A roundup of ICT/technology news from across the Caribbean region during the period Monday 9 December to Sunday 15 December 2013.
Monday, 9 December 2013
Facebook exports billion-dollar earnings to Cayman Islands
Cayman Islands – Social networking giant Facebook is facing criticism over its tax payments after filings revealed the company exported an estimated US$ 1 billion earned in the UK and other overseas markets to the Cayman Islands last year… more
Digicel Unveils Its Latest Android Smartphone – Smart Just Got Smarter With The New Dl700
Jamaica – Building on the runaway success of its own affordable Android smartphone, the DL600, Digicel is introducing the latest version to join the range, the DL700, which delivers an even bigger and better Android experience… more
Jamaica and The Future of Television
Jamaica – The King is dead. Long live the King! I will get back to this. Free to air TV stations and cable operators, in particular hardwire cable, have reason to be concerned… more
LIME Foundation offers 5 telecoms scholarships on 10th anniversary
Jamaica – AS it marks its 10th anniversary, the LIME Foundation is offering five scholarships each valued at $300,000 to students pursuing studies in the field of telecommunications at the University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona… more
Official wants Jamaica to focus more on the Internet
Jamaica – President and Chief Executive Officer of Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), Fadi Chehade’ has expressed the need for a greater participation of Caribbean states at the global level in decisions made about the future role of the Internet… more
Bringing business ideas to life at Startup Weekend
Trinidad and Tobago – Caribbean people are full of ideas that could make a great business or change the world. Too often, however, there isn’t the time, resources, connections or skills to bring those dreams to life… more
TSTT: We can’t control roaming rates
Trinidad and Tobago – TSTT is arguing that because it is a T&T-based mobile provider, it cannot control other networks in the region to influence roaming rates… more
Cutback by LIME is actually outsourcing
Turks and Caicos Islands – Cutbacks announced by LIME communications, which is the only landline phone and internet service in the Turks and Caicos Islands, are not in reality cutbacks, sources now report… more
Tuesday, 10 December 2013
US-Cuba thaw — would it help the Internet?
Cuba – President Obama and Raúl Castro shaking hands at the memorial service for Nelson Mandela drew a lot of news coverage, but it is just the latest sign of softening of US policy… more
Digicel Celebrates 600,000 Fans on Facebook with FREE credit
Jamaica – On Monday December 9, the Digicel Jamaica Facebook page marked a significant milestone when it reached a phenomenal 600,000 fans on the popular social media page… more
EITI to host open data workshop on oil and gas revenues
Trinidad and Tobago – Software developers, journalists and innovators with an interest in technology and transparency will benefit from a one-day open data workshop to be held Thursday… more
The no budget video contest
Trinidad and Tobago – The folks at the T&T Film Company didn’t miss an opportunity to plead the case of local content at the launch of the Smartphone Film Festival… more
Wednesday, 11 December 2013
As Digicel visits, govt urged to conduct ‘auction’ for mobile services
Bahamas – The government has been urged to ensure it engages in a competitive “auction” process in order to identify the most suitable potential competitor for Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) in the mobile market post-exclusivity in 2015… more
Attorney General demonstrates new video link technology
Bahamas – Following the Evidence Amendment Act which was enacted to allow the court the discretion to permit prisoners to appear in court via video link, Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Sen. Allyson Maynard-Gibson, explains how the process would work during a press conference held on Friday, December 6 at her office on East Hill Street… more
BTC customers experience service disruption
Bahamas – Thousands of cellular customers throughout New Providence and several of the Family Islands were left without telephone service and Internet access for several hours yesterday afternoon… more
BTC Technical Issues Interrupt Service
Bahamas – The Bahamas Telecommunication Company (BTC) advised that a technical issue inadvertently impacted BTC services to many of the Bahama Islands at 1:15 p.m. Tuesday December 10th… more
Cable Bahamas Founder Dies
Bahamas – CABLE BAHAMAS chairman and founder Phil Keeping, died in a fall from a mechanical scissor-lift in a Harley-Davidson dealership in Newfoundland, Canada, early Monday afternoon… more
Police, BTC in Joint Appeal As Copper Theft Rises
Bahamas – An unremitting onslaught by copper thieves on telecom facilities has Police and The Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) appealing to the public for their assistance to stem the dangerous criminal attacks… more
LIME launches LTE in Cayman Islands
Cayman Islands – Cable & Wireless Communications (CWC), operating under the LIME banner, has commercially launched its Long Term Evolution (LTE) services in the Cayman Islands… more
Students On Curaçao Join Millions In Worldwide ‘Hour Of Code’ Event
Curaçao – Students from the Prins Bernhard School were the first to participate on Curacao today in the worldwide ‘hour of code’ event that was organized as part of the international ‘Computer Science & Education Week’ by Stimul-IT… more
Jamaica gets ICT deal from investment forum
Jamaica – Sutherland Global Services (SGS), the largest foreign investment to date coming out of Jampro’s inaugural Jamaica Investment Forum (JIF) in 2012, formally opened its Global Delivery Centre (GDC) at the University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona Campus on December 4… more
St Lucia to benefit from multi-million dollar ICT grant
Saint Lucia – The government of Saint Lucia, through the Caribbean Regional Infrastructure Programme (CARCIP), will be implementing an EC$2.5 million grant instrument to support ICT business incubation and training… more
Thursday, 12 December 2013
Cable Bahamas Buys Florida Properties
Bahamas – Cable Bahamas recently purchased three Florida systems for about $100 million, gaining a foothold in the United States for the foreign operator… more
60 tablet computers for outstanding teachers and Digital Learning Center
Belize – On Wednesday, the government of Taiwan handed over three projects to the Ministry of Natural Resources; today it was the Ministry of Education that benefitted from Taiwan’s generosity. It received sixty computers which went to some deserving teachers and for a learning center at the E.P. Yorke High School.. more
Denis O’Brien’s Digicel to tap markets for €360m
Regional – Digicel, the telecoms group owned by businessman Denis O’Brien, plans to borrow more than €360 million from the capital markets to cover general company spending… more
A Boost For Entrepreneurs in St Lucia
Saint Lucia – St Lucia’s government will be implementing a $925,925 grant to support business incubation and training in the area of information and communication technology… more
Griffith reveals plans to go hi-tech
Trinidad and Tobago – Organised criminals have expanded their technological artillery to execute crime behind the backs of law enforcement officers. However, crime-fighting strategies, including computer crime scene re-enactments, shoeprint analysis, forensic black light analysis and psychological profiling are still not utilised by local police officers… more
Open data session kicks off TTEITI roadshow
Trinidad and Tobago – Software developers, journalists and innovators with an interest in technology and transparency will benefit from a one-day open data workshop taking place today at the Kapok Hotel, Port-of -Spain, from 9 am to 4 pm… more
Samsung Experience opens doors in T&T
Trinidad and Tobago – Local consumers can look forward to almost immediate access to new innovations from technology-giant Samsung, now that the company has established a Samsung Experience Store at Gulf City, San Fernando… more
Teleios CodeJam – driving innovation
Trinidad and Tobago – ONE of the latest buzzwords in the corporate lexicon is innovation. Everybody is advocating the philosophy of innovation as a means of moving the business world forward while at the same time attempting to create more sustainable jobs… more
Friday, 13 December 2013
Belize’s Phone Numbers Duplicated in Arkansas, USA
Belize – Due to a phone problem experienced over the weekend, we have learned that phone numbers of some subscribers in Belize are identical to phone numbers of subscribers in Arkansas, USA. In 1947, the state of Arkansas was assigned the 501 area code – identical to Belize’s country code… more
ICTA discusses local content
Cayman Islands – The Information and Communications Technology Authority (ICTA) and its board met to discuss the way forward for local content on television airwaves… more
VOIP in Cuba — what is the goal?
Cuba – Alam Brito sent me a link to a story about two Cubans who were caught selling illegal voice over IP (VOIP) telephone calls on the Interent in 2009. They were accused of having cost ETECSA $150,000 in revenue… more
DOMLEC reconnects Marpin
Dominica – Local telecommunication and cable company, Marpin 2K4 Ltd, announced on Friday that its operations have been fully reconnected with the nation’s power provider, DOMLEC… more
After snapping up telecoms, Altice vows better, cheaper service
Dominican Republic – With Altice Group’s entry into the country’s telecom market snapping up Tricom and Orange, the sector’s competition is expected to increase with better Web, mobile, fixed telephone and cable TV service at lower prices… more
Saturday, 14 December 2013
Digicel Gives Testimony As Kartel Trial Heads To 2014
Jamaica – THE MURDER trial of entertainer Vybz Kartel and his four co-accused is heading into the new year… more
Sunday, 15 December 2013
App to track T&T energy revenue
Trinidad and Tobago – Do you want an easier way to track T&T’s oil and gas revenue? There’s an app for that! … more
‘Buffet of service’ at Samsung store
Trinidad and Tobago – T&T’s first Samsung Experience Store opened its doors on Thursday at Gulf City Mall, La Romaine… more
Microsoft invests $1.4m in region’s youth
Trinidad and Tobago – With a total investment of $1.4 million, Microsoft has reaffirmed its commitment to youth and organisations aimed at connecting young people to better opportunities in employment, entrepreneurship and education… more
Image credits: RambergMediaImages (flickr); Wikipedia; Wikipedia; Wikipedia
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