A roundup of the latest ICT/technology news from across the Caribbean region for the period Monday 11 March to Sunday 17 March 2019.

Monday, 11 March 2019

The women of BTC celebrate International Women’s Day

Bahamas – Female employees at The Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC ) Limited paused last Friday to combine their girl power and rallied to Chaka Khan’s ‘I’m Every Woman,’ to celebrate International Women’s Day under the global theme, ‘Balance for Better… more

Eastern Caribbean Currency Union to Issue World’s First Blockchain-Based Digital Currency

Regional – The Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB) and the Barbados-based fintech company, Bitt Inc. (Bitt) have signed a contract to conduct a blockchain-issued Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) pilot within the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union (ECCU)… more

Greater Emphasis Needs To Be Put On The Protection Of Consumer Rights In The Digital Era, Says Minister Grant

Saint Kitts and Nevis– On March 15 2019, St Kitts and Nevis will join the international community in celebrating World Consumer Rights Day under the theme “Trusted Smart Products”. Minister with responsibility for Consumer Affairs said that this is an opportunity for consumers, businesses and a Government to impart greater emphasis on the need for the protection of consumer rights in this digital era… more

Girls in technology

Trinidad and Tobago – “The technology sector is obsolete. Technology is now so entrenched in our lives that we can no longer refer to it as a sector… more

Tuesday, 12 March 2019

Grand Bahama firm successful in IDB Blue Tech Challenge

Bahamas – Clean Marine Group Limited from Grand Bahama has been chosen as one of the winners in the Inter-American Development Bank’s (IDB) Blue Tech Challenge, and will see its facility expanded to a 200 million gallon waste processing facility… more

OfReg proposes rules to prevent anti-competitive behaviour

Cayman Islands – The Utility Regulation and Competition Office, known as OfReg, has released a set of proposed rules designed to curtail price fixing, bid rigging, and other anti-competitive practices among the companies it regulates… more

Digicel denies wrongdoing after being sued for diverting taxes on telephone calls

Haiti – US-based lawyers for Digicel want a court to dismiss a complaint by US-based Haitian emigrants who accuse it of being part of a “conspiracy” to divert taxes on telephone calls… more

Social Media Clampdown – Broadcasting Commission Wants To Police Online Sites

Jamaica – The Broadcasting Commission has urged the Holness administration to increase its oversight responsibility beyond free-to-air electronic media to policing social media platforms such as Facebook and YouTube… more

SportsMax and Olympic Channel Launch Distribution Partnership in Caribbean

Regional – The Olympic Channel and SportsMax today announced a new partnership featuring both linear and digital programming across 22 Caribbean territories in support of their objective to engage new audiences and younger generations with the Olympic Movement all year round… more

$59m for hi-tech policing

Trinidad and Tobago – POLICE will now have the edge in the fight against crime, with the commissioning of the newly constructed Shirvan Road police station, says Deputy Chief Secretary Joel Jack… more

Wednesday, 13 March 2019

BAHAMAS TO HOST BLOCKCHAIN SEMINAR NEXT WEEK

Bahamas – The Central Bank of the Bahamas (CBOB) will hold its second blockchain seminar on March 18 amid reports that the government could be discussing legislation on the matter soon… more

Blockchain firm PO8 Utilizes Bahamian Underwater Cultural Heritage Assets to Drive Impact. Says Africa is Next

Bahamas – PO8, an award-winning Bahamian tech company, is leading the charge in ocean impact and asset management with blockchain solutions and says Africa could be next in their mission… more

URGENT NOTICE

Belize – URGENT NOTICE: Baymen will be switching its signal to fully digital on March 15th 2019. There will be intermittent interruptions in service during this time… more

ICreate Looks To Global Horizons With IPO Cash

Jamaica – Armed with $70 million from its IPO, creative training institute iCreate is on a drive to upgrade its teaching facilities and instructional equipment and expand beyond its modest classrooms in Jamaica and Miami to other markets overseas.. more

13th WTISD Video Competition

Regional – World Telecommunication and Information Society Day (WTISD) spearheaded by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) is observed annually on the 17th of May… more

Thursday, 14 March 2019

Deltec moving toward use of financial technology strategies

Bahamas – In a bid to adapt to the changing financial environment, Deltec International Group is looking at transforming its model to a fintech bank, according to an article on business news website benzinga.com… more

Crypto Regulation Must Be ‘Friendly’ To Entrepreneurs

Bahamas – REGULATIONS governing crypto assets and related instruments must be “entrepreneur friendly”, a local industry advocate urged yesterday, saying: “We have a unique opportunity before us… more

Strengthening Dominica’s telecommunications network

Dominica – On Wednesday, March 13, 2019, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) Dominica, provided 31 individuals with certificates following completion of a novice amateur radio training course and handed over emergency telecommunication equipment to the Office of Disaster Management (ODM)… more

Minister Calls on Jamaicans to Protect Themselves Against Cyberattacks

Jamaica – Minister of Science, Energy and Technology, Hon. Fayval Williams, is calling on Jamaicans to educate themselves in cybersecurity measures to protect their information from cyberattacks… more

CANTO elects new chairman

Regional – “Intellectual capital generated by CANTO, is robust” declared newly elected Chairman of CANTO, David Cox in his acceptance speech at CANTO’s 35th AGM. Mr. Cox who is the Head of Regulatory Affairs at Cable & Wireless Communications stated that “CANTO is a critically important institution in the Caribbean, for a host of reasons. The first and perhaps most obvious, is that CANTO is a unique intellectual engine on ICT issues for the Caribbean”… more

Friday, 15 March 2019

27 newly graduated Amateur Radio Operators in Dominica

Dominica – Due to the lack of communication after the passage of Hurricane Maria, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) recently patnered with the USAID, ODM and the Dominica Ameteur Radio Club to initiate a ‘Support Emergency Preparedness through emergency shelters’ project… more

FLOW Customers Enjoy Free Internet Speed Boost

Jamaica – Thousands of FLOW residential customers have been enjoying the benefits of faster broadband speeds, free of cost, since the start of the year…more

Minett Palmer-Lawrence |Through My Eyes: Ja And The Telecoms Market

Jamaica – I see the developments in the telecommunications industry through eyes of a vastly different colour, shape, and focus… more

Region’s cybersecurity response must evolve

Regional – A few days ago, the British Foreign Secretary, Jeremy Hunt, a Conservative, began an important address in an unusual way. Speaking on the subject of “Deterrence in the Cyber Age”, he quoted Tony Benn, the late left-wing Labour politician and peace activist… more

HARRIS WELCOMES ECCB’S LAUNCH OF BLOCKCHAIN CURRENCY

Saint Kitts and Nevis – Prime Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis, Dr. the Honourable Timothy Harris, has welcomed the decision by the Basseterre-based Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB) to pilot a blockchain-issued Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) within the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union (ECCU)… more

Shares transfer of UTS Curaçao to buyer next week, St. Maarten soon

Sint Maarten – The acquisition deal between United Telecommunications Services (UTS) Curaçao and Liberty Latin America is complete… more

Saturday, 16 March 2019

– Nil –

Sunday, 17 March 2019

CELL PHONE DEALERS ARE TO CONFORM TO NATIONAL STANDARD

Guyana – As Consumer Protection bodies culminated a week of activities to commemorate World Consumer Rights Day 2019 last Friday, March 15, under the theme “Trusted Smart Products”, the time is appropriate to remind dealers of cellular phones in Guyana that there is a National Standard for these smart gadgets… more

Massy in advanced technology joint venture

Guyana – Massy Technologies (Guyana) Limited has announced that is partnering with Schneider Electric., to offer local businesses a new suite of products and services aimed at improving reliability and lowering the operating costs of IT (Information Technology) Infrastructure and facilities operations management… more

STARR Computer set to offer Lenovo technology to oil and gas sector

Guyana – Having racked up a 14-year partnership with Lenovo, a company which was last year ranked the world’s largest producer of computers, local technology giant, Starr Computer, has moved to further the relations… more

Fisher: Make Ja’s Voting System Fully Digital

Jamaica – Fresh from returning from Nigeria’s parliamentary elections, held on February 23, Jamaica’s former election boss, Orette Fisher, says that the Caribbean nation should move towards a fully digitised voting process by introducing computerised elector verification… more

 

 

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