A roundup of the latest ICT/technology news from across the Caribbean region for the period Monday 18 May to Sunday 24 May 2020.
Monday, 18 May 2020
Aliv clocks up to 30 percent increase in data demand
Bahamas – Aliv’s top executive said yesterday the company has seen a 20 to 30 percent increase in demand for data amid the COVID-19 pandemic… more
Cable Bahamas Group delivers $50.1M in revenues with third quarter financial results
Bahamas – Cable Bahamas Group, the only Bahamian-owned “triple play” communications provider and controlling shareholder of Be Aliv Limited, announced third quarter revenues of $50.1 million… more
Digicel extends deadline for bond holdouts
Regional – Digicel, the Caribbean telco owned by Denis O’Brien, has extended until midnight on Wednesday the deadline for holdout bondholders to accept a debt restructuring that will wipe out about $1.6 billion of its $7 billion debt pile… more
Digicel files for bankruptcy in Bermuda courts
Regional – Regional telecommunications giant Digicel has filed for bankruptcy before the Bermuda courts, but it insists that its day-to-day operations will not be affected by the move… more
Digicel sets the record straight
Jamaica – Digicel has issued a press statement to update on its progress since announcing its plan to refinance over a month ago… more
Tuesday, 19 May 2020
Digicel conducting ‘refinancing activities’ to reduce debt
Regional – Following recent media reports that regional telecommunications giant, Digicel, has filed for bankruptcy in the Bermudian court, the company has said it is merely conducting “refinancing activities” to reduce its debt… more
Digicel files for US bankruptcy protection
Regional – Telecommunications provider Digicel has filed for Chapter 15 recognition in a federal bankruptcy court in the Southern District of New York after it was granted an application for provisional liquidation in Bermuda… more
Digicel says it’s business as usual despite bankruptcy court proceedings
Regional – Digicel has issued the following statement to update on its progress since announcing its plan to refinance over a month ago… more
Telemedicine in a time of Covid-19
Trinidad and Tobago – IN RECENT years, technology has afforded us the luxury to do amazing things, including virtual healthcare… more
Wednesday, 20 May 2020
Antigua prepared to acquire Digicel shares
Antigua and Barbuda – Antigua and Barbuda has indicated that it is prepared to acquire the shares of the financially strapped Irish-owned telecommunications company, Digicel, if it is unable to provide a service here in the future… more
BTC Aids Freeport Hospital Patients
Bahamas – The Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) has provided the Rand Memorial Hospital with mobile devices so patients can talk to their relatives during the COVID-19 lockdown… more
Web Shops Going Legal On Closure
Bahamas – Several web shops yesterday “lit the candle under” their attorney to file legal action against the Government by tomorrow “at the latest” over their continuing COVID-19 closure… more
EDITORIAL: USE OF TECHNOLOGY IN EDUCATION
Barbados – THE internet is often used by younger persons for recreational purposes such as scrolling through social media, to play games, watch films and television shows, reading novels and gossip… more
Salary Cuts at the Government-owned Digi
Belize – The cut backs are not exclusive to the domestic airline industry; every sector has had to make adjustments, including telecommunications… more
CCT on Virgin Gorda burglarized
British Virgin Islands – A burglary has been reported at CCT’s Virgin Gorda store… more
Flow probes widespread outage, says service restored to 90% of customers
Jamaica – Flow Jamaica says it is investigating the disruption in its fixed telecommunication services in several sections of the island yesterday… more
Gov’t intends to use personal devices to monitor people in home quarantine
Jamaica – Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr Christopher Tufton says the Government intends to enhance its monitoring of individuals under home quarantine with technological devices that can be affixed to the body… more
Historic Data Protection Bill approved in the House
Jamaica – The long-awaited Data Protection Bill was passed in the House of Representatives on Tuesday with bi-partisan support and no amendments… more
Intcomex donates laptops to aid teachers with online summer school
Jamaica – Intcomex Jamaica recently donated 13 laptops to the Creative Language Based Learning (CLBL) Foundation to help teachers who do not have computers access the foundation’s online summer training program commencing in July… more
OUR and MSET need to address poor telecoms service — PNP’s Robinson
Jamaica – Opposition spokesman on technology Julian Robinson says the Office of Utilities Regulation (OUR) and the Ministry of Science, Energy and Technology (MSET) must step in now on behalf of telecoms customers to ensure that basic standards are maintained… more
Parents Urged To Educate Children About Dangers Of Digital Media
Jamaica – The Consumer Affairs Commission (CAC) is encouraging parents to educate their children about the dangers of using digital media, in order to limit their exposure to harmful content and characters… more
Strong first quarter finish for tTech
Jamaica – Managed IT Services Provider (MSP), tTech released its financial results for its first quarter ended March 31, 2020… more
Digicel denies claims of bankruptcy
Regional – Regional telecommunications giant Digicel is denying claims that it has filed for bankruptcy before the Bermuda courts… more
Digicel is on life support in its Caribbean hideout
Regional – It provides telecom services in some of the sunniest parts of the planet, but Digicel’s financial affairs are usually hidden in the dark… more
Telecoms company moves to restructure debt
Regional – Digicel’s recent decision to file for bankruptcy in Bermuda will not have a negative impact on its operations here in Barbados… more
Thursday, 21 May 2020
BELIZE COMMUNICATIONS WORKERS UNION TO ENTER INTO NEGOTIATIONS OVER PAY CUTS
Belize – Companies large and small have had to make some degree of reductions in their payroll expenditure among other areas. Tonight Belize Telemedia is looking to do the same but they will have to go through the Belize Communications Workers’ Union (BCWU)… more
Salary Cuts at B.T.L.
Belize – Unemployment is growing due to COVID-19 and most companies have had to offer salary cuts to employees and reduce work hours to be able to stay in business… more
Dominican Internet recovers lost speed
Dominican Republic – The rise of more than 40% of Internet consumption in Dominican homes caused by the closure imposed to contain the Covid-19, caused in the first days of quarantine a drop of up to 35% in download speed by the mobile network, and 5% in the fixed one; however, the numbers and the service have managed to achieve stability… more
AG says Data Protection Act will need constant review
Jamaica – ATTORNEY General Marlene Malahoo Forte says that the Data Protection Act, which was approved Tuesday by the House of Representatives, must be kept under constant review… more
BPOs Want Work-At-Home Extension
Jamaica – The Global Services Association of Jamaica (GSAJ) has submitted a request to the Government for an extension to its current work-at-home arrangement to the end of the year… more
Cops prepared for increase in cyber crime
Jamaica – As a result of the COVID-19 crisis forcing more businesses to be conducted online, Deputy Superintendent of Police Dahlia Garrick is reminding persons to be vigilant as it relates to cyber-related crimes… more
Over 10,000 J’cans register on MDLink to access doctor online
Jamaica – More than 10,000 Jamaicans have registered on the telehealth platform, MDLink, as they adhere to social distancing rules during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic… more
Time for new competition in telecoms market, says Opposition
Jamaica – THE Opposition People’s National Party (PNP) believes the time may be ripe for new competition in the telecommunications market, with inefficiencies in service and the increasing demand for data over voice having been brought even more sharply into focus during this COVID-19 crisis… more
Caribbean e-commerce gets a boost from Covid
Regional – The coronavirus lockdowns have highlighted the Caribbean’s struggles to implement e-commerce solutions, but they have also presented an opportunity for innovation, according to a Zoom panel made up of owners of small- and medium-sized businesses convened last week by the Caribbean branch of the International Labour Organisation… more
Denis O’Brien forced to lift hood on Digicel in debt restructuring
Regional – Denis O’Brien, who extracted at least $1.9 billion (€1.7 billion) in dividends from his Digicel phone group between 2007 and 2015, promised bondholders in the highly-indebted company four years ago that he would hold off taking further dividend payments until business improved… more
Digicel Announces Final Results of Tender Offers; Receives Tenders for 99.46% of 6.00% Notes Due 2021; Terminates Tender Offer for 6.75% Notes Due 2023
Regional – As part of its deleveraging process Digicel Limited (“DL” and, together with its subsidiaries, “Digicel”) reports that it has secured 99.46% support to exchange its nearest bond maturity, the US$1.3 billion aggregate principal amount of 6.00% Notes due 2021 (the “Existing 2021 Notes”) for new notes with an aggregate principal amount of approximately US$1.2 billion, while extending the maturity on the new notes ranging from 2024 to 2026 as outlined in more detail below. Digicel has terminated the tender offer for the 6.75% Notes due 2023 (the “Existing 2023 Notes”)… more
Technology specialists create virtual bedtime stories platform for children during COVID-19
Trinidad and Tobago – Do you remember what it felt like being read to by your parents or older sibling, as they got ready to tuck you into bed at night… more
WiPay, Living Water collaborate to make grant distribution digital
Trinidad and Tobago – Aldwyn Wayne couldn’t see how it would work… more
Friday, 22 May 2020
Cable Bahamas ‘Evolves’ Eleuthera Product Offering
Bahamas – Cable Bahamas was yesterday said to be increasing internet coverage and “evolving” its services to Eleuthera through products such as managed Wi-FI access… more
Govt Agencies’ It ‘Drag’ In Covid-19
Bahamas – The Bahamian economy “must come out of COVID-19 with a greater degree of efficiency than we went into this” through the full-fledged embrace of technology, a former attorney general urged yesterday… more
BPOs stand strong during COVID-19 economic impacts
Belize – Today, five of the BPOs in Belize shared their experience on how; they have been able to navigate the turbulent COVID-19 business climate… more
Government crypto partner declares closure, then quickly retracts
British Virgin Islands – LIFELabs, a United Kingdom-based cryptocurrency company that partnered with the Virgin Islands government last year with plans to develop a digital currency known as BVI~LIFE, said last week that it planned to close. Then it quickly retracted the statement… more
COVID-19 education sector threats ask searching questions of local IT sector – Starr Computers boss
Guyana – The nature and impact of the coronavirus on developing countries like Guyana brings into sharp focus the importance of accelerating the growth of the information technology sector in order to better position it to address priority concerns when these arise, Starr Computers Chief Executive Officer, Mike Mohan has told the Stabroek Business… more
AIS plans Q-Mall e-commerce platform for Jamaican businesses
Jamaica – It is almost eight months since leading technology solutions company Advanced Integrated Systems (AIS) publicly announced plans for the launch of an e-commerce platform for Jamaica, known as Q-Mall… more
Digicel reports ‘overwhelming support’ for debt restructuring plans
Jamaica – Digicel has received “overwhelming support” from its debtholders for its restructuring, the company has told Capacity… more
Expansion and diversification plans for itelbpo during pandemic
Jamaica – Local business process outsourcing company itelbpo continues to expand and diversify its geographic footprint, even in the face of a global economic recession… more
For BPOs, The Future Post-COVID Is Virtual
Jamaica – HAVING FOUND work-from-home arrangements to be beneficial to their operations, BPO firms are now lobbying for the creation of what they call a virtual special economic zone, which would require the Jamaican Government to amend the laws around SEZs… more
JAMAICA INSURANCE MARKET, SIZE, SHARE, OUTLOOK AND GROWTH OPPORTUNITIES 2020-2026
Jamaica – This research report recently published a report on Jamaica Insurance which focuses on the comprehensive study of the market involving technological developments, future plans, supply, sales revenue, production, dimensions, overview, manufacturers, growth rate, price, deals and revenue for the detailed analysis of the Jamaica Insurance market… more
More Jamaicans seeing doctors online during pandemic
Jamaica – More Jamaicans, including senior citizens, are seeing doctors online for diagnosis and treatment during the COVID-19 crisis. That’s according to Dr Che Bowen, CEO of MDLink, a telemedicine company operating on the island… more
CCSS embraces the exciting opportunity of e-learning
Saint Lucia – One of the largest sectors impacted by COVID-19 is the education sector. For the first time ever, students at all levels are being tutored virtually for an entire school term… more
Saturday, 23 May 2020
WiPay internet payment system launched
Barbados – Businesses, from fish vendors to multinational corporations were today presented with a contactless online payment system as a strategy for coping with the COVID-19 pandemic… more
DBJ assists micro and small enterprises with digital transformation
Jamaica – THE range of business services utilised by micro and small enterprises (MSEs), which is financed under the Development Bank of Jamaica’s (DBJ) Voucher for Technical Assistance Programme (VTAP), is being widened to incorporate digital transformation… more
Sunday, 24 May 2020
Banking online could save businesses over 50 per cent in fees — Scotiabank
Jamaica – Scotiabank has said that local businesses could see a reduction of up to 60 per cent in annual banking fees and significant reductions in processing times for some transactions if they utilise online banking channels… more
Protecting the empire: how Denis O’Brien lined up Digicel restructuring deal
Regional – It is beginning to look like the sun will never set on Denis O’Brien’s Pacific and Caribbean island telecoms empire… more
Image credits: Andrys Stienstra (Pixabay); Brands of the World; Facebook; Wikipedia; Wikipedia; Wikimedia Commons; Trinidad and Tobago Newsday
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