A roundup of the ICT/technology news from across the Caribbean region during the period Monday 30 July to Sunday 5 August 2012.
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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very useful, as always. how can I contribute to this?
Thanks Gerard.
Regarding the roundup, the articles are drawn primarily from online news/media houses, and news-driven blogs (like yours). If there are particular publications for which you write, do let us know, and we’ll check it regularly for relevant articles.
On a more general note, we do welcome contributors. As you might appreciate, very few persons have taken us up on that offer because it can be a major time commitment, just to prepare the odd article. I also think they might be intimidated by the writing process when pressed to produce something.
Do let us know what you are interested in, and we can take it from there…