A roundup of ICT/technology news from across the Caribbean region during the period Monday 11 February to Sunday 17 February 2013.
Monday, 11 February 2012
BTC Calls – Neighbourhood Outreach Connects
Bahamas – Residents of Coral Harbour where certainly at home when BTC came calling over the weekend with big savings on Internet and VIBE phone services as part of BTC’s Neighbourhood Connect Programme… more
Cable Bahamas responds to URCA’s denial of rate increase
Bahamas – URCA’s decision to refuse Cable Bahamas’ application to increase the rate of the SuperBasic price is extremely disappointing… more
Gov’t To Prove BTC Was ‘Horrendously Bad Deal’
Bahamas – The Prime Minister’s efforts to regain majority ownership of the Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) rated not a mention at Cable & Wireless Communications (CWC) Friday results conference, but a key member of his negotiating team pledged: “The public will soon be presented with considerable evidence as to why this was an horrendously bad deal.”… more
Subscriber TV offer delayed – says LIME
Jamaica – Telecoms firm Lime says its subscriber TV offering in Jamaica, has been delayed to later this year… more
LoopUp, Cable & Wireless Communications to Deliver Conferencing Solution to Caribbean Businesses
Regional – LoopUp, the business collaboration and remote meetings company, today announced its partnership with LIME, the Caribbean business of Cable & Wireless Communications… more
Tuesday, 12 February 2013
WTO online gaming ruling could be trouble for US
Antigua & Barbuda – The Center on Hemispheric Affairs (COHA) says the recent decision by the World Trade Organization (WTO) against the United States in its online gambling dispute with Antigua and Barbuda “presents a troubling scenario” for Washington… more
Cable Bahamas announces temporary Customer Service Centre coming to The Mall at Marathon
Bahamas – Cable Bahamas is pleased to announce the opening of a temporary Customer Care & Sales Centre at The Mall at Marathon, starting Monday, February 18, 2013… more
Cable Blasts URCA ‘Frolic’
Bahamas – Cable Bahamas yesterday blasted regulators for engaging “in a frolic”, a senior executive accusing them of operating “inside, outside and above the law” over a decision that will cost the company “millions and millions of dollars”… more
URCA ‘Categorically Denies’ Forcing Cable Digitisation
Bahamas – The Utilities Regulation & Competition Authority (URCA) has “categorically denied” that it ordered Cable Bahamas to ‘digitise’ its network and require consumer to purchase Set Top Boxes (STBs), disclosing that the company could have selected a “more cost effective” solution… more
URCA Focuses On Service Standards
Bahamas – The Utilities Regulation & Competition Authority (URCA) plans to introduce quality service standards for the communications industry this year, in a bid to tackle network availability and dropped calls… more
URCA to launch consultation on consumer protection measures
Bahamas – The Utilities Regulation and Competition Authority (URCA) is looking to provide a clear set of rules and regulations that would govern the telecommunications sector, while protecting the consumer… more
FTC to rule in Digi, LIME dispute
Barbados – Digicel Barbados could be one step closer to entering the local landline market following a Fair Trading Commission (FTC) decision, according to chief executive officer of Digicel, Barry O’Brien… more
Sir Roy: Make apology public
Barbados – General Secretary of the Barbados Workers’ Union (BWU) Sir Roy Trotman has questioned why telecommunications giant LIME has not yet made its apology public despite it being ready since last month… more
GT&T supports Blind Society CSEC programme
Guyana – The Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GT&T) is assisting the Guyana Society for the Blind to facilitate the Online teaching-learning of several students to write various subjects at the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examination level… more
DBJ Launches Pilot Project to Assist Micro Businesses
Jamaica – The Development Bank of Jamaica (DBJ) will, over the next 12 months, embark on the pilot phase of their latest initiative, the non-commercial Mobile Money for Microfinance Project, dubbed M3… more
New leadership for telecommunications firm LIME
Regional – There will be change at the top of one of the Caribbean’s leading telecommunications companies… more
Wednesday, 13 February 2013
BTC, Cable Criticise Gov’ts Seven-Month Sector Policy Delay
Bahamas – Cable Bahamas and the Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) are both urging regulators to push the Government to release its revised industry policy, noting that it is already four months late and causing increased uncertainty for sector players/investors… more
Govt eyes probe of BTC deal
Bahamas – Prime Minister Perry Christie said yesterday the government is considering appointing a select committee in the House of Assembly to probe the 2011 sale of the majority shares of the Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) to Cable and Wireless Communications (CWC)… more
URCA denies Cable Bahamas application for a permanent price increase for SuperBasic
Bahamas – The Utilities Regulation and Competition Authority (URCA) has denied Cable Bahamas Limited’s (CBL) application for a permanent price increase for SuperBasic [REVTV Prime] cable television (TV) services… more
DBJ To Lend J$1.5B Through Mobile Banking Platform
Jamaica – The Development of Jamaica (DBJ) has launched a ‘non-commercial’ pilot of a new mobile money facility for microfinance loans, called M3, and has made J$1.55 billion available to 10 approved lenders for distribution in the test phase… more
Thursday, 14 February 2013
BTC, Cable Blast Retail Price Rules
Bahamas – The Bahamas’ two leading communications operators have urged the Utilities Regulation & Competition Authority (URCA) to move rapidly to alter retail pricing regulations they slammed as “invasive, arbitrary and expensive”… more
Capacity Conference Caribbean Kicked Off In Curaçao This Morning With Record
Curacao – This morning, for the first time, the Capacity Caribbean Conference kicked off on the island of Curaçao at the Santa Barbara Plantation resort… more
Minister Martina And Stimul-It See Potential For Economic Growth Through Technology
Curacao – Recently Minister Martina (Economic Development) visited Stimul-It Curaçao Innovation & Technology Institute… more
Claro Dominicana plans USD250m of spending this year
Dominican Republic – The president of Claro Dominicana, Oscar Pena, has told reporters that the cellco plans to invest USD250 million in the Dominican Republic this year for the development of mobile networks, transmission voice, data and television services… more
Flow adds 40 destinations to call plan
Jamaica – Telecom provider Flow Jamaica added 40 new destinations to its phone bundle plan to address customer demand, the company said Thursday… more
CWC investments to boost regional broadband and TV service
Regional – Cable and Wireless Communications, the parent company for LIME, plans to invest an additional US$20 million in network infrastructure across Caribbean… more
US$20 million being spent on LIME connections
Regional – Cable & Wireless new re-direction of focus on its Latin American and Caribbean business is bringing with it a new multimillion dollar investment in network infrastructure across the region… more
EEICTP Commissions Groundbreaking ICT Space In The Bouton Community
St. Lucia – The community of Bouton took a big step into the digital age on Wednesday February 13th, 2013, with the official commissioning of a European Union-funded ICT Space and Classroom at the Bouton Combined School… more
Friday, 15 February 2013
BTC ‘Exacerbates’ $265m FDI Decline
Bahamas – A $265 million decline in year-over-year net foreign investment (FDI) into the Bahamas is not as bad as it seems, the Central Bank’s governor yesterday saying that stripping out the BTC privatisation proceeds produced a more “modest” 7.6 per cent fall… more
Global Caribbean Fiber selects Ciena to upgrade Antilles Crossing submarine network
Regional – Global Caribbean Fiber (GCF), a network services provider across the Eastern Caribbean, has selected Ciena to upgrade its Antilles Crossing submarine network… more
Saturday, 16 February 2013
Barbuda parents encouraged to utilise e-tablet programme
Antigua & Barbuda – Principal of the Sir McChesney George Secondary School John Mussington implored parents to take advantage of government’s e-Education Computer Tablet programme… more
PLP welcomes BTC probe consideration
Bahamas – The Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) said yesterday it welcomes an independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding the sale of the Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) to Cable and Wireless (C&W)… more
CWC Invests Millions More In LIME For Fibre Connections
Regional – New investments to boost broadband and TV service in the region… more
Minister: TSTT to improve broadband service
Trinidad & Tobago – TSTT is committed to improving the broadband service in T&T NS has invested more than $500 million in wireless broadband in anticipation of a growing demand for high-speed mobile, internet access… more
Sunday, 17 February 2013
Government Ministers For Lotto Scam Talks In Us
Jamaica – The lotto scam will be high on the agenda when Minister of National Security Peter Bunting and Justice Minister Mark Golding travel to the United States (US) this week… more
TSTT CEO: No ‘one size fits all’ approach with our wireless
Trinidad & Tobago – Gregory Hill, acting chief executive officer at majority state-owned Telecommunications Services of T&T (TSTT), has made it clear that when the company deployed its wireless programme it did not take a “one size fits all” approach… more
Image credits: Gary Thomson (Flickr); Wikipedia; The Eleutheran; Linkeado; Wikipedia
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