A roundup of the ICT/technology news from across the Caribbean region during the period Monday 30 July to Sunday 5 August 2012.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rmgimages/Monday, 30 July 2012

BTC Interconnection Charges To Fall ‘55% Over Next 3 Years’

Bahamas ­­– The Bahamas Telecommunications Company’s (BTC) interconnection charges “are expected to fall by up to 55 per cent over the next three years… more

Christie names team for BTC talks

Bahamas – Prime Minister Perry Christie has appointed his negotiating team ahead of formal talks with Cable and Wireless Communications (CWC) aimed at getting a majority take of the recently privatized Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) back in the hands of the government… more

New BTC platform allowed Bahamians to send 3.3 million penny texts over weekend

Bahamas – Texts flew around the country and across the world this weekend in massive numbers as the Bahamian public latched onto a BTC Olympics celebration with penny texts during what the company called “a 100 percent successful test drive” of its new, upgraded mobile platform… more

URCA imposes efficiency targets on BTC

Bahamas – The country’s regulator has ordered the Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) to reduce its cost base and set out ambitious efficiency targets to be phased in over the coming years… more

LIME slashes landline to mobile rate

Jamaica – Telecommunications company LIME yesterday announced that it was slashing its landline to mobile rate to $6.99 and that it will also start billing those calls on a per second basis… more

 

Tuesday, 31 July 2012

Bahamas seeks to take back majority telecoms stake

Bahamas – Prime Minister Perry Christie has appointed his negotiating team ahead of formal talks with Cable and Wireless Communications (CWC) aimed at getting a majority stake of the recently privatized Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) back in the hands of the government… more

FNM blasts cancellation of BTC share offering

Bahamas – Free National Movement (FNM) Leader Dr. Hubert Minnis said his party doesn’t agree with the government’s decision to cancel the sale of nine percent of its shares in the Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) to the Bahamian public as previously promised by the Ingraham administration… more

Connecting the Americas: Filling in the ICT gaps

Panama – In the 1980s, countries in Latin America and the Caribbean spearheaded reforms in the telecommunications sector, and many countries around the world followed suit… more

Wednesday, 1 August 2012

Bahamas Must ‘Really Be Concerned’ Over BTC Investor Message

Bahamas – The Bahamas must “really be concerned” about the negative message it is sending to international investors over the Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC)… more

Christie: Moody’s BTC concerns unfair

Bahamas – Prime Minister Perry Christie said yesterday that a Wall Street credit ratings agency’s questioning of his government’s intent to renationalize the Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) is “unfair”… more

Ratings agency launches probe into Bahamas telecoms talks

Bahamas – Wall Street has begun a probe into the government’s apparent drive to re-nationalize the Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC), the Nassau Guardian has revealed… more

Study: Belize Internet Among Slowest, Most Expensive In Region

Belize – A recent survey of the Caribbean shows that internet speeds in Belize are among the slowest and most expensive… more

Thursday, 2 August 2012

BTC In $100m Ebitda Earnings Forecast

Bahamas – The Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) is forecast to generate $100 million in operating income this current financial year, a 9.9 per cent year-over-year increase … more

Moody’s Warns Of BTC Credit Risk

Bahamas – Wall Street last night blasted the Christie administration’s plans to regain majority control of the Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) as “negative” for this nation’s sovereign credit rating, and slammed the Government’s “erratic” policy approach as undermining this nation’s investment climate… more

Prime Minister Christie pledges to reacquire majority control in BTC

Bahamas – Prime Minister the Rt. Hon. Perry Christie has reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to regain majority control of the Bahamas Telecommunications Company, BTC… more

CVM’s CEO Promises Better Coverage Of Olympics

Jamaica – Following complaints from some members of the public that they have been unable to receive CVM’s broadcast of the London Olympic Games, the television station’s CEO Al Edwards has committed to ensuring quality coverage to as many Jamaicans as possible… more

Friday, 3 August 2012

Analysts Call Perry’s BTC Plan ‘Illogical’

Bahamas – International analysts are saying it is “illogical” for the PLP government to attempt to re-claim majority control of the Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC)… more

Continuing The Internet Conversation

Belize – Earlier this week – we had an interview with Dr. Dionne Maranda, a top BTL Executive who responded to the criticism that BTL’s internet is too slow and too expensive – when compared to other countries in the Caribbean… more

Jasmine Alert Program Launched!

Belize – It is hard to accept at times that any good can come out of tragic moments, but in the case of 13 year old Jasmine Lowe, who was kidnapped and murdered in Santa Elena Town in June of this year, her life will serve to save many others… more

St Kitts-Nevis closer to establishing internet exchange point

St. Kitts & Nevis – St Kitts and Nevis is one step closer in establishing an internet exchange point (IXP) as the government continues to work with local and international partners to enhance self reliance in the information technology sector… more

Saturday, 4 August 2012

BTC blasts URCA judgment

Bahamas – The Utilities Regulation and Competition Authority (URCA) has determined that the Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) must publish its annual financials and imposed specific information requirements… more

Lowe: Govt views BTC as possible cash cow

Bahamas – Business leaders are throwing their weight behind Wall Street’s concern over the government’s plan to regain majority control of the Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC)… more

Wall Street: Sale of CWC’s 2% ‘probable’

Bahamas – The Bahamian government has been “responsive” in the ongoing dialogue with Moody’s over the proposed majority takeover of Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC)… more

Sunday, 5 August 2012

T&T student cops third prize in regional essay competition

Trinidad & Tobago – Zachary Luke Subran-Ganesh, 16, earned third place at a regional essay competition hosted by the Caribbean Association of National Telecommunications Organisations (Canto)… more

 

Image credit: Ramberg Media Images, flickr

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