A roundup of ICT/technology news from across the Caribbean region during the period Monday 11 June to Sunday 17 June 2012.

Monday, 11 June 2012

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rmgimages/Is Telemedia under illegal occupation?

Belize – Attorneys for Dean Boyce and British Caribbean Bank, Godfrey Smith and Eamon Courtenay, agree that since the acquisition order is declared null, then Telemedia is under illegal occupation… more

Berbicians turn out in their thousands for GT&T “switch it up” campaign

Guyana – The four day “Switch It up” campaign in Berbice organized by Telephone Company GT&T is attracting thousands to every venue… more

Four GT&T employees on leave during audit; payments to NCN under microscope

Guyana – Four senior employees of the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GT&T) are on leave and have been told not to enter the company’s premises, as the company conducts a “deep” audit, top company officials said on Monday… more

83-y-o caught in phone credit scam

Jamaica – An 83-year-old woman of Gregory Park in Portmore, St Catherine, has been scammed out of $15,000 phone credit by a hoodlum who pretended to be her nephew… more

International tech heavyweights converge on Trinidad

Trinidad & Tobago – Over 100 technology experts from the region and across the world will be converging on the St Augustine campus of the University of the West Indies (UWI) in Trinidad this week for intensive high-tech training… more

Tuesday, 12 June 2012

BTC launches new post-paid packages

Bahamas – A host of executives from the Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) descended on its head office yesterday to announce a consumer-friendly revamp to post-paid packages… more

RIM’s best markets

Barbados – Latin America and the Caribbean continue to contribute to the success of Research in Motion, makers of the BlackBerry smartphone, despite predictions of difficulty in global markets over the next two quarters… more

Is the book dead? – The future of reading

Dominica – In the 1960s, the Canadian communications theorist Marshall McLuhan declared that the printed book would soon die out… more

Wednesday, 13 June 2012

BTC franchises to generate 200 jobs

Bahamas  – The CEO of the Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) says franchise opportunities should create up to 200 jobs once the opportunity is available this summer… more

Copper Thieves Disrupt Phone Service

Bahamas – Hundreds of BTC mobile and landline customers in Grand Bahama are experiencing disruptions in services due to copper thieves targeting BTC sites throughout the island… more

Laing: BTC needs to resolve issues

Bahamas – Former Minister of State for Finance Zhivargo Laing yesterday acknowledged the technical issues that plague the Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) system and pointed to the importance of BTC resolving these challenges as soon as possible… more

St Lucia: Minister’s email used in scam

Saint Lucia – The St. Lucia government Tuesday distanced itself from an electronic mail purporting to come for a senior minister pleading for assistance after allegedly being mugged while on vacation with her family in Spain… more

Thursday, 14 June 2012

BTC service disrupted again

Bahamas – Thousands of Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) cellular customers were unable to make calls for several hours yesterday evening, as BTC’s massive upgrade of its mobile network once again affected service… more

Barbados telecom provider changes hands

Barbados – Columbus International Inc. has, through a wholly-owned subsidiary, entered into a definitive agreement to acquire all of the issued and outstanding shares of Antilles Crossing (Barbados) IBC Inc. and Antilles Crossing Holding Company (St Lucia) Limited from Caribbean Fibre Holdings, LP. The transaction includes the purchase of TeleBarbados Inc., Tele-St. Lucia Inc. and Wamco Technology Group Limited… more

New domestic competitor for Barbados telecoms

Barbados – Legacy telecommunications provider LIME will soon be involved in a turf war as within the last two months two new entrants have come on to the scene to make a strong claim to usurp it as the main provider of domestic services in Barbados… more

What Next for BTL?

Belize – “From the commencement of the Belize Constitution (Eight Amendment) Act, 2011, the Government shall have and maintain, at all times majority ownership and control of a public utility provider.” … more

LIME Sets Historic Low Mobile Rates

Jamaica – Jamaica’s leading telecommunications company, LIME, announces historic mobile rates effective June 15 2012 that will revolutionise the Jamaican mobile market… more

Growing Internet business hauled in 85 million EC dollars in 2010-2011

Saint Lucia – Internet services among five members of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States generated 85 million EC dollars (31.4 million US dollars) in revenue between 2010-2011 amid “strong” consumer demand, the Eastern Caribbean Telecommunications Authority (ECTEL) has said in its latest report… more

Friday, 15 June 2012

Digicel offers voluntary severance

Antigua & Barbuda – Telecommunications Company Digicel is offering voluntary severance packages to Antigua-based employees… more

Gov’t launches new ICT initiative

Antigua & Barbuda – Government is hoping the latest Information and Communications Technology programme launched yesterday will further cement this country’s position as a leader in ICT in the Caribbean… more

BTC CEO: We’re 99% Bahamian

Bahamas – One year after BTC began a restructuring exercise, the country’s leading telecommunications company has become the employer of first choice in The Bahamas with training and skills development sharing top billing with capital expenditure for upgrades, according to CEO Geoff Houston… more

Social Media Important In Family Island Promotion

Bahamas – The islands of The Bahamas need more ‘visibility’ in the tourism arena. That much-needed visibility, according to Minister of Tourism, Obie Wilchcombe, will come  via the social media… more

BTL second nationalization null and void, judge rules

Belize – Supreme Court Justice Oswald Legall has ruled that certain aspects of the controversial Eight Constitutional Amendment (formerly the Ninth Amendment) are null and void… more

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/2d/LIME_Logo.gif$2.99! LIME makes massive cut in call rates

Jamaica – LIME slashed the cost of mobile phone calls yesterday from $8 a minute to $2.99, two-thirds less than the price charged by its arch-rival Digicel… more

Call Price Buster! – Telecoms sector could see fierce competition as LIME slashes rates

Jamaica – Further rate cuts could follow yesterday’s announcement by LIME to slash its rates by up to two-thirds… more

LIME reports run on stores since call rate reduction

Jamaica – Telecommunications company LIME says customers across the island have began to flock stores following reports that the company has slashed the cost of mobile phone calls yesterday from $8 a minute to $2.99… more

Saturday, 16 June 2012

BTC cell network goes down again

Bahamas – Thousands of cellular customers throughout New Providence were once again left without telephone service and Internet access for several hours Friday afternoon, as the Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) continued its massive upgrade to the cellular network… more

Businesses Welcome Fall In Telephone Rates

Jamaica – The cut in phone rates by telecommunications provider LIME has been welcomed by Jamaica’s business sector… more

Customers rush LIME stores for deals

Jamaica – Scores of Jamaicans looking to capitalise on new mobile rate cuts flooded several stores belonging to telecommunication company LIME yesterday in an effort to capitalise on the promotion which saw the company slashing the cost of mobile phone calls from $8 a minute to $2.99, two-thirds less than the price charged by its rival Digicel… more

Public happy with LIME’s rate cut

Jamaica – Jamaicans yesterday, for the most part, gave positive reactions to LIME’s announcement of a drastic cut in call rates to $1.99 and $2.99 per minute. Here are the views of some with whom the Observer spoke… more

Sunday, 17 June 2012

Paulwell promises number portability by December

Jamaica – Amidst the intensification of the rivalry between the country’s two providers of mobile phone service, Technology Minister Phillip Paulwell is indicating that number portability will be a reality in Jamaica by December… more

 

Image credits: RambergMediaImages, flickr; provider websites.

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