A roundup of the latest ICT/technology news from across the Caribbean region for the period Monday 4 October to Sunday 10 October 2021.
Monday, 4 October 2021
Minister Has Concerns Over $17m Drone System
Bahamas – NATIONAL Security Minister Wayne Munroe says he has concerns about the $17m drone system project his predecessor executed… more
BVI rolling out digital database
British Virgin Islands – Chief Medical Officer Dr Ronald George says the government will this week, be rolling out a digital database of persons who have been in the territory… more
A fractured future for regional 5G
Caribbean – ON THURSDAY, Jamaica’s Office of Utilities Regulation (OUR) and CANTO (Caribbean Association of National Telecommunications Organizations) hosted a webinar to discuss the issues governing the future adoption of 5G technology in Latin America and the Caribbean… more
DIGICEL BUILDS DEEP BLUE ONE SUBSEA CABLE CONNECTING FRENCH GUIANA, SURINAME, GUYANA – AS WELL AS TRINIDAD & TOBAGO
Caribbean – Digicel is making a significant investment in international submarine capacity with the build of its Deep Blue One subsea cable and has signed a partnership agreement with Orange to extend the system from Trinidad to French Guiana… more
BiP status: Available… amid FB, WhatsApp, IG outage
Jamaica – While this week was going to be the week Digicel announced that BiP has added status updates to its new list of features, now it seems like the big news about BiP is that it’s one of the few messaging apps that is, in fact, available… more
Jamaicans flock to BiP app during global WhatsApp shutdown, Digicel says
Jamaica – Telecommunications giant Digicel says that within an hour of the WhatsApp outage today, its BiP app experienced a remarkable 20 per cent increase in downloads… more
Jamaica Is a Tech Desert. Gamers Make It Work Anyway
Jamaica – WHILE JAMAICA IS a beautiful destination for someone who wants to take a vacation and disconnect, for the tech-savvy locals, the unavailability of high-quality, consistent internet access and gear is a nightmare… more
Tuesday, 5 October 2021
Kreative Communications Network celebrates its 25th Anniversary
Anguilla – Kreative Communications Network (KCN) Chief Executive Officer and executive producer Carlton Pickering Sr. proudly celebrated and reflected on the station’s 25 years of broadcasting service to the island of Anguilla… more
August Marks ‘Historic’ Revenue High For Aliv
Bahamas – Aliv’s top executive yesterday said August was the highest revenue-generating month in the mobile operator’s history as it bids to dominate market share by end-June 2022… more
Crypto Exchange Chief Hails Bahamas’ Regulatory Balance
Bahamas – The head of the world’s third largest cryptocurrency exchange yesterday hailed The Bahamas for establishing the “world’s first comprehensive” regulatory regime for the sector… more
Face To Face: A One Stop Place For Learners Online
Bahamas – NEVER before in the history of mankind have billions of human beings used the internet as a tool for traditional learning at the same time… more
PM says his administration committed to facilitating Fintech revolution
Bahamas – Prime Minister Philip Davis said yesterday that his administration is committed to facilitating the Fintech revolution as an essential part of its diversification efforts… more
Flow completes Barbados FTTH rollout
Barbados – The Flow brand of Cable & Wireless Communications (CWC) has completed the rollout of fibre to the home cables throughout Barbados, reports local daily Barbados Today, citing country manager Desron Bynoe… more
Digital Quality of Life Survey puts T&T and Jamaica in top 100
Caribbean – Trinidad and Tobago and Jamaica have been ranked 77th and 91st respectively out of 110 countries in a report in the 2021 Digital Quality of Life Index… more
Older persons to be given technology tools
Cayman Islands – This month’s International Day of Older Persons, on Friday October 1, had the theme of “Digital equity for all ages… more
Eurona to connect Punta Cana International airport to Wi-Fi
Dominican Republic – Spanish telecommunications services provider Eurona said it has been awarded a new contract to connect Punta Cana International airport in the Dominican Republic to a Wi-Fi network, its fourth Latin American airport connection contract following deals in Colombia and Panama… more
Digicel Guyana faces action over unpaid fees and unauthorised spectrum use
Guyana – Guyana’s government has demanded that U-Mobile, which operates as Digicel Guyana, pay overdue fees totalling GYD1 billion (US$4.6 million)… more
Gov’t close to awarding telecoms licence for 5G carrier – PM
Guyana – The government is currently in the advanced stages of awarding another telecommunications licence for a 5G carrier… more
Gov’t eyes explosion of liberalised telecoms sector
Guyana – Statement by Prime Minister Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips on the 1st Anniversary of the liberalisation of the telecommunications sector… more
Digicel’s BiP sees more usage after Facebook sites go down
Jamaica – Social media platform Facebook and its WhatsApp and Instagram apps were restored yesterday evening, but while they were down, telco Digicel reported a 180 per cent increase in downloads of its BiP app… more
JIO working to restore e-tag app for East-West toll
Jamaica – Managing Director of Transjamaican Highway, Ivan Anderson, says efforts are being made to restore the website where users of the East-West toll roads can top up their e-tags on their mobile app… more
Students climb roof to get Internet service
Jamaica – It is quite the understatement to say several students in the community of River Head in St Thomas are having a daily struggle to connect to the Internet to have classes. Since the start of the school year, they have already missed countless… more
Tech heavy-hitters for Amber Event on October 6
Jamaica – Tom Helou, Director of Amazon Web Services (AWS) for the Caribbean and Latin America, is among the cadre of speakers who are set to make major announcements at the ‘Amber Event’ on October 6… more
Government to remove tax on all computer hardware, perhipherals on January 01
Trinidad and Tobago – In a quiet note buried in the Manufacturing Sector under ‘Development and Expansion Incentive,’ the Finance Minister proposes “To remove ALL duties and ALL taxes on ALL remaining computer hardware, software and peripherals that are not yet tax free… more
Teaching Older People the Power of Smart Connectivity
Trinidad and Tobago – According to the United Nations, the number of older persons worldwide is expected to double in the next three decades, reaching more than 1.5 billion persons in 2050, most of whom live in low-and middle-income countries… more
Wednesday, 6 October 2021
BTC Affirms 30,000 Homes Target For New Fibre Network
Bahamas – The Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) yesterday confirmed it will connect 30,000 homes to its enhanced fibre-to-the-home network before year-end to meet “overwhelming” demand… more
BTC sees “double digit” subscriber growth on fixed services says CEO
Bahamas – The Bahamas Telecommunication Company’s (BTC) chief executive said yesterday the company has seen “double-digit” subscriber growth on its fixed services… more
Mitchell criticizes telecoms; BTC defends network
Bahamas – Chief Executive Officer of Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) André Foster yesterday defended his company’s marked improvement in service delivery on both the fixed and mobile sides, after Minister of Foreign Affairs and Public Service Fred Mitchell publicly criticized the performance of the telecommunications companies… more
e-Commerce to the rescue
Caribbean – Many marketing departments, marketing agencies, micro-businesses and a few hundred thousand influencers saw their working world come to a screeching halt with the outage experienced in the Facebook ecosystem… more
Registration picks up for TBR innovation drive
Caribbean – REGIONAL companies and government agencies are leading the registration drive for the latest edition of the TBR LAB’s Corporate Innovation Program (CIP)… more
Building the foundation for a digital future
Cayman Islands – It did not take the global pandemic to point out the fragility of economic sectors… more
Digital future requires infrastructure upgrades
Cayman Islands – Cayman’s infrastructure requirements have been frequently highlighted… more
Opportunities abound in Cayman’s digital future
Cayman Islands – In addition to incentivising tech companies with lower fees or expedited and streamlined set up and immigration processes, there are several areas in which new laws and regulations could help underpin the growth of tech subsectors on island… more
Teachers urged to ‘stay connected’ with parents of students in online teaching environment
Dominica – As Dominica’s teaching system navigates to online teaching, the new and “challenging” format of learning, teachers are being asked to stay connected with the parents of their students… more
Citi named best corporate/institutional digital bank in Jamaica
Jamaica – For the second consecutive year Citi has been recognised as the Best Corporate/Institutional Digital Bank in Jamaica by Global Finance magazine… more
Connectivity, lack of gadgets still a challenge for schools out west
Jamaica – While some schools in western Jamaica are now relying less on printed educational material for their students, which was the case in the last school year during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, educators are still reporting challenges with online teaching as it relates to connectivity or availability of gadgets… more
iCreate to offer rights issue
Jamaica – iCreate is headed to market to raise approximately $55 million… more
Webinar: Fintechs are in Crisis and Jamaica Has Answers
Jamaica – Nearshore Americas will host a webinar on the challenges that financial technology firms are facing following the intense demand that has grown for their services over the last 18 months… more
Nearshore Customer Experience provider, itel, set tohire 1,750 people this fall
Saint Lucia – itel, the nearshore region’s leading customer experience (CX) delivery partner, has announced it will hire 1,750 people new team members as it ramps up recruitment efforts following a season of rapid growth… more
Thursday, 7 October 2021
ArawakX finds expansion partner; seeking to create first pan-Caribbean exchange
Bahamas – Equity crowdfunding platform ArawakX and digital ecosystems developer Pendry Cannon have formed a strategic partnership to produce the first pan-Caribbean securities exchange, through ArawakX’s new crowdfunding platform, a statement on the partnership revealed… more
Poor kids, without internet access, are being left out of online learning
Barbados – Lack of access to critical telecommunications infrastructure which is believed to be closely linked to poverty is again preventing some of the country’s children from participating in online school, educators said Wednesday… more
Several devices loaned to students for online classes returned unusable
Barbados – Dozens of technological devices loaned to students over the last academic year have been returned either damaged or destroyed, and despite parents signing agreements to cover the cost of repairs or replacement, many of them are apparently unable to foot the bill… more
Digital Vaccination Passport is inevitable
Caribbean – As more countries set up requirements to see proof of vaccination for entry, persons who chose not to get vaccinated are getting creative to beat the system… more
Nonsense!
Caribbean – DIGICEL has ridiculed a proposal for its “holdout” bondholders to take a lien against the company as a means of recouping their investments… more
Use agro-tech for food security, region told
Caribbean – The way how industrialised countries held on to COVID-19 vaccines while the rest of the world struggled for access, should be a signal to Caribbean countries about the need to have food security in the event of a crisis because big countries will look out for their own people first… more
BUSINESS BYTE: FLOW FMC & New postpaid plans
Dominica – As Dominicans continue to grapple with the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, leading communications and entertainment provider Flow has introduced new fixed bundles with up to 48% savings… more
Distribution of E-Learning devices to Form 1 Students
Grenada – The Ministry of Education, Human Resource Development, Religious Affairs and Information will begin distributing eLearning Devices to all Form 1 students attending public secondary schools in Grenada, Carriacou and Petite Martinique from Monday, 11 October… more
Guyana – Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband – Statistics and Analyses
Guyana – Just released, this edition of BuddeComm report outlines the latest developments and key trends in the telecoms markets… more
Internet users more vulnerable due to COVID – Broadcasting Commission
Jamaica – The Broadcasting Commission of Jamaica (BCJ), in its just-released annual report for fiscal the year ended March 2021, says internet users are becoming more vulnerable due to growth in the space under the impact of COVID… more
Jamaican using digital animation to inspire Caribbean youth
Jamaica – Through a series of short animated productions, multimedia specialist, educator and animation evangelist, David Martin, is seeking to help young people across the Caribbean to tackle everyday issues and advance their personal and professional development with the help of technology… more
[Webinar] Jamaica’s Data Protection Act: What Your Business Needs to Know for 2022
Jamaica – Data privacy and security are becoming more important in day-to-day business, and the European Union’s approach to consumer privacy rights has expanded its reach across the globe… more
Education Minister: Devices to boost connectivity available to teachers
Trinidad and Tobago – Education Minister Dr Nyan Gadsby-Dolly says MiFi devices to boost Internet connectivity at schools are available on request, while more than 8,000 teachers have received laptops… more
Friday, 8 October 2021
C&W Business kicks off Small Business Month in October
Caribbean – The month of October has been designated ‘Small Business Month’ across the operations of C&W Communications in the Caribbean… more
Get to know your customers: Don’t settle for dirty data
Caribbean – We have all been contacted by an organisation asking us to update our information, asking a “million and one” questions… more
The datacentre in education
Caribbean – Digitizing the classroom became the focus as the COVID-19 pandemic forced that overnight shift… more
Digicel Guyana charged with unauthorised use of spectrum
Guyana – The Guyana government has taken Digicel Guyana to court for alleged unauthorised use of spectrum… more
Digicel’s billion-dollar bill in Guyana
Guyana – News sources in Guyana report that Digicel has not paid licence fees for at least five years, an amount estimated to surpass Guyanese $1 billion… more
Government files civil and criminal action against Digicel over “illegal” use of Spectrum
Guyana – The Government of Guyana has filed Criminal and Civil action against U-Mobile Cellular company which operates Digicel in Guyana over unauthorized usage of spectrum… more
GTT adds Linden to its new fibre internet service
Guyana – The Guyana Telephone & Telegraph company (GTT) says that it is on course to achieving its goal of “Reliably Connecting our Customers” by delivering GTT Fibre to ten thousand new homes in 2021… more
PM files criminal charge against U-Mobile head over use of spectrum
Guyana – Prime Minister Mark Phillips, who has responsibility for telecommunications, today filed charges against Gregory Dean, Chief Executive Officer of U-Mobile over the alleged unauthorised use of the spectrum… more
Amber Group acquires cybersecurity firm NightVizion
Jamaica – Technology company Amber Group has acquired a 75 per cent stake in an American cybersecurity firm, NightVizion, a subsidiary of the Vizius Group, a purchase that seems designed to plug some of the gap in security expertise at the Jamaican firm, which initially launched into business as a supplier of fleet- and vehicle-tracking products… more
Jamaica, US look to tighten ICT ties
Jamaica – The Ministry of Science, Energy and Technology and the United States Embassy in Kingston have confirmed a Jamaica Observer report that Minister of Science, Energy and Technology Daryl Vaz will lead a high-level ministerial and technical delegation which will participate in consultations on information and communications technology (ICT) and cybersecurity in the United States from October 9-16… more
New generation programmes, new work lifestyle coming — Broadcasting Commission
Jamaica – The Broadcasting Commission of Jamaica (BCJ), in its latest annual report, says that with Jamaica about to undergo Digital Television Switch-Over, this will “open up new opportunities for local broadcasters to modernise content delivery and develop a new generation of programmes and other media products… more
Schools Receive Tablets and Laptops
Jamaica – Fifteen schools in St. James, Trelawny and Kingston, and three health institutions in Western Jamaica are the latest beneficiaries of gifts from the Atlanta Montego Bay Sister Cities Committee… more
TBR Lab secures grant funding from DBJ
Jamaica – The Development Bank of Jamaica (DBJ) has announced that it will provide a capacity-building grant to TBR Lab, a tech accelerator committed to the growth and development of high potential tech entrepreneurs in Jamaica and the Caribbean… more
Government doesn’t yet know how many students’ tablets are damaged
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines – Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves believes it to be unreasonable to expect the government to repair or replace tablets given to students to facilitate online learning, less than one year after they were distributed… more
Saturday, 9 October 2021
The Sand Dollar: Digital Currency Of The Bahamas
Bahamas – When the Bahamas got hit by hurricane Dorian in 2019, a string of islands named Abaco, on the north of the country-archipelago, got especially battered before the storm moved on to strike the better-known island of Grand Bahama to the east… more
BTL’s revenue falls, but cost cuts raise profits
Belize – Belize Telemedia Ltd. (BTL) has issued its Annual General Meeting (AGM) Report for 2020-2021, in which the company presented figures that outlined its financial standing/performance for fiscal year April 1, 2020, to March 31, 2021… more
Digicel & CEO to face criminal charges for unauthorized spectrum use
Guyana – Come October 22, several criminal charges will be read to Digicel Guyana and its Chief Executive Officer, Gregory Dean for the unauthorized use of spectrum and the failure to comply with notices to cease such acts… more
Hello,TSTT
Trinidad and Tobago – THE EDITOR: It has been over three weeks since landline and internet services were lost to several residents in the Toco area… more
Sunday, 10 October 2021
Work from Barbados: the Caribbean island now has a digital nomad visa
Barbados – The powder-pink façade of Cobblers Cove Hotel in Speightstown is a beloved landmark on the illustrious west coast of Barbados… more
Tech entrepreneurs in Jamaica to benefit from DBJ grant funding
Jamaica – Tech entrepreneurs across Jamaica are set to benefit from capacity grant funding from the Development Bank of Jamaica (DBJ), which will be accessed through TBR Lab… more
Image credits: carterse (flickr); Wikimedia Commons; Aliv; Wikipedia; The Eleutheran; Wikipedia; Wikipedia; Wikimedia Commons; Guyana Chronicle; Wikipedia
