A roundup of the ICT/technology news from across the Caribbean region during the period Monday 22 October to Sunday 28 October 2012.
Monday, 22 October 2012
ICTS Usage to Promote Agriculture Urged by CARICOM Secretary-General
Antigua & Barbuda – Ambassador Irwin LaRocque, Secretary-General of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) is encouraging stakeholders in the agriculture to make full use of Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) to promote and drive competitiveness and interest in the sector… more
Cable Confirms URCA’s Freeport ‘No Jurisdiction
Bahamas – Cable Bahamas has confirmed that the Utilities Regulation and Competition Authority (URCA) cannot regulate its services in Freeport, technically enabling it do whatever it wants with pricing and services in the nation’s second city… more
Cable ‘Not Ecstatic’ Over URCA Decision’s $1.9m Revenue Loss
Bahamas – Cable Bahamas is “not ecstatic” that URCA will require another three months post-consultation end to decide whether to approve its application for a 27 per cent SuperBasic increase, as this will cost it another $1.92 million in estimated revenues… more
Digicel poised to unveil ‘4G’ before end-November
British Virgin Islands – Pan-Caribbean mobile group Digicel has suggested that customers of its unit in the British Virgin Islands (BVI) are likely to experience ‘4G’ connectivity for the first time within the next month… more
Dominica to develop domestic internet
Dominica – Dominica will be launching its first Internet Exchange Point (IXP) later this year in a move that will increase broadband services on the island… more
Columbus Communications nears IPTV service
Jamaica – One of the larger MSOs in the Caribbean, Columbus Communications, is on the verge of launching a hybrid IP video service in multiple countries throughout the region. The new service is expected to offer IP-delivered VoD and TV Everywhere services… more
Tuesday, 23 October 2012
BTC seeks role in Grand Bahama call centers
Bahamas – The Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) is moving forward on bringing call centers to Grand Bahama and expand its book of business… more
Cable Bahamas Could ‘Raise Its Rates Right Now’
Bahamas – Cable Bahamas has reported that the Utilities Regulation and Competition Authority (URCA) is unable to regulate their services in Freeport, enabling Cable Bahamas to essentially alter their prices and services in Grand Bahama… more
Business Byte: LIME rolls out new promotion
Dominica – Starting Monday, all LIME prepaid customers will get even more value for their money as the company rolls out its latest promotion – LIME’s Extra Large Value promotion! … more
Problem with Smitcoms SMPR1 cable causing interruptions in internet service
St. Maarten – TelEm Group customers are experiencing intermittent interruptions to their broadband internet service due to an outage on the SMPR1 cable operated by sister company Smitcoms… more
Wednesday, 24 October 2012
Union outraged over BTC termination
Bahamas – President of the Bahamas Communications and Public Mangers Union (BCPMU) Talbot Collie yesterday blasted the Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) for what he said was the wrongful dismissal of the union’s vice president from the company and vowed action if she was not immediately reinstated… more
Ignition and KnowledgeLake Announce Exclusive Regional Partnership
Cayman Islands – Ignition, a leading provider of Microsoft technologies in the Caribbean market, is pleased to announce they have formed an exclusive partnership with KnowledgeLake, the market leader in Microsoft SharePoint ECM solutions… more
Digicel sets up free Sandy update text line
Jamaica – Digicel says it has established a free text line service where customers can receive updates on Tropical Storm Sandy… more
E-Learning, funding companies dismiss conflict of interest concern
Jamaica – The Government entities that fund and provide Internet services free of cost to schools and other public organisations say there is no conflict of interest arising from the fact that representatives of the telecommunications companies are on their boards of directors… more
LIME says its ready for Sandy
Jamaica – Telecommunications-company LIME says that its disaster preparation systems are in now high gear… more
Manchester’s ICT dream is a step closer
Jamaica – Manchester is expected to secure office space for its foray into large-scale Information Communication and Technology (ICT) development within two years, Technology Minister Phillip Paulwell said Monday… more
MSMEs To Benefit From JSIF Technology Workshop
Jamaica – The Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF) has rolled out a five-day technology workshop aimed at equipping Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise (MSME) entrepreneurs with the requisite skill to grow their businesses… more
LIME powers All-about-4G website ahead of 4G Launch
St. Kitts & Nevis – A new microsite will be the focal point of 4G information for LIME customers in St. Kitts and Nevis to get the inside scoop on all they need to know about 4G… more
LIME Helps Set The Stage For Public Sector Modernization
St. Lucia – A one-day information and communications technology (ICT) conference hosted by LIME, which was attended by Government ministers and senior executives from the Public Service, has been hailed a huge success… more
Thursday, 25 October 2012
BTC union fails in bid to have Thompson reinstated
Bahamas – In a last ditch effort to have Bahamas Communications and Public Mangers Union (BCPMU) Vice-President Elizabeth Thompson reinstated in her post at the Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC), union officials met with BTC CEO Geoff Houston to resolve the matter yesterday, but were rejected outright, prompting the union to say that it will do what it has to do to change the company’s mind… more
URCA investigating ‘decrease’ in BTC service quality
Bahamas – Even as the Utilities Regulation and Competition Authority (URCA) investigates that network outage that resulted in the loss of service to thousands of Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) customers earlier this year, it is also looking into a recent “decrease” in the quality of service offered by the telecoms company… more
A.G. Ministry gets mas tiempo to respond to Dunkeld’s binders of arguments
Belize – There were two cases in the Court of Appeals today that concern the nationalization of Telemedia… more
2 applications withdrawn by both sides in Telemedia case
Belize – While tensions were high in this morning’s session at the Appeals Court, it probably had to do with the fact that only one day remains for the close of the session. There was another Telemedia related matter heard in the afternoon session… more
Haiti – Telecommunication: End of the integration of Voilà in the network Digicel
Haiti – Digicel announced it has completed the integration of Voilà in its phone network. Now, customers of Voila and Digicel will be able to enjoy the benefits of combined network and of a better coverage throughout Haiti… more
Friday, 26 October 2012
Not good enough!
Barbados – Telecoms companies in Barbados need to get their act together or be stripped of their licences says noted economist Professor Avinash Persaud… more
Dean Boyce Off the Hook
Belize – Trustee of the BTL Employees Trust, Dean Boyce, was this afternoon relieved of having to face cross-examination for affidavit evidence sworn before the Court of Appeal, in which he expressed deep concern that the Government of Belize would be hard-pressed to pay compensation to the former owners of Belize Telemedia Limited (BTL) because of current financial challenges evidenced by its inability to meet full payment of the $544 million super bond… more
Dunkeld Continues to Seek Foreign Arbitration over BTL
Belize – Dunkeld Investments Limited, a UK company affiliated with British billionaire Michael Ashcroft, appeared against the Government of Belize in the Court of Appeal this morning, in an attempt to challenge the injunction placed on the company by Justice Samuel Awich, restraining it from pursuing foreign arbitration over the nationalization of Belize Telemedia Limited (BTL)… more
Sutherland Global Services invests in Jamaica’s BPO sector
Jamaica – Sutherland Global Services, one of the world’s largest independent business process outsourcing companies, is in the process of establishing a Global Delivery Centre (GDC) at The University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona Campus… more
AMX-1 submarine cable gets Mexico’s regulatory approval
Mexico – Telmex, the Mexican wireline subsidiary of America Movil (NYSE: AMX), on Thursday got conditional approval from Mexico’s Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT) to begin work on the new AMX-1 submarine cable… more
LIME launches 4G with White Gala Night
St. Kitts & Nevis – The official launch of LIME 4G network was done in grand style with a White Gala Night at the Ocean Terrace Inn last evening (Oct. 24)… more
Saturday, 27 October 2012
BTC Post Hurricane Update
Bahamas – BTC technicians are working around to restore services disrupted by Hurricane Sandy. Here is a the latest on service disruptions across the Bahamas. Here is the latest on service disruptions across the country… more
Bradley Roberts: Major decline in BTC Services
Bahamas – BTC released an announcement this evening stating “ BTC customers experienced a decrease in mobile, land-line and internet service disruptions during Hurricane Sandy over previous storms… more
Fed up, frustrated LIME customers
Barbados – Hurt, frustration and anger. That summed up the mood of Barbadians who lambasted LIME for “poor” customer service at a meeting held by the telecommunications giant at the St Christopher Primary School in Christ Church on Thursday night… more
Online crowd funding works for Grenada school
Grenada – Grenadian not-for-profit has become a model for Caribbean entrepreneurs and other start-ups to follow as it has successfully used online crowdfunding to raise money for a school project… more
LIME Kept Us Connected
Jamaica – We have all been affected in one way or another by the passage of Hurricane Sandy, some more adversely than others. Though I was extremely lucky to have escaped any serious harm or damage to my person or property, I feel compelled to voice my approval of the LIME network… more
Systems to be restored in eastern parishes today, LIME says
Jamaica – Telecommunications-company LIME is reporting that it is delivering significant service improvement to the eastern portion of the country damaged by the passage of Hurricane Sandy… more
Sunday, 28 October 2012
Govt’s E-Governance Data Centre under construction
Guyana – As the laying of the fiber optic cable continues the construction of an ultra-modern data centre has begun, according to the Government Information Agency (GINA)… more
Minister Phillip Unveils Government’s Wide Area Network (GWAN) To Cabinet
St. Kitts & Nevis – St. Kitts and Nevis’ Minister of Technology, the Hon. Glenn Phillip, has unveiled his ministry’s plans to enhance the Government’s Wide Area Network (GWAN) digitally connecting all government offices… more
Image credit: Gary Thomson (flickr); Ignition; Belize Web; Kakela (flickr)
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