A roundup of ICT/technology news from across the Caribbean region during the period Monday 10 March to Sunday 16 March 2014.
Monday, 10 March 2014
HEART Project Launched
Antigua and Barbuda – The Ministry of Telecommunications, Science, and Technology, in collaboration with telecommunications company LIME has launched a new, multi-million dollar ICT initiative called the Human Entrepreneurship and Assistive Resource Technologies (HEART) project… more
Companies Urged To Better Maintain IT Infrastructure
Bahamas – Too many companies are failing to maintain their Information Technology (IT) systems, a service provider arguing that they are neglecting the engine of most modern businesses… more
CTEX Uptime Certified Tier-IV Datacenter Officially Opens
Curaçao – Curaçao Technology Exchange (CTEX) the most advanced and modern Uptime certified Tier-IV datacenter in Latin America and the Caribbean, officially opened its doors to the world on Saturday March 8… more
TRES Networks Launches New Cloud Based Business Services
Curaçao – TRES Networks (“TRES”) a local fixed and international long distance telecommunications operator and licensed distributor of digital television and entertainment services in Curacao announced it is now able to offer to all areas in Curaçao their state of the art based Cloud Phone System that delivers enterprise class communications capabilities and unrivaled savings with excellent management support… more
Allegations have been made by various countries against communications giant Huawei
Guyana – Dear Editor, In these modern times the world’s peoples, including Guyanese, are becoming increasingly dependent on technology… more
Haiti – Technology : Haiti will manufacture 2,600 tablet computers for students in Venezuela
Haiti – Sunday, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro received in Caracas at Miraflores Palace, the Prime Minister, Laurent Lamothe who was accompanied by U.S. actor Sean Penn… more
Digicel Data Centre Critical To Logistics Hub Success
Jamaica – During a recent tour of Digicel’s Tier III Data Centre, Anthony Hylton, minister of industry, investment and commerce, said information communication technology (ICT) would be a critical part of the technology infrastructure needed to make Jamaica’s global logistics hub a success… more
New LIME detection system nabs metal thieves
Jamaica – Telecommunications Company LIME says that a new theft-detection system, installed to catch people stealing its copper cables, has resulted in the arrest of two men… more
Caribbean youths look to create the next top mobile app
Regional – The next viral mobile sensation could be developed right here in Jamaica. That’s the message from the tech community to young hopefuls in the Caribbean… more
CARICOM Heads to talk ICTs
Regional – Heads of the Caribbean Community (Caricom) will today meet in St Vincent & the Grenadines with information and communication technologies (ICT’s) high on the agenda… more
Grenada’s PM highlights key areas to boost CARICOM competitiveness on the World stage
Regional – Grenada’s Prime Minister Dr. Keith Mitchell has identified five areas in ICT in order for CARICOM member countries to enhance their ability to compete on the global stage… more
St. Lucia launches Internet Exchange Point
Saint Lucia – Saint Lucia celebrated its 35th year of independence with a bold step toward improving the quality of Internet services for its citizens. On Feb. 28, the island joined the growing list of CARICOM countries reaping the benefits of a local Internet Exchange Point, or IXP… more
Tuesday, 11 March 2014
Cable Bahamas urged to reduce rate
Bahamas – Cable Bahamas has been told that it should “promptly” reduce a fee that it charges BTC to terminate calls from BTC customers on its network… more
URCA Moves To End Cable’s Fixed-Line Advantage Over BTC
Bahamas – Regulators are proposing to place the Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) on a ‘level playing field’ with its main rivals on fixed-line call termination charges over a 90-day period, “promptly removing” a long-standing complaint of the incumbent carrier… more
Youth leaders debate cyberbullying
Cayman Islands – The seventh annual Cayman Islands Commonwealth Youth Parliamentary meeting Monday took up the controversial topic of cyberbullying during its morning meeting and, somewhat surprisingly, voted down a proposal that sought to criminalize the issue… more
St Lucia leads off Caribbean innovation workshops
Saint Lucia – Caribbean history is the picture of a region lacking in physical and financial resources, but constantly finding ways to confront those realities through human resourcefulness and ingenuity… more
Wednesday, 12 March 2014
PSCN Modernizing The Way Public Safety Agencies Communicate
Antigua and Barbuda – The multi-million dollar, digital technology powered Public Safety Communications Network (PSCN) was commissioned in 2008 and has significantly enhanced the response time of public safety agencies to emergency situations… more
BTC Hails End To Cable Bahamas ‘Subsidisation’
Bahamas – The Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) yesterday hailed plans to establish a ‘level playing field’ in fixed-line voice call termination fees, arguing that this would stop it and its clients “subsidising Cable Bahamas”… more
Happy birthday Internet
Cayman Islands – The internet now 25-years-old and many say they couldn’t live without it. In 1989 Tim Berners-Lee created the internet… more
Govt signs $800m deal for ‘Tablets in schools’ pilot
Jamaica – The Ministries of Education and Science, Technology, Energy and Mining (STEM) sealed an $800 million deal on Tuesday for 37 learning institutions to be equipped with tablet computers for the upcoming academic year… more
Local crime app developers target $20m in revenue
Jamaica – DEVELOPERS of Crimebot, the award-winning mobile crime alert application (app), aim to generate up to $20 million in revenues while curbing crime… more
CARICOM moves ahead with Single ICT Space
Regional – The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) will focus over the next two years on unveiling the Single Information Communication Technology ICT Space as the digital layer of the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME)… more
Technology Matters: Internet governance at a crossroads
Regional – Shaping the Future of the Global Internet. Internet governance has emerged as a major point of focus for governments and private sector groups interested in safeguarding and sustaining the growth and innovation spurred by the web… more
Thursday, 13 March 2014
Bim missing out on e-business
Barbados – Barbados could be losing out on thousands of dollars in foreign exchange earnings each month due to the lack of a proper infrastructure to accommodate electronic commerce (e-commerce)… more
Online job system goes live
Cayman Islands – The Cayman Islands government has developed an online job interface that it hopes will link job-seekers with prospective employers… more
Digicel happy with theme for World Consumer Rights Day
Jamaica – DIGICEL, the company which helped to revolutionise Jamaica’s telecommunications sector, has expressed pleasure with the theme of this year’s World Consumer Rights Day — ‘Your Phone, Your Rights’ — which is to be observed on Saturday, March 15… more
UTech software to boost learning at school for deaf
Jamaica – THE University of Technology recently presented a copy of its recently developed e-learning software — U-Touch — to the Lister Mair Gilby School for the Deaf at a ceremony held on the grounds of the school in St Andrew… more
CTU brings CARCIP Innovation Workshop to Grenada
Regional – A series of workshops rolling out across the Caribbean is intended to spark and harness the power of Caribbean innovation as an engine for technology-enabled development and enterprise… more
Digicel Business Named Microsoft Strategic Services Provider
Regional– Digicel Business further cemented its position as the region’s leading full service business solutions partner with the news today that it has been named a Microsoft Strategic Services Provider… more
Talk! We’re Listening
Saint Kitts and Nevis – Telephone and other communication service providers in St. Kitts and Nevis are getting a chance to affirm the value of their customer service all this week as part of their involvement in Consumer Week 2014… more
Anglican Infant gets A Computer Lab
Saint Lucia – THE Castries Anglican Infant School has a new computer lab, one of the last schools on the island to benefit from the Michael Walker In-time Project… more
Central Bank warns of phone swindlers
Trinidad and Tobago – Mobile phone scammers are using the name of the Central Bank to try to swindle cellular users… more
Digicel TT wins gold
Trinidad and Tobago – EXCITING times ahead for Digicel Trinidad and Tobago following the successful results obtained at the first phase of the American Advertising Awards (ADDY) competition… more
Friday, 14 March 2014
PM Blasts Failure Over BTC’s $62m Pension Deficit
Bahamas – The Ingraham administration failed to provide the $39 million financing promised in the privatisation process to cover the original Bahamas Telecommunication Company (BTC) pension fund deficit, Prime Minister Perry Christie last night alleging this had caused the shortfall to balloon to $62 million… more
HOA passes controversial cybercrime bill
British Virgin Islands – The House of Assembly unanimously passed a bill late Thursday evening that would strengthen existing laws and penalties against those who unlawfully access or publish confidential computer data… more
Digicel wants LIME investigated
Cayman Islands – A new tit-for-tat war has been dialed up between Cayman’s two mobile phone providers over what one of them has claimed are unfair charges to customers, with the other hitting back immediately with allegations of mischief making… more
Digicel asks regulator to investigate LIME
Dominica – Digicel on Friday asked the National Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (NTRC) to launch an investigation into LIME’s call handling – which results in some consumers being unfairly charged… more
Dominican government will compensate users affected by digital switchover
Dominican Republic – Gideon Santos, the president of Dominican Republic’s telecoms regulator Instituto Dominicano de las Telecomunicaciones (Indotel), has revealed that the government will compensate users that must purchase decoders in order to receive digital terrestrial television (DTT) signals… more
Incubating the Caribbean: CTU brings CARCIP innovation workshop to Grenada
Grenada – A series of workshops rolling out across the Caribbean is intended to spark and harness the power of Caribbean innovation as an engine for technology-enabled development and enterprise… more
Digicel Business launches vehicle management solution
Jamaica – DIGICEL Business added data-driven vehicle management solution, f6, to its list of vehicle services offered in Jamaica… more
Digicel: Experience Suggests Limited Impact From Number Portability
Jamaica – As number portability for Jamaican phone customers approaches, telecoms company Digicel says it does not expect the service’s introduction to have much impact on its Jamaican business, given its experience in four other markets… more
Digicel reports LIME to OUR
Jamaica – Digicel has asked the Office of Utilities Regulation, OUR, to investigate its competitor LIME… more
IT company develops software to help businesses maximise on digital media
Jamaica – A local information technology company has developed an online tool designed for businesses to use digital media in an effective and profitable way… more
LIME opens customer care complex
Jamaica – LIME Jamaica is using part of its share of U$12M ($1.3 billion) allocated in 2012 to improve customer service across the Caribbean, to expand and improve services at its flagship Carlton store at ‘LIME Square’ on Half-Way Road in St Andrew… more
LIME threatens ‘action’ against Digicel
Jamaica – LIME on Friday labelled Digicel’s call yesterday for the Office of Utilities Regulation (OUR) to investigate LIME’s call handling – which Digicel says result in some consumers being unfairly charged — as “malicious and potentially libellous”… more
Vandals destroy LIME’s transmission lines
Jamaica – Vandals on Friday morning destroyed several transmission cables serving customers of telecommunications firm, LIME, in the vicinity of the Ferry Police Station in St. Catherine… more
Caribbean Cyber Security Center: 2014 Top (10) Caribbean Cyber Security Predictions For Law Enforcement
Regional – Caribbean law enforcement must understand that Cyber Crime has surpassed the international drug trade yet Caribbean businesses, organizations, and governments have done very little to combat this phenomenon… more
“LIME Awarded the Consumer’s Choice, Communication Provider of the Year 2014”
Saint Kitts and Nevis – As part of the 2014 World Consumer Rights Day, the St. Kitts Consumer Affairs Department in the Ministry of Trade undertook the bold initiative to hear directly from consumers how they felt about the level of service they receive from the telecommunications service providers in the Federation… more
Saturday, 15 March 2014
Wilson: BTC deal on track for end of month closing
Bahamas – The government’s deal with Cable & Wireless Communications (CWC) regarding that firm’s give back of nearly two percent of its shares in the Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) is on track for an end of March completion, said Franklyn Wilson, who led negotiations on the deal… more
BVI premier rejects accusations of ‘muzzling’ press
British Virgin Islands – In moving the second reading of the Computer Misuse and Cybercrime Bill in the British Virgin Islands House of Assembly, Premier Dr Orlando Smith said that the bill has been erroneously portrayed as innovative and designed to muzzle the right to free speech and the freedom of the press… more
Can’t get telephone fixed
Guyana – Dear Editor, My telephone has been down since February 22, 2014… more
LIME And Digicel At Loggerheads
Jamaica – Telecommunications company LIME has sounded a warning to its competitor, Digicel, that it will be taking action against the entity for what it describes as a “material breach” of an alleged confidential agreement between the two main players in the telecoms market… more
LIME reaffirms support for ‘phone rights’
Jamaica – TELECOMMUNICATIONS company LIME has welcomed the theme for this year’s World Consumer Rights Day — ‘Protect our Phone Rights’ — boasting that its successful lobby for the lowering of mobile interconnection rates enabled Jamaicans to pay less for calls… more
TSTT blocks hoax messages
Trinidad and Tobago – Telecommunications Services of Trinidad and Tobago Limited (TSTT) has blocked the international numbers which have been sending text messages to its customers asking them to call the numbers for a reward… more
Sunday, 16 March 2014
Impoverished Haiti manufacturing its own Android tablet
Haiti – Better known for producing third-world poverty and political mayhem – as well as a world-class rum – the Western Hemisphere’s least developed country has made a surprising entry into the high-tech world with its own Android tablet… more
Digicel Extraordinary Leadership Lecture #7
Jamaica – The graceful and affable Audrey Marks has been a trendsetter in national affairs for many years. The successful entrepreneur and public figure was the guest of honour at Digicel’s recent Extraordinary Leadership lecture series… more
OUR Secures More Than $1.2M For Customers
Jamaica – The number of complaints to the Consumer Affairs Unit at the Office of Utilities Regulation (OUR) about the country’s utilities providers declined sharply in the final quarter of last year, but the reasons for the reduction is not yet clear… more
Software From The West
Jamaica – In 2010, Edward Rattigan named his computer programming business Phoenix Software Services, formalising an involvement which began 17 years before, after he enrolled at the Northern Caribbean University in a totally different field… more
Image credits: (Mick Baker)rooster (flickr); Bahamas Local; Facebook; Brands of the World; Wikipedia
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