representatives last night opened debate on Telecommunications Tax Bill 2017, which will impose a tax on incoming overseas telecommunications if it becomes law… more
Summit and symposium on 21st Century Government
Antigua and Barbuda – Government systems and processes that may have worked well before the digital revolution at the end of the 20th century, have now failed the tests of cost and time efficiency, productivity, transparency and competitiveness… more
Bahamas Warned: Prepare For Bitcoin ‘Game Changer’
Bahamas – A prominent realtor yesterday warned the Bahamas to prepare for Bitcoin and other digital currencies, describing it as a potential “game changer” for conducting real estate deals… more
Jubilee Cryptocurrency Exchange to partner with DigiBank in Dominica
Dominica – Recently, Jubilee Exchange, an online cryptocurrency exchange platform has announced its partnership with DigiBank, an offshore bank with a Class A license sited in the Commonwealth of Dominica, for the development of a new cryptocurrency – DGCoin… more
Critical year for telecommunication liberalisation plans
Guyana – The Ministry of Public Telecommunications has set an aggressive agenda of achieving liberalisation in the telecommunications industry. This has been a pursuit for several years… more
CWJ shareholder takes grouse to court
Jamaica – A shareholder of Cable & Wireless Jamaica Limited (CWJ), Eric Jason Abrahams, has filed an application in the Supreme Court here against the telecoms giant, requesting permission to bring what is known as a derivative action in a court in Florida, USA, in name of and on behalf of CWJ against its parent company, as well as some of CWJ’s past, present and shadow directors… more
Disruptive innovation and prospects for a prosperous 2018
Jamaica – There is hardly anything more frustrating than an individual, a company, a Government, or a country with obvious potential that has run out of ideas of how to rise above mediocre performance to attain excellence… more
Flow Fixed The Issue
Jamaica – THE EDITOR, Sir: Last week I submitted a letter to The Gleaner complaining about Flow’s customer service and problems I was having with the cable service… more
Jamaica: SSP Allen makes case for drones
Jamaica – SENIOR Superintendent of Police Calvin Allen says that unmanned aerial vehicles, also known as drones, could better assist lawmen in the execution of their duties, and the force’s hierarchy is on board with their use… more
Liberty Global splits off Caribbean and Latin American arm
Regional – TV, cable and broadband giant, Liberty Global headed by American John Malone is to split off its Caribbean and Latin American arm as a stand-alone business…. more
CWU: Chaos as bmobile stores close
Trinidad and Tobago – TSTT on Tuesday shut down all nine of its bmobile branches in Trinidad, rendering some staff fearful for their jobs and leaving customers to resort to agents such Lotto outlets which are ill-equipped to serve clients in their billing queries, Communication Workers Union (CWU) secretary-general Clyde Elder said… more
Thursday, 4 January 2018
Cable & Wireless Jamaica plans to fight shareholder lawsuit
Jamaica – Cable & Wireless Jamaica Limited (CWJ), says it intends to vigorously oppose an application made by one of its shareholders seeking permission from the Supreme Court here to file a derivative action in a court in Florida… more
Local TV Producers thrown out of business since Cable TV closes its doors
Sint Maarten – Several persons that have been producing local television shows were thrown out of business since Cable TV ceased its operations on December 31st, 2017… more
CWU starts petition to save TSTT branches
Trinidad and Tobago – Clyde Elder Secretary General of the Communications Workers Union CWU) is calling on members of the public to sign a petition against the closure of nine retail TSTT outlets across the country… more
Friday, 5 January 2018
B.T.L. and U.H.S. – 1 of These Things is Not Like the Other
Belize – In reply, with assistance from Mesopotamia representative Michael Finnegan, Prime Minister Dean Barrow attempted to show how circumstances have changed… more
Clash over B.T.L. Loan; Does Government Have to Give Guarantee
Belize – The other major issue debated by the House today is a motion to approve a Taiwan ICDF loan to Belize Telemedia Limited for its Internet program… more
The debate over the BTL loan motion
Belize – While the parliamentarians were not able to debate the UHS Bill, they did have a back and forth over the seventeen point five million US dollar loan being obtained by the government from the Republic of China, Taiwan… more
Gov’t launches ‘BVI Open for Business’ app
British Virgin Islands – At a time when visitors have been invited back to the British Virgin Islands, Government has launched a ‘BVI Open for Business’ app… more
CCT donates modem to school
Cayman Islands – Students and Staff at the Ebenezer Thomas Primary School in Sea Cow’s Bay are taking a step up back in the online world thanks to CCT BVI… more
Wheatley Urges Vigilance Against Spectre And Meltdown Computer Problems
Jamaica – Minister of Science, Energy and Technology, Dr Andrew Wheatley is urging local businesses, government agencies and individuals to be vigilant in light of recent vulnerabilities found in microprocessors… more
TelEm says it cannot reopen Cable TV office
Sint Maarten – The TelEm Group says it will not be able to open the St. Maarten Cable TV office as proposed by the St. Maarten Communications Union (SMCU) until the completion of the manpower assessment… more
Saturday, 6 January 2018
Be Warned! – Billions Of Tech Devices At Risk As Spectre And Meltdown Unfold
Jamaica – Even as technology companies race to fix a massive vulnerability unearthed this week in a wide array of technology products, consumers and the public at large are being warned to be vigilant when handling these devices, especially those using Intel processing chips… more
Jamaica put on cyber alert as vulnerabilities found in microprocessors
Jamaica – Jamaica has been put on alert by the Technology Ministry following the discovery of vulnerabilities in microprocessors which could allow unauthorised access to sensitive data… more
Drone helps capture 2 men
Trinidad and Tobago – With help from a drone used by the police Air Support Unit, two suspects were chased and arrested on Thursday in the Tunapuna area… more
Sunday, 7 January 2018
Job Losses As NCB Suits Up For Digital Disruptors
Jamaica – Job separation is a natural outcome of the constant drive to improve business processes, according to Dennis Cohen, the second in command at NCB Financial Group… more
Caribbean Broadcasting Union partners donate equipment to hurricane-hit radio services
Regional – The Caribbean Broadcasting Union (CBU) has thanked its international partners who helped with much-needed support for three radio stations hit by hurricanes Irma and Maria… more
IT experts advise CJ on leaked photos
Trinidad and Tobago – Photographs purportedly released by convicted felon Dillian Johnson, said to be a friend of Chief Justice Ivor Archie, have been confirmed by forensic experts to be photoshopped and fake… more
Image credits: Yukiko Matsuoka (flickr); Wikipedia; Wikimedia Commons; Wikipedia
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