A roundup of the ICT/technology news from across the Caribbean region during the period Monday 13 August to Sunday 19 August 2012.
Monday, 13 August 2012
Regional media executives discussing new technologies
Antigua & Barbuda – Antigua and Barbuda says the switch from analog to digital broadcasting would provide the region with an opportunity to take full advantage of a wide range of services including wireless broadband technology, data and telecommunication services… more
Technology to play a role in OECS future
Antigua & Barbuda – In their addresses during the OECS Assembly’s historic first session, many of the speakers chose to talk about the past and how the union came to this point… more
Facebook group will carry on
Cayman Islands – Anti-tax group will be renamed Cayman United… more
Digicel uncovers fraud in Haiti
Haiti – Digicel has launched an investigation into a fraud in Haiti, one of its biggest markets… more
Internet Access Points For St Ann Communities
Jamaica – Julian Robinson, the state minister in the Ministry of Science, Technology, Energy and Mining, last week announced that work is advanced to establish 18 Internet community access points in St Ann… more
Tuesday, 14 August 2012
Antigua and Barbuda to Back Technological Growth
Antigua & Barbuda – The Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda, Baldwin Spencer, called today on the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) to bet on new information and communication technologies (ICTs) to promote integration and development in the region… more
Digital TV on its way
Antigua & Barbuda – Television viewers throughout the region will soon be able to see all their favourite programmes with far superior digital clarity, as analog viewing is phased out—a move that will see the end of TV as we know it… more
Cost Savings the Silver Lining in the Cloud for SME’s
Jamaica – Small businesses in Jamaica are poised to enjoy the economic benefits to be gained from adopting cloud services to power their business operations… more
In Going Digital, there will be no Dumping of Obsolete TVs on Jamaica’ says Falconer
Jamaica – Information Minister, Sandrea Falconer said that government was committed to protect consumers against buying television sets that will be obsolete in 2015; the year that Jamaica has adopted for digital switchover (DSO)… more
Personal data protection law coming this year
Jamaica – The Government is to introduce a Data Protection Act this year which will regulate the use of personal information compiled on Jamaicans… more
Wednesday, 15 August 2012
Caribbean decision makers examine switchover to digital broadcasting
Antigua & Barbuda – Decision makers in the Caribbean region, led by ministers from Antigua and Barbuda, Jamaica and Montserrat, are deliberating various aspects of the transition from analogue to digital broadcasting at the inaugural Digital Broadcasting Switchover Forum (DBSF) Caribbean… more
URCA chairman highlights consumer interests
Bahamas – On August 1, 2012, Randol Dorsett took his place as the new chairman of the Utilities Regulation and Competition Authority (URCA)… more
LIME cuts new call centre deal
Jamaica – LIME has taken its call centre contract from Xerox and given it to Canada-based TELUS International in an effort to better manage its relationship with customers… more
LIME’s prepaid traffic up 71%
Jamaica – LIME said that its prepaid traffic during the three months to June 30 increased by 71 per cent, when compared to the corresponding period last year… more
Columbus’ New Service Takes Businesses To The Clouds
Jamaica – Small businesses in Jamaica are poised to enjoy the economic benefits to be gained from adopting Columbus Business Solutions’ new cloud services – voice, video conferencing, and security… more
Students on the line
Jamaica – MORE than 6,000 students at the Mona campus of the University of the West Indies (UWI) will start working in the school’s new call centre next month… more
Thursday, 16 August 2012
CBU President Says Embrace Social Media
Antigua & Barbuda – Traditional media houses in the region would be making a monumental mistake by failing to embrace social media, president of the Caribbean Broadcasting Union (CBU) Vic Fernandes has warned… more
C&W Jamaica revenues climb 5%, net loss narrows in Q2
Jamaica – Cable & Wireless Jamaica saw its quarterly revenues reach JMD 4.82 billion in the three months to June, up 5 percent from JMD 4.61 billion in the same period last year… more
If Red Stripe can do it, why can’t Digicel?
Jamaica – At this time in our 50th year of political Independence when the buzzwords “nationalism” and “patriotism” are being liberally sprinkled over almost all aspects of social and political discussion, it is useful to examine, if not in totality, just a few of the instances in which globalisation had made its unstoppable intrusion in our polity… more
Friday, 17 August 2012
Antigua key to ECTEL talks
Antigua & Barbuda – Information Minister Dr Edmond Mansoor expects Antigua and Barbuda to play a pivotal role in talks with regional telecoms watchdog (ECTEL)…. more
Clarification
Jamaica – The Jamaica Observer wishes to state that it has no reason to question Digicel’s choice of a CEO. As far as we are concerned, Digicel has always appointed the best person who, in its view, can efficiently lead the company, and that has proven itself in the company’s success over the 12 years it has been operating in Jamaica… more
Slashed mobile rates led to deflation
Jamaica – The steep drop in mobile phone call prices has resulted in deflation in the month of July… more
Five Projects Rewarded for Contributing to the Development of the Information Society in Latin America and the Caribbean
Regional – Five initiatives that have notably contributed to Internet use in Latin America and the Caribbean received the Regional Fund for Digital Innovation in Latin America and the Caribbean (FRIDA) Award today… more
Stakeholders to review new ICT laws for St Kitts-Nevis
St. Kitts & Nevis – Stakeholders will give input on new rules that are being proposed to govern electronic transactions in St Kitts and Nevis at an August 20 and 21 workshop… more
Saturday, 18 August 2012
Regulators and broadcasters agree checklist for digital broadcast switchover in the Caribbean
Antigua & Barbuda – At the conclusion of the inaugural Digital Broadcasting Switchover Caribbean Forum, held on 13 and 14 August 2012 in St John’s, Antigua, regulatory agencies and broadcasters jointly developed a draft checklist of key issues that need to be addressed in order to manage the digital switchover… more
BTC expected to take center stage at coming Moody’s meeting
Bahamas – The government will get an opportunity to discuss its plan to regain majority control of the Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) with Wall Street credit ratings agency Moody’s during a meeting in Nassau in October… more
GT&T warns of promotional scam
Guyana – The Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GT&T) says it has received several customer complaints of a new telephone-related scam… more
Sunday, 19 August 2012
Avaya, Digicel join forces to bring business solutions
Jamaica – Global telecommunications giant Avaya has partnered with Digicel to enhance productivity and reduce communication costs at Jamaican private and public sector enterprises… more
LIME hit with $9M bill after cable theft
Jamaica – As the government considers lifting the ban on the scrap metal trade, telecoms company LIME is reporting that the latest incident of theft of some of its transmission cables in Hellshire Heights, St Catherine has resulted in service restoration costs of $3.5 million… more
Image credit: NS Newsflash, flickr
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It is quite heartening to hear that some governments are taking pro-active steps to safeguard personal data ( “Personal data protection law coming this year …” ).
This is so, especially when ( from the same source that carried the news item ), Britain is laying out the foundation for eavesdropping programmes.
http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/UK-unveils-massive-electronic-eavesdropping-programme_11703494
This, to me, demonstrates one thing: in the information age, law makers have to not only move fast, but rise to the challenges the information age is presenting.