This is a roundup of the ICT/technology news across the Caribbean region during the period Monday 13 February to Sunday 19 February 2012.
Monday, 13 February 2012
– nil –
Tuesday, 14 February 2012
No Agreement Yet, Says LIME
Jamaica – Telecommunications company, LIME, says there is no agreement yet among players in the telecoms industry… more
Not So, Minister! Says LIME
Jamaica – Telecommunications company, LIME, is seeking to set the record straight, following a statement by the technology minister that an agreement has been reached among telecoms providers… more
Digicel begins lobbying gov’t, opposition to pass new telecoms law
Guyana – Digicel (Guyana) has begun lobbying government and opposition leaders to pass the long-awaited Telecommunications Bill and so fully liberalise the telecoms sector… more
Digicel says profit squeezed by telecoms monopoly
Guyana – Digicel Guyana, which credits itself with bringing down the cost of handsets and slashing by half, local rates, in its five years of operations here, says its ability to generate a better profit is stymied by the telecommunications monopoly… more
Vodafone eyes bid for Cable & Wireless Worldwide
UK – Vodafone Group PLC, the world’s largest mobile phone company, said Monday it is considering a possible bid for Cable & Wireless Worldwide PLC, causing shares in the telecoms network provider to jump 27 percent… more
Wednesday, 15 February 2012
$37M IPO from BTC to be announced ‘imminently’
Bahamas – The Bahamian public will soon have a crack at another initial public offering (IPO), Guardian Business understands, with the stage set for its “imminent” release… more
BTC Cuts Ribbon On New High Rock Store
Bahamas – Member of Parliament for High Rock Kenneth Russell unlocked the doors to BTC’s newly renovated High Rock retail store in Grand Bahama following a $40,000 transformation during the official opening ceremony held today… more
GB economy gets boost from BTC reopenings
Bahamas – The Bahamas Telecommunications Company has invested $240,000 in the reopening of two stores in Grand Bahama in just three days… more
LIME, union waiting on Suckoo
Barbados – The Barbados Workers’ Union (BWU) and telecommunications company LIME are still waiting to hear when their pay dispute will be heard by Minister of Labour Esther Byer-Suckoo… more
NTRC donates ICT equipment
Dominica – ICT equipment valued at a quarter of a million EC dollars was on Wednesday presented to four different organizations, by NTRC, the National Telecommunications Regulatory Commission… more
Calls to liberalise telecommunications market in Guyana
Guyana – Telephone company Digicel is hoping the Guyana government will consider liberalizing the country’s telecommunications sector… more
Digicel Rebuts LIME
Jamaica – Telecommunications company, Digicel, is accusing its competitor, LIME, of seeking to misrepresent facts about discussions taking place between Jamaica’s telecoms companies and the government…. more
LIME Jamaica Low On Cash
Jamaica – Early reports of a telecoms agreement on inter-connection rates were doused last night after Minister Phillip Paulwell clarified that the parties had only agreed a framework on which an eventual deal could emerge… more
LIME sets three-month deadline
Jamaica – CABLE & Wireless, the parent of LIME, has given the Government three months to sort out the regulatory environment before it has to “make a decision” on its future here… more
Thursday, 16 February 2012
Multi-million dollar bond issue puts Digicel on strong footing
Jamaica – Jamaica-based telecommunications company Digicel Ltd has primed itself for further acquisitions through the successful issue of a US$250 million corporate bond offering… more
Friday, 17 February 2012
Despite 42% productivity rise, BTC off on ‘efficiency’
Bahamas – DESPITE beating many countries via a 42 per cent improvement in a key productivity benchmark between 2006-2009, the sector regulator last night suggested the Bahamas Telecommunications Company’s (BTC) 2010 accounts did not show the “required efficiency”… more
Firm LIME
Barbados – If workers at LIME Barbados go on strike, as now seems likely, Barbadians should prepare themselves for a long and bruising battle… more
Digicel Accuses Lime Of Playing The Victim
Jamaica – Mobile phone company Digicel Jamaica has accused LIME Jamaica of grossly understating its customer base by close to half in order to influence regulations aimed at cutting interconnection rates… more
Tough times for Cable & Wireless Communications
Jamaica – British telecommunications giant Cable & Wireless Communications (C&WC), the parent company of LIME (Jamaica) is experiencing a degree of turbulence as its operations around the globe continue to register mixed fortunes… more
Saturday, 18 February 2012
– nil –
Sunday, 19 February 2012
C&W usage falls
Barbados – Customer calls and demand for the regulated services of British-owned telecoms giant Cable & Wireless (C&W) dropped by more than expected during the four years of the current Price Cap Plan (PCP), which ends next month… more
LIME Stays
Barbados – With the threat of strike action hanging over its head, a top official of LIME Barbados yesterday strongly denied reports the company was looking to relocate its regional operations from Barbados to Jamaica… more
Flow, Digicel Back Number Portability
Jamaica – Triple-service provider Columbus Communications, which trades as Flow Jamaica, said its network infrastructure was already capable of supporting local number portability (LNP) and it was committed to working with stakeholders to ensure its im-plementation as quickly as possible… more
LIME, Digicel at odds over OUR’s proposed $5 termination rate
Jamaica – Bitter telecoms rivals LIME and Digicel have given sharply contrasting responses to an Office of Utilities Regulation (OUR) proposal for a $5.00 termination rate on cross-network calls… more
Local smartphone innovation set to catch unscrupulous motorists
Jamaica – New computer software developed right here in Jamaica by the state-owned Fiscal Services Limited is helping catch motorists who are driving around with fraudulent documents, outstanding traffic tickets or even arrest warrants… more
Image courtesy of Gary Thomson, flickr
_____________
