Roundup: for the week ending 7 July 2013

A roundup of ICT/technology news from across the Caribbean region during the period Monday 1 July to Sunday 7 July 2013.

Monday, 1 July 2013

– nil –

Tuesday, 2 July 2013

Cable Fears 50% Call Terminate Revenue Cut

Bahamas – Cable Bahamas has warned that imposing price controls based on Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) related benchmarks would slash its phone call termination revenues by 50 per cent, creating an “unjustified negative impact” on its finances… more

The BTC Conundrum

Bahamas – It is my hope through my letter to join the discussion on the Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) two percent share transfer, the initial sale and eventual full liberalization of the telecoms sector in the country… more

Bank gives full support to Cybercrimes Act amendments

Jamaica – ASSISTANT vice-president of eBusiness at First Global Bank, Dalton Fowles, says the entity is in full support of the pending amendments to the 2010 Cybercrimes Act… more

Blink broadband helps local students top the Caribbean

Trinidad & Tobago – Blink Broadband has made a big difference for two T&T students who outdid their regional counterparts to claim the top two places in the 2013 edition of CANTO’s 7^th World Telecommunication and Information Society Day Essay competition… more

Wednesday, 3 July 2013

ICT Fest 2013, an avenue to knowledge for all (with photos)

Dominica – Two pupils of the Laudat Primary School showed how familiar a topic ICT already is among Dominica’s school population, when they were awarded for winning an essay on the topic “How can schools make the best use of information technology in the classroom.”… more

All Jamaicans Must Have Access To Technology –Robinson

Jamaica – State Minister for Science, Technology, Energy and Mining, Hon. Julian Robinson, has reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to ensuring that every Jamaican has access to technology… more

T&T ranks 81st in global innovation

Trinidad & Tobago – Trinidad and Tobago has been ranked 81 out of 142 countries in the 2013 Global Innovation Index for the second consecutive year, a statement on the Index’s official website has said… more

What you need to know about e-mail fraud

Trinidad & Tobago – The current controversy which has arisen out of the contribution of the Leader of the Opposition in the House of Representatives on May 20 has given rise to a great deal of public discussion… more

AT&T 4G LTE Available In St. Thomas

US Virgin Islands – AT&T* has turned on the nation’s fastest 4G LTE network** in St. Thomas, bringing customers the latest generation of wireless network technology… more

Thursday, 4 July 2013

BTC gift supports scholarships and the national university

Bahamas – The Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) and The College of The Bahamas have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) which establishes the BTC Scholars Programme through a $250,000 contribution from the telecommunications provider… more

Gov’t Sector Policy Contradicts PM On BTC Cell Monopoly

Bahamas – The Government’s draft communications sector policy makes no mention of extending the Bahamas Telecommunications Company’s (BTC) cellular monopoly beyond its current April 2014 expiration, and instead calls for competition to come “as expeditiously as possible”… more

Gov’t To Close 30,000 Household ‘Digital Divide’

Bahamas – The Government has pledged to close a ‘digital divide’ that has left 30,000 Bahamian households without fixed broadband Internet services, warning that it is “of critical importance that the Bahamas never drops the ball” on electronic communications… more

No date in sight for web shop case

Bahamas – More than five months after a gambling referendum failed, the substantive case on the matter has yet to be heard in the Supreme Court… more

E-petition takes aim at deaths resulting from cervical cancer

Cayman Islands – The Cayman Islands Cancer Society is calling for the people of Cayman to sign an online Caribbean-wide petition pledging an end to cervical cancer… more

Grenada government admits public concerns over online censorship

Grenada – The government of Grenada said it is aware of some concerns raised by the proposed new Electronics Crime Bill 2013, and its possible ability to suppress internet comment by Section 6 of the 18-page document… more

LIME cuts landline to mobile rate

Jamaica – TELECOMMUNICATIONS provider LIME yesterday announced a rate cut to call local mobile phones using its landlines, effective July 1… more

TTCSI head: E-commerce market place ‘negligible’

Trinidad & Tobago – Rabindra ‘Danny’ Jaggernauth, president of T&T Coalition of Services Industries (TTCSI), is warning that economic diversification can be undermined if urgent attention is not paid in creating an efficient and viable e-commerce environment… more

Friday, 5 July 2013

A reasonable approach to BTC

Bahamas – Dear Editor, As the debate about the government’s intention to regain the majority ownership of the Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) rages on, I think it is important to avoid unnecessary hostility and to ensure that mature judgment and good sense prevails at the end of the day… more

BTC pass ‘problems’

Bahamas – With the launch of the Bahamas Telecommunications Company’s (BTC) new initiative known as the “free night pass” customers in Grand Bahama are complaining that the service has now become less than satisfactory… more

Extending BTC cellular monopoly a bad idea

Bahamas – Political terms in office go by quickly. The last year of five-year terms is usually dominated by more politics than governance. Wise political parties do all they can in their first four years and do not waste time chasing silly objectives… more

The BTC Bargain

Bahamas – Prime Minister Perry Christie has made the most profound revelation since the Bahamas Telecommunications Company take-back talks started: He is considering extending BTC’s monopoly to get back two percent of the shares held by Cable and Wireless Communications (CWC)… more

Information, technology charge off to Grand Court

Cayman Islands – Sandra Catron to appear in Grand Court on 19 July… more

Digicel launches Be Extraordinary brand platform in Grenada

Grenada – Digicel has launched its ‘Be Extraordinary’ brand platform in Grenada. Digicel has already introduced its new ‘Be Extraordinary’ tagline and brand identity in Panama, Bermuda, Jamaica, and the Cayman Islands and Saint Lucia… more

Barita Thrives From Lime Data-Warehousing Services

Jamaica – Data warehousing is a process that has transformed business decision-making across the world. Here in Jamaica, Barita Investments Limited has been using LIME’s data-warehousing services for more than five years… more

Digicel’s Media Cocktail

Jamaica – The roof terrace of Digicel’s regional headquarters came to life last Wednesday night with a special media cocktail. Media personnel turned up in their numbers to show their support to the new CEO of the bigger, better network… more

E-Learning Jamaica Accepting Bids for Supply of Tablets

Jamaica – The E-Learning Jamaica Company Limited is accepting bids for the provision of 30,000 tablet computers for schools under the pilot phase of the Government’s School Tablet Computer Programme… more

MSBM/RADA MOU gives rural farmers ICT boost

Jamaica – On Friday June 21, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed formalizing the continuing Open Data in Agriculture initiative between the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) and Mona School of Business and Management (MSBM)… more

Radio Frequency experts fine-tuning TelEm Group’s 3G/2G networks

St. Maarten – TelEm Group has drafted in a Polish and British Network Performance Consultants to fine tune the company’s 2G and 3G networks now operating under a newly assigned frequency… more

Digicel lowers rate

St. Vincent & the Grenadines – From today, Friday July 5th, subscribers to the Digicel mobile service will pay 59 cents per minute for local and regional calls by activating the company’s new rate plan by means of dialing… more

Saturday, 6 July 2013

CTEX Becomes First Uptime Institute Certified, Multi-tenant, Tier-IV Data Center in Latin America and the Caribbean

Curacao – Curaçao Technology Exchange (CTEX), N.V., today became the first and largest multi-tenant data center in Latin America and the Caribbean to achieve the Uptime Institute Tier-IV design certification for the first of its four data centers… more

Investment in Technology Will Ensure Parity – Robinson

Jamaica – State Minister in the Ministry of Science, Technology, Energy and Mining, Hon. Julian Robinson, says the Government is investing heavily in technology, so that young Jamaicans can be on par with persons in other countries… more

Jamaican Information Minister Proposes “Media Complaints Council”

Jamaica – Jamaican Information Minister Sandrea Falconer is proposing the establishment of a “Media Complaints Council,” which would deal with people who claim damage to their reputations due to media publications… more

LIME, Stop Hanging Up On Us!

Jamaica – THE EDITOR, Sir: I must say I am very grateful for the new termination rate that was instituted by the Office of Utilities Regulation (OUR) that has caused a significant reduction in call costs for customers. I am especially pleased with LIME, as it is now easier than ever to call anyone in Jamaica, the United States, Canada and United Kingdom landlines… more

Moving ICT From Policy To Strategy

Jamaica – THE EDITOR, Sir: Three pieces of content in The Sunday Gleaner dated June 30, 2013 led me to think how often the dots between policy and strategy, really the implementation of policy, evinces the missed interconnections… more

Scammers target WAPA customers

US Virgin Islands – Residents and business owners are being targeted by scammers threatening to disconnect their utility service unless they are paid… more

Sunday, 7 July 2013