A roundup of the latest ICT/technology news from across the Caribbean region for the period Monday 17 September to Sunday 23 September 2018.
Monday, 17 September 2018
OfReg takes on the issue of consumer protection at Armour expo
Cayman Islands – Consumer protection takes a variety of different forms — from preventing damage to underground infrastructure, to keeping children safe online through cybersecurity measures, to helping consumers avoid being misled by false advertising… more
Plans to transform the Public service into an ICT centered service
Grenada – Prime Minister and Minister of Information Communication Technology (ICT), Dr. Keith Mitchell has reiterated his desire to transform the public service into an ICT-centered organisation… more
CANTO Prepares Regional Stakeholders in Transitioning to a Digital Region
Regional – CANTO together with one of its founding members – Guyana Telephone & Telegraph Company (GTT) will cohost the 35th Annual General Meeting & Mini Expo at the Guyana Marriott Hotel Georgetown… more
LACNIC, Google to headline ‘Internet Week Trinidad and Tobago’ in October
Trinidad and Tobago – The Latin American and Caribbean Internet Registry (LACNIC) and Google will hold a series of workshops next month as part of Internet Week Trinidad and Tobago, an event intended to advance the Internet development agenda of the wider region… more
Tuesday, 18 September 2018
Premier in Barbados touting e-gov initiatives
Cayman Islands– Premier Alden McLaughlin spoke at the Central Bank Meets Blockchain Conference in Barbados today on what officials said was the “ongoing successes of the Cayman Islands in its continuing work to improve e-government services and embrace digital technologies and industries”… more
Flow Dominica launches ‘Superfast Broadband’ service
Dominica– Flow Dominica, part of Liberty Global’s Liberty Latin America unit, has announced the launch of a new fixed line service dubbed ‘Superfast Broadband’ based on a resilient, “future proof” network built in the wake of hurricane Maria… more
Cryptocurrencies: our best and worst friend
Jamaica – This is the first in a series of articles in which Tech Beach Retreat will open the conversation on various emerging technologies ahead of its upcoming summit in Montego Bay, St James, from November 29 to December 1, 2018… more
Caribbean Candidates Vie For Posts In ARIN Elections
Regional – Three Caribbean candidates—Peter Harrison, Kerrie-Ann Richards and Alicia Trotman—have been named among the final candidates to contest elections for leadership roles at the American Registry for Internet Numbers (ARIN) in October… more
Wednesday, 19 September 2018
‘E-currency pilot coming’
Barbados– Prime Minister Mia Mottley has stepped in to quell a potential standoff between the fintech (financial technology) company Bitt and some commercial banks by announcing a digital currency pilot project… more
TelEm Group upgrading Helpdesk, fewer lost calls already reported.
Sint Maarten – Customers calling TelEm Group’s main number and especially the company’s 611 Helpdesk can expect fewer unanswered calls – thanks to an upgrade of PBX and other monitoring equipment… more
Thursday, 20 September 2018
Crypto, ICO Rules Completed Within ‘The Next 30 Days’
Bahamas – A regulatory framework to facilitate initial coin offerings (ICO) and crypto currency exchanges in The Bahamas could be completed within 30 days, Government’s technology “hub” chairman said yesterday… more
Barbados Moves to Introduce Digital Payment Network
Barbados – Barbados’ Prime Minister Mia Mottley has announced an mMoney pilot project that will see Government providing a network for digital payments for Barbadians – the first of its kind for the Caribbean… more
Bitcoin, the perfect money
Regional– Long before the Bitcoin bubble, businessman and restaurateur Peter George started accepting the cryptocurrencies at his establishments… more
ITU finalises coordination for Caribbean and Central American digital switchover
Regional– The global telecom body worked with regional regulators the Comisión Técnica Regional de Telecomunicaciones (COMTELCA), the Caribbean Telecommunications Union (CTU) and the Inter-American Telecommunication Commission (CITEL) to finalise the cycle of regional frequency coordination meetings on the use of the VHF band (174-216MHz) and the UHF band (470-806 MHz) at a meeting last week in Belize City, Belize… more
Friday, 21 September 2018
Digital money transfer firm Sun Cash expands offerings
Bahamas – At a time when commercial banks are becoming scarce on Family Islands in particular, the Sun Cash digital money transfer platform is expanding its services to allow customers to make any kind of payment in Bahamian dollars from anywhere in the country… more
$1.8M in computer equipment donated to Secondary Schools
Dominica – The Ministry of Education and Human Resource Development has donated 1.8 million dollars worth of computer equipment to Secondary Schools Principals to assist students in learning… more
JN Money services launches online platform
Jamaica – JN Money Services (JNMS) has launched its JN Money Online service, which provides customers with more options and convenience to transmit funds; and, positions itself as the “remittance company of choice”, through increased digital access… more
More CCTVs for Montego Bay Under JamaicaEye
Jamaica– An additional 300 closed-circuit television cameras (CCTV) will be installed in public spaces in Montego Bay by year end under the National Security Ministry’s JamaicaEye Initiative… more
Flow Completes HFC Broadband Network Upgrade By 50%
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines – Telecommunications giant FLOW has announced its latest network upgrade to date, the Arris E6000 CMTS… more
Central Bank monitoring cryptocurrency
Trinidad and Tobago – Deputy Inspector of Banks, Non-Banks and Payment Systems Oversight, Michelle Francis-Pantor, says the Central Bank is monitoring the use of cryptocurrency in the region… more
Saturday, 22 September 2018
The Single ICT Space
Regional– It may be a single region, but there’s a lot of digital diversity in the Caribbean. While some countries have embraced technological trends and are feeling the benefits in their economies, communities and infrastructure, others lag behind, barely able to maintain their outdated networks… more
Sunday, 23 September 2018
Gov’t exploring Uber taxi service
Barbados – Governement is exploring travel options for Barbadians utilising the Uber service with taxi operators… more
Guyana gets US$36.5M China loan for broadband boost
Guyana –Guyana and China yesterday signed a framework agreement under which Beijing will fund the extension of the Guyana National Broadband Project on a RMB 250 million (US$36.46 million) concessionary loan, and an economic and technical cooperation pact for RMB 100 million (US$14.58 million) grant aid… more
PlayGo app a game changer in schoolboy football
Jamaica– As promised by Digicel CEO Justin Morin at the launch of the 2018 Inter-secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA) schoolboy football season, every Digicel customer is now able to watch televised games live on the SportsMax channel, via Digicel’s PlayGo streaming app, on their smartphones and tablets… more
Sole Cyber Cafe Offers Internet Facilities To Old Harbour Students
Jamaica– Old Harbour-based Sole Cyber Cafe is now offering Internet and surfing to students, and as an incentive, is offering three hours of free, Internet access until the end of October… more
Mariano tells auditors: Study cryptocurrencies now, not later
Trinidad and Tobago – Auditors should be educating themselves on cryptocurrencies now and not “after the fact” when their use becomes widespread, former minister in the Finance Ministry and current Arthur Lok Jack Graduate School of Business lecturer Mariano Browne said Friday night…more
