A roundup of the ICT/technology news from across the Caribbean region during the period Monday 31 December to Sunday 6 January 2013.
Monday, 31 December 2012
Communications Sector Rebounds Through 3.7% Growth In Turnover
Bahamas – The Bahamian communications industry saw its total turnover increase 3.7 per cent year-over-year to hit $444 million in 2011, regulators have estimated, despite cellular phone subscribers falling by 90,000 since 2009… more
Caribbean Journal’s Entrepreneur of the Year 2012: Jamaica’s Tyrone Wilson
Regional – Caribbean governments often mention the need for the region to go digital… more
Tuesday, 1 January 2013
Cloud Carib Becomes First In Latin America & Caribbean To Achieve Vmware “Cloud Infrastructure-As-A-Service” Solution Competency, Launches Offshore Cloud Iaas
Bahamas – Nassau-based Cloud Carib is announcing the immediate availability of hosted virtual datacenters, delivered securely as a service on VMware’s (NYSE:VMW) market-leading vCloud platform… more
Wednesday, 2 January 2013
Lovell Assigned Information and Broadcasting Portfolios
Antigua & Barbuda – Having now been assigned the portfolio of Minister of Information, Harold Lovell says he has requested from the Prime Minister a Minister of State to assist with the workload… more
Consultant: Potential for thriving e-commerce sector locally
Bahamas – The e-commerce sector has the potential to be a ‘significant player’ and contributor to The Bahamas’ gross domestic product (GDP), according to Damien Forsythe, manager of e-commerce at MWF Group Bahamas… more
Previous owners say no offer for Telemedia compensation
Belize – In his New Year’s Message, Prime Minister Dean Barrow said that the government is proposing to transfer to the previous owners of Telemedia, fifty million dollars of proceeds from the re-sale of shares.. more
Thursday, 3 January 2013
Mansoor Retains IT Portfolio
Antigua & Barbuda – Having now been removed from the post of Minister responsible for Information and Broadcasting, Minister of State within the Office of the Prime Minister Hon. Dr. Edmond Mansoor still retains most of his prior responsibilities… more
CEO says BTC will better service ‘across the board’ in 2013
Bahamas – Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) CEO Geoff Houston said today he expects BTC service to improve strongly in 2013 as the Company’s new and upgraded, nation-wide telecommunications infrastructure is completed replacing the 30-year-old obsolete system… more
BTC Outage Report’s Veiled CWC Criticism
Bahamas – The Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) breached a key condition of its licence during last June’s island-wide network outage, regulators said yesterday, levelling implicit criticism at majority shareholder Cable & Wireless Communications (CWC)… more
URCA: BTC breached condition 27.1.1 (a) of its individual operating licence
Bahamas – Following its investigation into the Bahamas Telecommunications Company Limited’s (BTC) network outage on June 18th of 2012, the Utilities Regulation and Competition Authority (URCA) made a preliminary finding that BTC breached Condition 27.1.1 (a) of its individual operating licence, … more
LIME cuts retail operations
Barbados – Industrial unrest could be brewing at Cable and Wireless (Barbados) Limited, also known as LIME… more
LIME sends 97 workers in Barbados offline
Barbados – Cable and Wireless (Barbados) Limited, also known as LIME has announced that it will be severing 97 of its 648 workers.. more
LIME workers meeting with union
Barbados – Affected LIME workers who have been laid off are now locked in a meeting with officials at the Barbados Workers’ Union (BWU) at its headquarters at Solidarity House in St Michael… more
New Telecoms law could be passed today
Guyana – The government is looking to get new legislation for the telecoms sector passed in the National Assembly today in hopes of putting an end to the so-called telephone monopoly held by the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company, GT&T… more
Friday, 4 January 2013
BTC appeals for help in stopping copper theft from their service centres
Bahamas – The Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) is appealing to the general public to do their part in maintaining their land and cell phone service by helping stop the copper thefts at BTC sites… more
BTC Enjoys 28,751% Mobile Data Growth
Bahamas – The Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) yesterday said it was committed to investing “more than $100 million” in upgrading its communications infrastructure, adding that its mobile data traffic had increased 28,751 per cent since its 4G network launched in December 2012… more
BTC ‘failure’ attacked
Bahamas – The Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) has been heavily criticised for the events which led up to the national network outage on June 18… more
BTC responds to URCA draft report on system-wide shutdown
Bahamas – In the wake of the Utilities Regulation and Competition Authority (URCA) draft report that found Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) in breach of its operating license, BTC CEO Geoff Houston vowed that service will improve “across the board” this year… more
BWU: Apology owed
Barbados – The Union representing 97 LIME workers sacked on Wednesday is demanding that their termination letters be immediately withdrawn and an apology made by managing director Alex McDonald for “unfair” comments on the workers’ performance… more
BWU wants severance letters withdrawn
Barbados – The action by LIME to put 97 of its workers on the breadline has left a sour taste in the mouths of those affected… more
Saturday, 5 January 2013
Government advised on ABS
Antigua & Barbuda – Government is being urged to give more independence to the state-owned media house Antigua Broadcasting Service – ABS… more
New date for tablet distribution to students
Antigua & Barbuda – The Telecommunications Ministry has set a second date for distribution of hundreds of computer tablets to students… more
Cubans See Internet As Crucial To Future Development
Cuba – The Cuban government’s economic reforms must consider the myriad opportunities offered by the Internet, a key platform of the dominant economic model on the planet, according to interviews with both experts and average people… more
Sunday, 6 January 2013
LIME ‘squeeze’
Barbados – Telecommunications company LIME’S outlets in Warrens, St Michael, and Sheraton Mall, Christ Church, reopened to a hive of activity yesterday following the sacking of 97 employees across the network… more
Montego Bay Trumps Kingston In Tweets
Jamaica – Jamaica has a Twittter capital, and, no, it’s not Kingston. Within Jamaica’s slice of the ‘twitterverse’, the core demographic of the popular microblog reflects thin usage by local businesses… more
Image credit: Salvatore Vuono / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
