A roundup of the latest ICT/technology news from across the Caribbean region for the period Monday 5 July to Sunday 11 July 2021.
Monday, 5 July 2021
Kanoo Eyes Caribbean Expansion In Six Months
Bahamas – The Bahamian digital payments provider at the centre of the health travel visa controversy says it expects to gain permission to launch in two other Caribbean territories within the next six months… more
Elsa was a major test of island’s telecommunications infrastructure
Barbados – Unlike other weather systems affecting Barbados in recent times, Hurricane Elsa was a major test of the island’s telecommunications infrastructure… more
Dominicans shape their digital future with support from UNDP
Dominica – The future of the Commonwealth of Dominica is digital and inclusive, and each Dominican has an integral role to play in shaping the way forward for the Eastern Caribbean nation… more
This cybercrime issue is not just confined to Guyana
Guyana – Dear Editor, There is a price to pay for misdemeanors of any type by anyone, but when a public personality, especially one from Parliament, commits not just a peccadillo, but an actual crime, actions must be taken by the relevant authority… more
Not getting the required Flow!
Jamaica – My 70-year-old grandmother lives in Morant Bay, St Thomas, and has been having some serious trouble with her Flow Internet and I am hoping that someone from the company will see this letter and do something to fix the problem… more
bmobile Partners to Support Women in Leadership Conference
Trinidad and Tobago – The Honourable Mia Amor Mottley, QC, MP, Prime Minister of Barbados, will join with leading executives, entrepreneurs and other speakers for this year’s UWI-Arthur Lok Jack Global School of Business (ALJGSB) Women in Leadership Conference… more
Digicel Business helps T&TEC with technical services
Trinidad and Tobago – The COVID-19 pandemic has fast-tracked digital transformation for most businesses and it was no different for the T&TEC as they had to work out how to maintain operations safely during the pandemic… more
Tuesday, 6 July 2021
APUA officially launches new fibre to home project
Antigua and Barbuda – Residents who are fed up with slow internet will soon get to breathe a sigh of relief as APUA Inet officially launched its ‘Fibre to Home’ initiative yesterday… more
BTC elevates Tropical Gardens and Westridge north communities
Bahamas – BTC completed its fiber upgrades in several communities in the western district of New Providence, including Tropical Gardens and Westridge north, which now gives more than 650 families access of up to 600Mpbs of broadband speed directly to their homes… more
Underground cabling the way to go
Barbados – The Barbados Association of Professional Engineers (BAPE) is calling on the current administration to seriously examine the feasibility of moving the country’s main utilities infrastructure underground over the long-term… more
Internet experts to focus on securing Caribbean Internet infrastructure
Caribbean – The Caribbean Network Operator Group (CaribNOG), the largest, non-commercial, technical, educational and community-oriented event in the Caribbean, will be staging its annual Caribbean Peering and Interconnection Forum on Wednesday July 7, 2021… more
CIBC FirstCaribbean Customers Can Open Bank Accounts with a Selfie
Jamaica – The bank has become the latest financial services entity to embrace selfie onboarding – a major FinTech trend that has become even more prominent after COVID-19 drove so many more consumers and businesses into online channels… more
Central Bank: No plans to adopt cryptocurrency for now
Trinidad and Tobago – THE Central Bank is not currently interested in cryptocurrency. Its deputy governor Dr Dorian Noel said this country does not have the legislative framework or technological infrastructure to consider it… more
Wednesday, 7 July 2021
Caribbean tech start-ups pitch to investors
Caribbean – CARIBBEAN entrepreneurs got to show their potential as the regional accelerator programme TBR LAB hosted its inaugural Demo Day… more
CYBERSECURITY ROADMAP – LOCK SHOP (Part 3)
Caribbean – In previous articles, we looked at the six main pillars that are designed to limit or contain the impact of a potential cybersecurity event. Now we will highlight 10 practical systems, tools and practices that help to LOCK SHOP and protect devices, networks and critical assets against breaches or attacks… more
Experts zeroing on internet infrastructure
Caribbean – The Caribbean Network Operator Group (CaribNOG), the largest, non-commercial, technical, educational and community oriented event in the Caribbean, will be staging its annual Caribbean Peering and Interconnection Forum on Wednesday, July 7, 2021… more
GTT must provide more technical support for internet service
Guyana – Dear Editor, My internet service went down for a second time within a week on Saturday, July 3. It was restored on Tuesday, July 6. The problem: a faulty modem… more
Guyana set to issue 700MHz licences to three operators
Guyana – The Telecommunications Agency of Guyana has confirmed plans to issue three 700MHz spectrum licences this month… more
Bank of Jamaica to begin digital currency pilot in August
Jamaica – Jamaica’s central bank will reportedly commence the initial roll-out of its central bank digital currency (CBDC) project in August… more
Digital currency will be a game changer for the Jamaican economy
Jamaica – The imminent introduction of digital currency to the Jamaican financial landscape will be a game changer that will push the country forward and widen financial inclusion, say a leading local economist and technology expert… more
Glen Henry — STAYING POWER
Jamaica – GLEN Henry is the founder and projects director at Spritewrench Studios, a Kingston-based game development business focused on developing narrative games. The idea to create his own video game someday always excited Henry… more
GraceKennedy, UWI partner on digital upskilling programme
Jamaica – GraceKennedy Limited (GK), through the GraceKennedy Foundation, has partnered with The University of the West Indies (UWI) to train young Caribbean nationals using a new programme geared at developing talent needed for jobs of the future… more
Who’s tracking our digital path
Jamaica – WE must not just pay lip service to technology transformation. What will it take to realise our dreams of creating the advancement that we want to see as a digital society? We aspire to national transformation in this digital era, and many of the goals we seek to achieve are based on what we’ve observed in other countries… more
TSTT zero-rates TTPS app
Trinidad and Tobago – TSTT mobile broadband users can access the Reporting and Safety app created by the TT Police Service to advise the public of its policing activities as well as to receive alerts and reports from the public whether or not they have an active data plan… more
Thursday, 8 July 2021
BISX Targets 2021 Crowdfund Launch
Bahamas – The Bahamas International Securities Exchange (BISX) plans to launch into the crowdfunding space in 2021, its top executive confirmed yesterday, suggesting it will happen “sooner rather than later”… more
BTC powers Mount Moriah community’s crime prevention initiative
Bahamas – BTC recently donated 25 mobile SIM cards with data services for a period of one year to assist the National Neighborhood Watch Council’s (NNWC) crime-fighting efforts in the Mount Moriah community. The community recently installed CCTV cameras to monitor the neighborhood… more
‘Huge Opportunity’ Through No Foreign Crowdfunding Bar
Bahamas – Newly-implemented crowdfunding rules were yesterday hailed as “a huge opportunity” for Bahamian small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) who will be able to source equity capital from foreign investors… more
Kanoo and Cable Bahamas partner over payment option
Bahamas – Cable Bahamas customers can now pay their monthly bills using the Kanoo app, as the digital payments provider has now partnered with Cable Bahamas Ltd… more
16 Guyanese youth will tackle global problems in int’l robotics competition
Guyana – A group of 16 young Guyanese will represent the country at the first global robotics competition, where they are expected to participate in various challenges that will require the use of robotics to solve real-world problems… more
Digital Education – An investment for the future
Jamaica – Many Jamaicans hold the view that a good education is one of the critical steps on the path to a secure future, putting in the investment from early childhood to post-graduate studies… more
Jamaican state digital currency set for launch next month
Jamaica – The Bank of Jamaica’s much-anticipated central bank digital currency will launch next month, according to a report by the Jamaica Observer… more
Republic Bank answers questions about its online banking upgrade
Trinidad and Tobago – Questions put to Derwin Howell, Executive Director of Republic Bank on the morning of July 06, 2021 were answered this evening in an email approved by him… more
Republic’s online banking upgrade goes awry
Trinidad and Tobago – On Monday, Republic Bank rolled out a new mobile app and online banking verification system for its customers that has gone off the rails for hundreds of them… more
TSTT CEO shares insight on broadband expansion to internet security
Trinidad and Tobago – On May 27, technology writer Mark Lyndersay posed questions to newly appointed TSTT CEO Lisa Agard. The company responded on Tuesday this week… more
Friday, 9 July 2021
Public transportation operators to be introduced to electric vehicles as part of a new pilot
Antigua and Barbuda – Select bus and taxi drivers will be given the opportunity to operate an electric vehicle with the launch of the Department of the Environment’s (DOE) second electronic mobility project… more
Crowdfunding platform ArawakX attracts 1,000 interested investors so far
Bahamas – One thousand interested investors have already started crowdfunding platform ArawakX’s onboarding process, which tells the company’s spokesperson and Chief Technology Officer D’Arcy Rahming Jr. that there is a hungry market out there for new types of investments… more
URCA reveals two frequencies available for radio station licences
Bahamas – Following a review of the market, the Utilities Regulation and Competition Authority (URCA) has determined that there are two radio frequencies available for broadcast… more
URCA to investigate Cable Bahamas’ “concerning” widespread service quality issues
Bahamas – The Utilities Regulation and Competition Authority (URCA) has pledged to investigate the quality of Cable Bahamas’ television service, describing the widespread service quality issues as “concerning”… more
Cyber-attacks under-reported
Barbados – As cyber-attacks surge and fraud schemes become more rampant in Barbados, officials are warning of the need for greater vigilance and oversight… more
BOJ warns of risks in using cryptocurrencies
Jamaica – The Bank of Jamaica (BOJ) is reminding the public of the potential risks of using or investing in cryptocurrencies… more
Digital currency will be for local use only, should speed financial inclusion — BOJ
Jamaica – The Bank of Jamaica (BOJ) is indicating that its mission to deepen financial inclusion since the launch of a related campaign in 2017 has partially succeeded, but has significant areas of failure which are being addressed partially through financial education and improved products… more
Introduce Digital literacy programmes in SVG schools
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines – along with the rest of the world was affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. Our schools were forced to make the rapid change to virtual learning due to the closing of the physical learning spaces. Digital literacy programs have now become more essential than ever… more
CWU calls for forensic audit into TSTT
Trinidad and Tobago – “While the Telecommunications Services of Trinidad and Tobago (TSTT) has experienced 35 per cent reduction in value, the company has embarked on another reorganisation exercise, that when successfully implemented, is expected to yield significant profits going forward… more
Saturday, 10 July 2021
FTC invokes special clause blocking post-Elsa compensation for utility customers
Barbados – Electricity, water and telecom customers will be unable to claim compensation from the utility companies, the regulator has said… more
SMEs get tips to protect their businesses online
Jamaica – “Act against people who seek to steal your trademark,” was the key message delivered by attorney-at-law Ronald Young who was a guest speaker at a recent Flow Business online webinar where he addressed a number of entrepreneurs… more
The future is digital, let us invest in it
Jamaica – I think we can all agree that the pandemic has impacted our economy negatively, but everything is about perspective. I think we should change the way we look at the pandemic’s influence on our nation… more
UTech legal counsel proposes far-reaching amendments to Cybercrimes Act
Jamaica – University of Technology’s (UTech) Legal Counsel Lisamae Gordon has proposed that the Cybercrimes Act, 2015, should be amended to include psychological and mental damage… more
Digicel and Dramacan is about to GoLoud in Saint Lucia with two new podcasts
Saint Lucia – Digicel has collaborated with local drama club, Dramacan to create and produce two podcasts that will be available on GoLoud and PlayGo… more
Digital delivery discrimination
Trinidad and Tobago – SOME local retailers and manufacturers are complaining that the public health regulations the Government put in place in May are preventing their businesses from taking orders and making deliveries to customers, but are allowing the foreign retailers, like the American technology giant Amazon.com to continue deliveries to local customers… more
Sunday, 11 July 2021
Digicel estimates 100m hack attempts in the Caribbean
Caribbean – Trinidad & Tobago and Jamaica are the top countries targeted in the region for ransomware, with one Digicel manager estimating that over 100 … more
Twenty GTT call centre agents graduate from training programme
Guyana – The Guyana Telephone & Telegraph Company Limited on Friday hosted a graduation ceremony for twenty new additional call centre agents at their Lot 79 Brickdam location – GTT Headquarters… more
Image credits: Kaboompics-Karolina (Pexels); Wikipedia; Wikipedia; Facebook; Wikipedia; Bahamas Weekly; Wikipedia
