A roundup of ICT/technology news from across the Caribbean region during the period Monday 27 January to Sunday 2 February 2014.
Monday, 27 January 2014
Foundation Will Not End BTC Support Of Community
Bahamas – FEARS that the Bahamas Telecommunications Company will slash its social contributions to the Bahamian public by virtue of the introduction of the BTC Foundation were laid to rest yesterday… more
The BTC Deal
Bahamas – EDITOR, The Tribune. Prior to today’s announcement by the Prime Minister, Cable and Wireless (C&W) was the majority owner of BTC and the Government was the minority owner… more
Wilson: Minnis To Get ‘Day In Court’ On BTC
Bahamas – A key member of the Government’s Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) negotiating team has pledged it will investigate how Cable & Wireless Communications (CWC) became involved in the privatisation process when it was not among the original bidders… more
ICT must be driven by private sector – GT&T CEO
Guyana – Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Service Limited (GT&T) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Radha Krishna Sharma said development in the Information Communication Technology (ICT) sector must be spearheaded by the private sector… more
No place for Govt. in telecoms business…CEO RK Sharma says…GT&T not being allowed to expand
Guyana – As the debate continues over the state’s aggressive E-Governance project to connect its offices and build internet towers across the land, the country’s biggest telephone company has complained that a delay in permission to expand has halted the advancement of new technology in the local telephone and internet sector… more
ICT must play major role in Logistics Hub — English
Jamaica – OUTGOING president and Chief Operating Officer of Flow and Columbus Business Solutions, Michele English, believes that Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) will be one of the most important components in the establishment of Jamaica’s Logistics Hub… more
Education Ministry Managers Discuss Infusion Of ICT Into Schools
Saint Kitts and Nevis – Education officials managing the infusion of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) into schools met on Monday (January 20) to assess progress and plan the way forward… more
Tuesday, 28 January 2014
Data Commissioner cautions Bahamian students on the handling of personal data
Bahamas – The Office of the Data Protection Commissioner, Officially commenced “Privacy Week”, with a special presentation, at St. John’s College, Monday morning assembly. Commissioner Farrington Austin highlighted the need for students to respect the use and disclosure of an individual’s personal information… more
Don’t Be Distracted From Big Issues
Bahamas – EDITOR, The Tribune. Many Bahamians are being distracted by the sideshow that the prime minister has tried to create announcing a new deal on the ownership of BTC… more
Overstating The Deal With BTC
Bahamas – EDITOR, The Tribune. I have just received the document issued by Franklyn Wilson, Chairman of the BTC Negotiating Committee, giving questions and answers about the new “Majority Bahamian Owned” BTC… more
The BTC Charade Is Over – Get Back To The Country’s Problems
Bahamas – For those asking about the numbers from the result of this nearly two-year-long BTC charade by the government and its cohorts: Cable & Wireless Communications (CWC) bought 129,878,640 (51%) shares in BTC in 2011… more
The Government did put Bahamians First in New BTC Deal
Bahamas – Dear Editor, The achievement of the government on behalf of the Bahamian people in the renegotiated BTC deal is clear and quantifiable… more
DoE Creates Reporting App
Cayman Islands – Members of the public will soon be able to help the Department of Environment (DoE) enforce marine park laws when it launches a new app that will enable people to make reports to staff in real time on their iPads and smart phones… more
GT&T CEO renews call for 3G/4G spectrum
Guyana – Radha Krishna Sharma, CEO of fixed line incumbent Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GT&T), has criticised the government’s inaction regarding the distribution of 3G and 4G concessions, claiming that the operator has been pursuing additional spectrum for advanced mobile data services for the last four years… more
Guyanese Website Could Be Game Changer in Regional Crime Fighting
Guyana – One tech entrepreneur based in Georgetown, Guyana is taking a fresh approach to the country’s crime problems. Vijay Datadin is the main player behind Guyana Crime Reports, the country’s newest data journalism website… more
Gov’t To Consider Single Regulator For ICT
Jamaica – The Government is to receive funding from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) to hire a consultant to study the viability of a single regulator for the information communication technology (ICT) industry… more
Digicel posts US$198 million net loss
Regional – Although its revenue has been increasing, mobile operator Digicel Group Limited reported its first net loss in three years, according to company reports… more
Mystery calls from Caribbean could cost residents
Regional – A call comes to your cell phone and rings only one time. Your caller ID shows it’s from the Caribbean. Whatever you do, don’t call it back. That’s the message from the Better Business Bureau… more
BHS Teachers Focus On Technology As They Aspire To Increase Learning Benefits For Champions
Saint Kitts and Nevis – Following Basseterre High School’s Staff Development Day 2014 teachers left feeling better equipped to manage the integration of Information and Communications Technology (ICTs) in their classroom activities… more
LIME connects broadband with economic development
Saint Kitts and Nevis – LIME will host the 30th Annual General Meeting of the Caribbean Association of National Telecommunications Operators (CANTO) in Montego Bay, Jamaica from January 25-28, 2014… more
Wednesday, 29 January 2014
CWC Demanded Three-Year Cell Monopoly Extension
Bahamas – Cable & Wireless Communications (CWC) initially demanded a three-year extension to the Bahamas Telecommunications Company’s (BTC) existing cellular monopoly as the price for giving up majority ownership, Tribune Business was told yesterday… more
Former PM tried to change BTC deal
Bahamas – Former Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham made a final bid to hold on to a majority stake in the Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) weeks before signing a deal with Cable & Wireless Communications, but CWC said agreeing to a minority interest was out of the question, The Nassau Guardian can reveal… more
Wilson: BTC deal benefits company
Bahamas – Franklyn Wilson has hit back at detractors who suggest a “side deal” may have been struck with Cable and Wireless over Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC), arguing that the deal represents pure “good will” on the part of the company that will bode well for it financially, particularly once liberalization occurs… more
Coursera courses blocked in Cuba (by the US!)
Cuba – I just got an email from reader and contributor Doug Madory with the subject “Coursera blocked in Cuba.” … more
Cuba’s Etecsa to launch mobile internet service in H2
Cuba – Cuban operator Etecsa plans to launch mobile internet services in the second half of this year, Cuban news agency ACN report, citing unnamed company directors… more
Dominican Republic educates students on internet safety
Dominican Republic – The Dominican Institute of Telecommunications (Indotel) and the Ministry of Education have launched a program to train 400 students from public and private schools on healthy and responsible internet use… more
Telecom regulator announces US$62.0M optic fiber network
Dominican Republic – Dominican Republic’s telecom regulator (Indotel) aims to develop the “national optic fiber network” to carry telecom services across the country, using broadband technology for wider scope and accessibility… more
Controversial Grenada defamation law advances
Grenada – A controversial Grenadian bill that could mean prison for anyone sending false or offensive electronic messages has “quietly” become law, according to media advocacy groups… more
GT&T cables at Bartica damaged, 600 customers affected
Guyana – GT&T’s service to 600 customers in Bartica has been affected after cables were cut by a contractor… more
GT&T contributed over B$51 to national coffers
Guyana – Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company Limited (GT&T) Chief Executive Officer Radha Krishna Sharma has disclosed that the telephone giant has paid over $51 billion to the National Treasury in revenues and has invested $58 billion in capital expansion programmes over the past 23 years… more
‘Draft your social media policy now’, advises LIME Jamaica’s legal head
Jamaica – NOW is the time to draft a social media policy for your business, advises Rochelle Cameron, the head of LIME’s Legal and Regulatory Division… more
Thursday, 30 January 2014
Minnis defends Ingraham on BTC
Bahamas – Former Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham’s eleventh hour attempt to retain the majority stake in the Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) in 2011 proves that his administration had the best interest of Bahamians at heart, Opposition Leader Dr. Hubert Minnis said yesterday… more
Trust – Historic Or Broken?
Bahamas – EDITOR, The Tribune. Is the establishment of the Bahamas Telecommunication Company (BTC), BTC Trust Foundation, a deal of historic proportion or an announcement of a broken trust and the greatest fraudulent misrepresentation in Bahamian history? … more
30 Health Workers Complete Training In Information Technology
Guyana – After completing six weeks of training in basic Information Technology, 30 health care workers graduated today at a ceremony at the Cheddi Jagan Research centre, High Street… more
Technology Makes A Difference At Rollington Town Primary
Jamaica – The Rollington Town Primary School, in Kingston, has seen a big rise in numeracy, moving from 36 per cent in 2012, to 66 per cent in 2013, an achievement that the institution’s leadership attributes to the use of technology… more
Columbus moves English to Top of the Class
Regional – Columbus International has announced the promotion of Michele English to the role of executive vice president and chief customer officer… more
Stingray Digital Signs Carriage Agreement with Columbus
Regional – Stingray Digital, the leading provider of multiplatform music services for Pay-TV Operators worldwide announced today it has signed an agreement with Columbus International Inc. (Columbus), a major, diversified telecommunications provider in the region, for the distribution of the Galaxie digital music service… more
TelEm Group Phone Book photo contest winner receives Smartphone prize
Sint Maarten – Amateur digital photographer, Rogier Brans, of local engineering firm Lievense, has been officially recognized as the winner of TelEm Group’s Phone Book 2014 Photo contest which took place island-wide late last year… more
Increased mobility, wearable devices and virtually reality
Trinidad and Tobago – CHEAPER devices, wearable technology, a proliferation of apps, the merging of physical and digital boundaries, multi-screening, the need to be constantly connected and an insatiable need for information by consumers… more
TSTT unveils model smart home
Trinidad and Tobago – At an upscale gated community in Chaguanas yesterday morning, TSTT unveiled its pilot project for gigabit connections to the home… more
Friday, 31 January 2014
Evans feels vindicated over BTC sale objection
Bahamas – Bahamas Communications and Public Officers Union (BCPOU) President Bernard Evans said yesterday he felt vindicated after learning that former Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham attempted to retain majority stake in the Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) in 2011… more
March conclusion to BTC deal
Bahamas – Cable & Wireless Communications (CWC) is expected to finalize its deal with the government regarding the give back of nearly two percent of its shares in the Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) by the end of March, according to Franklyn Wilson, who led negotiations for the Christie administration… more
Mr. Nelson Young Vs. BTL Laboural Case Still to be Resolved
Belize – Nine years ago Thursday, former employee of Belize Telemedia Limited (BTL), Nelson Young, was fired at the height of civil unrest in 2005 by the Ashcroft regime then in charge, soon to be followed by their union representative Christine Perriott, who later won judgment in the Supreme Court for her case, about $350,000… more
Social media and managing reputation
Regional – Governments, tourist boards, and the travel industry spend millions of dollars each year to create a positive picture of the Caribbean and the visitor experience: a sense that all is well in a country and that a destination and a vacation will provide a happy and memorable time… more
Internet problems exacerbate difficulties in North Caicos
Turks and Caicos Islands – The government office in North Caicos, which now is open only one day a week, was unable to accept payments on Wednesday as a result of an internet failure… more
Saturday, 1 February 2014
Houston confident BTC will be well positioned for liberalization
Bahamas – With months before the Bahamas Telecommunications Company’s (BTC) monopoly on the cellular market ends, company CEO Geoff Houston said though all available resources are being poured into improving infrastructure, there is “still a lot of work to be done”… more
Software Developers in Barbados in Line for the Top Prize in a Regional Competition
Barbados – The Barbadian software developers who have made it past the first phase of one of the Apps competition in Digital Jam 3.0 “Caribbean edition” have been given some guidance as to how they may put themselves in a better position to win the USD $10,000.00 grand prize… more
CTEX Achieves Tier-IV ‘Facility’ Certification Making It The First Multitenant Datacenter In Latin America And The Caribbean To Achieve Such Level Of Excellence
Curaçao – Curacao Technology Exchange (CTEX) was certified today by the Uptime Institute as a Tier-IV ‘Constructed Facility’. In doing so, CTEX’s ‘CU-1’ datacenter becomes the 13th in the world and the first Multitenant datacenter in Latin America and the Caribbean to achieve both ‘Design’ and ‘Constructed Facility’ certification… more
Sunday, 2 February 2014
Michele English: The real island girl
Jamaica – ADMITTING that, based on the image painted in the international media, she had her own perceptions about Jamaica before moving here eight years ago, Michele English says what she encountered was the total opposite.. more
Image credits: Wikipedia; Wikipedia; Wikipedia; Wikipedia; Wikipedia
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