This is a roundup of the ICT/technology news from across the Caribbean region during the period Monday 26 March to Sunday 1 April 2012.
Monday, 26 March 2012
BTC Grand Bahama Store Exceeding Targets
Bahamas – New products, interactive experiences, an inviting environment and longer hours are paying off for customers and BTC in Grand Bahama, a company spokesman said, with the store that re-opened last month after a major transformation ‘exceeding all targets.’… more
Still no Gov’t action on rates, says LIME
Jamaica – Telecommunications Company LIME, said it is still awaiting an emergency legislation to be re-tabled in parliament, which will allow Digicel’s rivals to charge lower cross-network rates without incurring sizeable losses… more
UTS integrates free SMS service into online profile
St. Maarten/St. Martin – Telecom provider UTS has renewed the website of its popular HEPA free SMS service: hepa.an. Up until recently anyone could send free SMS messages to the mobile phones of UTS customers… more
Tuesday, 27 March 2012
Digicel (Guyana) denies secrecy about its financial performance
Guyana – Digicel (Guyana) on Tuesday denied being secretive about its financial performance and accused the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GT&T) of crying out for sympathy to sway telecoms law-framers in its favour… more
US communications company to acquire Caribbean mobile wireless licensees
OECS – A US based public company, GoIP, a leading provider and developer of diversified communications and services across multiple devices and software platforms, has signed a strategic letter of intent (LOI) to acquire all of 21st Century Enterprises Ltd that has wholly owned subsidiaries holding mobile telecom and high speed broadband licences in, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, and St Vincent and the Grenadines… more
Wednesday, 28 March 2012
Haiti Submarine Cable To Leave BTC Treading Water?
Bahamas – Jamaica-based Digicel Group yesterday announced a plan to deploy an undersea fibre-optic cable connecting Haiti to an existing route from Jamaica to the US, which it says could be ready to carry voice and data traffic by July this year… more
No deal yet in LIME wages talks
Barbados – Up to 10:30 last night officials from LIME and the Barbados Workers’ Union (BWU) were still locked in wage negotiations at Government Headquarters, Bay Street, under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Freundel Stuart… more
Telecoms war…Financial reports not covered in secrecy-Digicel CEO
Guyana – Telecommunications giant, Digicel Guyana has denied that their financial records/performance is covered in secrecy and that last week’s calls for disclosure by competitor, Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GT&T) was for public gains… more
$60m tax fight – Digicel challenges assessment
Jamaica – Telecoms giant Digicel is now challenging in the Court of Appeal a $60- million tax assessment made against it by the Commissioner of Taxpayer Audit and Assessment Department… more
Digicel, Partners To Lay Cable Link From Haiti
Haiti – Digicel Group announced plans on Tuesday to deploy a US$16-million (J$1.34b) fibre-optic cable from Haiti to connect with an existing cable from Jamaica to the United States, aimed at delivering improved data and call services by July 2012… more
US$16-m ‘Fibralink’ extension to reconnect Haiti with the world
Haiti – Just over two years after Haiti was devastated by a powerful magnitude-7 earthquake, the impoverished country is set to receive a major boost with the delivery of a US$16m 200km undersea cable that will link the country to the world via internet connectivity, thanks to Digicel… more
Digicel T&T gets new CEO
Trinidad & Tobago – Mobile telephone services provider Digicel has appointed John Delves as the company’s new chief executive officer of its Trinidad operations… more
Thursday, 29 March 2012
URCA gets new CEO
Bahamas – Seven months after Usman Saadat left the Utilities Regulation and Competition Authority (URCA) after facing many weeks of controversy, the regulatory agency announced yesterday the appointment of Kathleen Smith as the new CEO, effective April 2, 2012… more
Over to LIME
Barbados – Prime Minister Freundel Stuart has brokered a “compromise” that has wiped away the immediate threat of industrial action by the Barbados Workers’ Union (BWU) against telecommunications giant LIME… more
Appeal court declares Telemedia nationalisation unconstitutional
Belize – On August 25 2009 the Belize government nationalised Belize Telemedia Limited. By way of an order issued by the telecommunications minister, the government acquired approximately 96% of the shares in the company… more
Grenada government sponsors cybercrime workshop amid media row
Grenada – Just days after taking on the Grenada government for its alleged role in the dismissal of Rawle Titus from his job at a local newspaper, members of the Media Workers Association of Grenada (MWAG) are being invited to a workshop partly sponsored by the government… more
Vodafone, Tata Get Deadline Extension for Cable & Wireless Bid
United Kingdom – Vodafone Group Plc (VOD) and Tata Communications Ltd. (TCOM) were given more time to make a bid for U.K. fiber-network operator Cable & Wireless Worldwide Plc. (CW) … more
Friday, 30 March 2012
Gov’t considers membership with regional telecoms authority
Antigua – Antigua & Barbuda is considering becoming a member of the Eastern Caribbean Telecommunications Authority (ECTEL), which is the regulatory body for telecommunications in five Eastern Caribbean States – Commonwealth of Dominica, Grenada, St Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines… more
Landline ease
Barbados – LIME’S landline customers need not fear a price hike for another year… more
CXC signs leadership MOU with C-WBN
Trinidad & Tobago – The Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) last Tuesday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Congress WBN (C-WBN) to provide values-based leadership and promote indigenous ICT development in education in the Caribbean… more
Saturday, 31 March 2012
Govt faces threat from telecom partner
Trinidad & Tobago – Cable & Wireless (C&W), the international telecom company and minority partner of local phone service provider Telecommunications Services of Trinidad and Tobago (TSTT), has threatened legal action against the Government and its appointed directors for any possible breaches in governance… more
Sunday, 1 April 2012
App-ortunity for local developers
Barbados – Local software developers now have an opportunity to create applications (apps) for one of the largest mobile providers in the world… more
Digicel cops Best of Chamber award
Jamaica – Telecommunications giant Digicel won the Best of Chamber Large Enterprise category, viewed as the most highly anticipated honour of the night, at the Jamaica Chamber of Commerce (JCC) Annual Awards Ceremony last Thursday… more
Image courtesy of Gary Thomson, flickr
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