This is a roundup of ICT/technology news across the Caribbean region during the period Monday 8 August to Sunday 14 August 2011.

Monday, 8 August 2011

BTC Launches Mad Mondays

Bahamas – On the heels of launching EZTop-Up, an expanded distribution network for adding cell phone airtime, BTC today unveiled the first phase of a promised $1 million in promotions, Mad Mondays, adding value to every minute of cell phone air time purchased on Mondays… more

Jamaica Education Ministry partners with Blackberry RIM

Jamaica – The Ministry of Education has partnered with Research In Motion (RIM), the technology company behind the Blackberry product line, to provide some 20,000 teachers throughout the island’s school system with Blackberry smartphones… more

Tuesday, 9 August 2011

St Kitts-Nevis receives 2,400 laptops for student

St. Kitts and Nevis – St Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister Dr Denzil Douglas has accepted 2,400 laptop computers from Taiwan… more

APUA says imobile well received

Antigua – The island’s lone indigenous mobile phone company said it is already seeing encouraging signs of growth in its customer base since rebranding from APUA PCS  to imobile last month. That’s the word from Head of Telecoms at APUA, Curtis McKay…. more

Wednesday, 10 August 2011

Cable Bahamas sees spike in profits

Bahamas – Cable Bahamas Limited has seen a 6.5 percent spike in revenue for the first six months of this year, growing to $47.2 million during that period. 
The figures were revealed in the company’s second quarter financial results, which also indicated that revenue for the three months ending in June 2011 increased by 10.8 percent to $24.6 million from $22.2 million during the corresponding period in 2010… more

New network means cheaper data

Cayman Islands ­– LIME has announced that, effective immediately, data prices will be plunging in preparation for the introduction of its 4G mobile network in September… more

Thursday, 11 August 2011

ITU meetings on Digital Switchover, legislation

Barbados – The International Telecommunications Union (ITU) organised in collaboration with the Government of Barbados separate meetings this week on Digital Switchover and legislation related to Cybercrime, Interception and e-Evidence… more

Phone card vendors on BTC warnings

Bahamas – Like most phone card vendors across New Providence, Watson Petit sold cards at discounted rates to lure pre-paid cellular customers to his booth on Thompson Boulevard… more

Cable Bahamas fiber optic lines cut

Bahamas – able Bahamas customers in western New Providence had their internet and cable television services interrupted for several hours yesterday, after an excavation crew at the Baha Mar site unintentionally cut several fiber optic lines… more

Friday, 12 August 2011

Government legislators laud new telecom bill

Guyana – Government legislators have voted to send to a parliamentary special select committee, the Telecommunications Bill with Prime Minister Samuel Hinds indicating that the amendments will create a level playing field as well as a clear, harmonised, transparent and non-discriminatory legal regime… more

LIME signs MOU with trade unions

Jamaica – In a move designed to forge a closer working partnership and drive operational efficiencies, LIME Jamaica and the trade unions which represent the majority of its employees — the University and Allied Workers Union (UAWU), the National Workers Union (NWU) and the JTC Executive and Allied Staff Association (EASA) have signed a historic Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)… more

Access to social networks and free email accounts blocked for government of Montserrat workers

Montserrat – As of August 1, most of the employees of the government of Montserrat can no longer access social networks and free email account websites from their desktops, in an effort to increase productivity and offer a more stable web experience for users… more

Saturday, 13 August 2011

Digicel welcomes gov’t plan to break monopoly

Guyana – Digicel today welcomed government’s plan to break the monopoly of GT&T on the International gateway. Legislative reform is expected to give Digicel access to the international gateway without having to go through GT&T… more

Laptop distribution begins in October; not an election gimmick

Guyana – Authorities are continuing their verification and training exercises to start delivering computers under the One Laptop Per Family (OLPF) project during October. Labour Minister, Manzoor Nadir told Demerara Waves Online News (www.demwaves.com ) that at least 17,000 remaining households are to be verified… more

“Significantly lower” int’l rates under new telecoms law – Digicel

Guyana – Cellular service provider Digicel Guyana says it welcomes the government’s plans to loosen GT&T’s grip on international calls and is promising even lower international rates once the new telecoms legislation is enacted… more

Digicel’s ‘green’ headquarters on track

Jamaica – The new Digicel headquarters on the waterfront in downtown Kingston is going up fast as seen in this photo taken on Thursday… more

Sunday, 14 August 2011

LIME pleased with Dream Weekend investment

Jamaica – TELECOMMUNICATIONS provider LIME says it is extremely pleased with the success of the Smirnoff Dream Weekend, which it sponsored. LIME was a first time sponsor this year and invested heavily in the party series. And its regional special projects manager Stephen Price said the firm was not disappointed with the return on investment… more

Govt wants Digicel help to tap cellphones

Trinidad & Tobago – The National Security Council (NSC), headed by Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, has met with Irish-owned mobile operator Digicel to express concern about the difficulties in implementing legal intercept capabilities on the Digicel network… more

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