A roundup of ICT/technology news from across the Caribbean region during the period Monday 1 April to Sunday 7 April 2013.
Monday, 1 April 2012
– Nil –
Tuesday, 2 April 2013
BTC gets bad publicity over CARIFTA service
Bahamas – Bahamas Telecomunications Company (BTC) board member Bradley Roberts has pointed to “embarrassing publicity” received by BTC over reported inefficient Internet coverage at the 2013 CARIFTA Games, and suggested that the company’s explanation on the matter was unacceptable… more
Identity theft, data espionage not covered by 2010 Cybercrimes Act
Jamaica – Professor Dr Marco Gercke, director of the Cybercrime Research Institute — an independent global think tank dealing with legal aspects of Cybercrime — has suggested that legislators include identity theft and data espionage in the amendments to the 2010 Cybercrimes Act now being reviewed… more
‘It is an anachronistic law’
Jamaica – The executive of the Press Association of Jamaica (PAJ) backed by the Media Association of Jamaica (MAJ) have urged the parliamentary committee deliberating amendments to the 2010 CyberCrimes Act to reject proposals to criminalise defamatory statements made by persons in cyberspace… more
Quit Whining, Garry And LIME
Jamaica – The Editor, Sir: I heard some news reports that Garfield Sinclair, managing director of LIME, formerly Cable & Wireless, is quarreling about rates, and that he believes that the “dominant provider” should be controlled by the Office of Utilities Regulation (OUR)… more
Regional tech minds put to the test
Regional – Software developers from Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, Martinique, Cuba, Suriname, Guadeloupe, the Dominican Republic and Guyana will this month compete to build solutions to social problems using open data… more
Internet cyberattack puts spotlight on local network readinesss
Trinidad & Tobago – A spat between Spamhaus, a Dutch-based anti-spam firm, and Cyberbunk, a company accused of hosting spam transmitting websites, quickly escalated into one of the largest ever computer Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks on the Internet… more
Wednesday, 3 April 2013
BTC issues proposal to settle matter of fired employee
Bahamas – The Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) has issued a counter proposal to the Ministry of Labour regarding the termination of Elizabeth Thompson, who was a senior manager in the company’s legal department for more than four years, Minister of Labour Shane Gibson said… more
BTC Responds To Criticism On Internet Coverage
Bahamas – The Bahamas Telecommunications company Ltd. (BTC) responded to what the company called “misplaced” allegations of “poor internet coverage for the Media” during the BTC CARIFTA Games… more
Technology bringing democracy to Cuba, says dissident
Cuba – Cuban blogger and independent journalist Yoani Sanchez said, despite restrictions on cyberspace in Cuba, the internet is changing the communist country… more
Internships For Innovation
Jamaica – With operations in more than 30 markets worldwide, Mark Rowe considered his selection for Digicel’s internship programme nothing less than a coup… more
LIME Foundation offers Web-Design Training for teachers
Jamaica – The LIME Foundation yesterday launched a week-long Web-Design Training programme for teachers from Primary Schools in the Corporate Area and instructors from the MultiCare Foundation… more
LIME technical employees on strike
Jamaica – Over 200 unionised technical employees of telecommunications company, LIME Jamaica are on strike… more
The Digital Divide
Jamaica – It has been months since students of St George’s All-Age School in the rural community of Blackstonedge in St Ann have seen a computer at work… more
The ‘tablet,’ an expensive pill to swallow
Jamaica – Several weeks ago, our technology minister announced at a function that he was on a drive to have all our students equipped with hand-held tablets so that equal access to information could be had… more
Thursday, 4 April 2013
BTC Snr. VP responds to ‘misplaced’ comments on CARIFTA Games Internet services
Bahamas – The Bahamas Telecommunications company Ltd. (BTC) today responded to what the company called “misplaced” allegations of “poor internet coverage for the Media” during the BTC CARIFTA Games… more
BTL launches its 2013 Telephone Directory
Belize – The Belize Telemedia Limited (BTL) launched its 2013 Telephone Directory on March 27th, 2013 at the main market in San Ignacio Town… more
Digicell 4G Opens Up New Avenues
Belize – With Digicell’s 4G cell sites having been activated between Belmopan to the Benque Viejo Border early last month, a similar pattern of activity is now taking place between Belmopan and Punta Gorda… more
Cable and Wireless Communications Plc : CWC improves broadband performance in Dominica 4 April, 2013
Dominica – Cable & Wireless Communications, which trades in Dominica as LIME, has contributed to improving the performance of internet services in the country by working to establish a local Internet Exchange Point (IXP)… more
CWC Improves Broadband Performance in Dominica
Dominica – Cable & Wireless Communications, which trades in Dominica as LIME, has contributed to improving the performance of internet services in the country by working to establish a local Internet Exchange Point (IXP)… more
Displaced LIME workers will be offered jobs at Ericsson – Sinclair
Jamaica – The management of LIME Jamaica is putting a positive spin on the transfer of some of its technical services to international firm Ericsson and the impact on the 305 workers who will be separated from the company… more
Thieves hit LIME again
Jamaica – Telecommunications firm LIME said it has since restored critical services to major commercial customers in a section of Harbour Street, Kingston, and its environs following theft and vandalism of cables serving the area… more
Polytechnic University Of Puerto Rico Hosts The Conference Cybersecurity 2013: Cloud And Social Networking
Puerto Rico – Cyber Security is one of the hottest IT issues, worldwide. The Center of Information Assurance for Research and Education (CIARE) at Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico (PUPR) will be hosting the first “CyberSecurity 2013 Cloud and Social Networking Conference” at the campus amphitheater on Friday, April 19, 2013 from 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM… more
Forbes: Mobile Lifestyle Revisited
Regional – Only six weeks in use, my iPhone suddenly started prompting me that I had no data plan. What data plan? … more
Digicel Brings The Android Experience To All With Launch Of Its Affordable Smartphone
Regional – Digicel is making the Android experience affordable and accessible to all with the launch of its own affordable smartphone… more
Time to strengthen your network
Regional – Yet another strike by hackers on the Internet’s addressing system has placed the spotlight on the vulnerability of the network’s core architecture. Security experts and system administrators should take heed and re-examine measures for defending against escalating and increasing complex threats to their networks… more
New $3 Million Technology Center opens as IT hub of the Caribbean
St. Martin – Cries of regional businesses hampered by inaccessibility to technology just got answered with the launch of the Computech Technology Center in Saint Martin, set to revolutionize Information Technology opportunities for companies… more
Trini wins World Bank tech contest
Trinidad & Tobago – Business leaders often perceive innovation as a means of growing their business. For 37-year-old Rick Cooper, it is no different. Cooper, managing director of Rico Technologies Ltd, entered his project—Interact XL—into the PitchIT Caribbean competition which was hosted by the World Bank under its infoDev programme in November 2012… more
Friday, 5 April 2013
Digicel Launches New Hybrid Plan: Prepaid Service With The Benefits Of Postpaid
Barbados – Prepaid customers who want the benefit of a postpaid package with the ease of use of a prepaid account can now take advantage of the perfect plan from Digicel, the Bigger, Better Network… more
Digicel Launches Its Own Smartphone
Jamaica – Starting next month, mobile provider Digicel Group will sell its own Android smartphone, the Digicel DL600, in an apparent attempt to grow and monetise Internet usage… more
LIME Jamaica, unions to meet over planned job cuts
Jamaica – LIME Jamaica and unions representing restive technical employees are expected to meet today… more
SSP Bailey Opposes Media’s Stance On Cyberdefamation
Jamaica – Senior Superintendent of Police Fitz Bailey, the commanding officer for St Andrew Central, is disagreeing with sections of the media who oppose criminalising defamtion in the amended cybercrime law… more
Fortinet aims to increase Caribbean market share
Regional – NETWORK security firm Fortinet has announced the appointment of Gilberto Perez as Eastern Caribbean country manager… more
Digicel Turks and Caicos grabs 55% of cellphone market
Turks & Caicos Islands – AFTER grabbing 55 per cent of the cellphone market in the Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI) and boasting 100 per cent population coverage, Denis O’Brien’s Digicel is looking to enter the fixed line market in the British Overseas Territory… more
Saturday, 6 April 2013
BTC Supports Government Focus on Increased Internet-penetration
Bahamas – Ahead of the government’s release of its revised electronic communications sector policy, The Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) is calling for special attention to be given to the state of Internet-penetration across the country… more
Dominica-Employment-Union wants regional governments to intervene in dismissal of workers
Dominica – The Dominica Public Service Union (DPSU) is calling on Caribbean governments to intervene to stop plans by the British telecommunications giant Cable and Wireless, which operates in the Caribbean under the brand LIME, to lay off employees across the region… more
Digicel solar equipment stolen from Omai site
Guyana – Digicel on Saturday revealed that the solar equipment it was using to power its Omai site was stolen with CEO Gregory Dean expressing disappointment… more
Gov’t embarks on ICT regulatory project
Jamaica – Approximately $18.9 million has been set aside in the 2013/14 Estimates of Expenditure to enhance the Information and Communications Technology (ICT), regulatory environment of the country… more
Workers picket TSTT ahead of pension plan court matter
Trinidad & Tobago – Ahead of next Wednesday’s High Court matter concerning the pension plan for former Telco and TSTT employees, dozens of workers staged a lunch time protest yesterday at TSTT’s Edward Street, Port-of-Spain office… more
Sunday, 7 April 2013
Digicel slashes roaming rates
Jamaica – Telecoms giant Digicel is making it easier and more affordable for customers to stay connected while travelling overseas with the launch of its new ‘Same Rates a Yaad, Same Rates Abroad’ roaming plan… more
Latin America, Caribbean at different digital speeds—ECLAC
Regional – Speaking at the opening of the Fourth Ministerial Conference on the Information Society in Latin America and the Caribbean, Alicia Bárcena, the executive secretary of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (Eclac) said: “The region must advance towards a digital economy in the interests of structural change and equality.”… more
Mobile phones bridging T&T’s digital divide
Trinidad & Tobago – The mobile phone and its increasing features are helping to bridge the digital divide in T&T, said Ronald Walcott, executive vice president Mobile Services, Telecommunication Service of Trinidad and Tobago (TSTT)… more
Image credits: Wikipedia; Wikipedia; Wikipedia
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