A roundup of the latest ICT/technology news from across the Caribbean region for the period Monday 8 June to Sunday 14 June 2015.
Monday, 8 June 2015
Digicel closes BTC deal
Bermuda – Digicel has completed its acquisition of Bermuda Telephone Company (BTC). But the telecommunications company is keeping the details of the deal, including how much it paid for BTC, close to its chest… more
Digicel more mobile than rest
Cayman Islands – The Baker Tilly Corporate Shootout’s second week saw Digicel really hit their stride, extending their lead at the top of the squash table by five points after claiming the maximum eight points on Thursday night… more
Cable & Wireless Jamaica reports 17% rise in revenues
Jamaica – Cable & Wireless Jamaica, which trades under the LIME brand, has reported revenues of JMD21.59 billion (USD184 million) for its fiscal year to 31 March 2015, up 17% year-over-year, boosted by growth in its mobile and broadband operations… more
LIME marketing manager made redundant, GM departing soon
Turk and Caicos Islands – MARKETING manager for Lime TCI, Rachel Harvey confirmed to the Weekly News on Thursday (June 4) that her position with the company has become redundant and that she will be moving on to other things… more
Tuesday, 9 June 2015
Amendments to be made to Cyber Security Act
Jamaica – Amendments to the Cyber Security Act (2010) to include increased penalties and fines for cyber criminals should be passed in Parliament in another month… more
Cable & Wireless Pioneers The Use Of Drone Technology For Post Hurricane Surveillance In The Region
Regional – As the Caribbean prepares for the hurricane season, which began on June 1st, 2015, Cable and Wireless Communications (C&W) has begun to test drone technology that would help expedite network and connectivity restoration in the aftermath of natural disasters such as a hurricane or a tropical storm… more
Don’t play Charlie Charlie
Trinidad and Tobago – CHILDREN should be discouraged from playing the Charlie Charlie game, says Secretary General of the Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha (SDMS) Satnarayan Maharaj… more
Wednesday, 10 June 2015
URCA Accuses Cable Of Breaching Tower Bar
Bahamas – Cable Bahamas’ battle with URCA over its communications tower construction has intensified, after the regulator accused the BISX-listed provider of breaching its order to halt their build-out… more
FLOW’s former head of Columbus Business Solutions, now VP of CWC Business (Barbados)
Barbados – Cable & Wireless Business has announced the appointment of Jaggernauth (Jaggs) Dass as Vice President of Business and Government Sales in Barbados… more
ICCI launches online learning
Cayman Islands – The International College of the Cayman Islands is launching a new online learning program, starting in July for students in its Bachelor of Business Administration Program… more
Survey: Cayman Internet fast but expensive
Cayman Islands – A recent survey of Caribbean Internet providers show the Cayman Islands has some of the fastest connection speeds, but service is among the most expensive in the region… more
LIME hails Huawei
Jamaica – TELECOM provider Cable & Wireless Jamaica (C&WJ) which trades as LIME described Huawei as the smartphone of the year which enabled more than 100,000 Jamaicans to connect to the mobile internet… more
Phone snatcher gets 3 months in prison
Jamaica – A phone snatcher was on Tuesday sentenced to three months in prison when he pleaded guilty to larceny from the person in the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate’s Court… more
What is a fair price for a website?
Regional – WHAT is a fair price for a website? This question seems very reasonable from the onset. You want a website and you want to know what kind of money you need to budget… more
Film TT launches Smartphone Film Festival
Trinidad and Tobago – According to new figures from American market research company eMarketer, the number of smartphone users in the world will surpass two billion in 2016… more
Thursday, 11 June 2015
Bajans urged to create for mobiles
Barbados – MINISTER OF INDUSTRY Donville Inniss wants Barbadians to use their creativity to come up with some innovations for cellular phones and other segments of the mobile applications market… more
CEC invites young entrepreneurs for Summer Internship Programme
Cayman Islands – Cayman Enterprise City (CEC) is inviting young Caymanians to apply for several internships available in the special economic zone this summer through its “Summer in the City” internship programme, a component of CEC’s Enterprise Cayman Initiative. CEC’s internship programme has been so successful and sought after that CEC has increased the number of internships available this year… more
Cable operators working hard to get back favourite HBO channels
Jamaica – LOCAL cable subscribers may be able to legally view some of their favourite HBO channels as early as this month as operators buckle down to finalise agreements with content providers and rights holders in the United States… more
America Movil set to launch two more satellites by 2016
Regional – America Movil is set to launch two new telecommunications satellites via its Star One subsidiary by 2016, reports Mexican business daily El Financiero… more
Caribbean Internet Peering: Building the human network
Trinidad and Tobago – The inaugural Caribbean Peering and Interconnection Connection Forum (CarPIF), held in Barbados in April, quietly marked the opening of a new chapter in the development of the Internet in the Caribbean… more
Friday, 12 June 2015
BTC Staff In ‘Painful’ Wait For Job News
Bahamas – BAHAMAS Communications and Public Officers Union (BCPOU) President Bernard Evans spoke yesterday of turmoil and hardship among BTC employees as they await news of their fate with the company… more
A matter of criminal intent
Barbados – When is a threat of violence not a criminal threat? … more
Education Ministry website crashes
Guyana – A novel undertaking by the Ministry of Education to afford people the opportunity to access the results of the 2015 National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) was met with such overwhelming reception that it caused the site to crash… more
Elon Parkinson Leaves LIME Amid Flow Merger
Jamaica – Elon Parkinson today spent his last day as the head of corporate communications at telecommunications company, LIME, as part of redundancies amid the merger with Flow… more
LIME/Observer literary project gets passing grade
Jamaica – TEACHERS at the August Town and Polly Ground Primary schools have given high marks to a month-long initiative by telecoms company LIME and the Jamaica Observer that encouraged remedial English Language students at both institutions to read the newspaper daily in order to improve their literacy skills… more
Paulwell Strikes Again
Jamaica – By now the country would have been made aware of another missed deadline for the implementation of number portability by Minister Paulwell… more
Digicel Re-Launches ‘My Digicel App’ Loaded With Extras, Brand New Look & Feel
Regional – Digicel just unveiled its new look My Digicel App that boasts dozens of cool new features like managing your Digicel account, access to social media newsfeeds and a customer feedback portal – making it the go-to place for all things Digicel… more
Digital disruption – a positive force for change
Regional – DIGITAL DISRUPTION may be a major motivator for business change, and that need not be a bad thing… more
Pay for Whatsapp, Viber?
Trinidad and Tobago – SHOULD consumers pay their Internet service providers extra fees for the use of WhatsApp and other communication tools such as Viber, Magic Jack, Skype and Tango, known as Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) services and Over The Top (OTT) services? … more
Saturday, 13 June 2015
BTC redundancy ‘painful, disgusting’, says union head
Bahamas – The Bahamas Telecommunications Company’s (BTC) protracted downsizing exercise has been one of the most “painful and disgusting” in recent memory, Bahamas Communications and Public Officers Union (BCPOU) President Bernard charged yesterday… more
Digicel wins award for QEH project
Barbados – DIGICEL HAS WON the Avaya Caribbean-wide Project Of The Year award for its ICT and Unified Communication platform deployed at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) in Barbados… more
FLOW’s maintenance now next weekend & apologise in advance for inconveniences caused.
Barbados – Further to FLOW’s previous announcement of Scheduled Maintenance to be carried out on June 13th and June 14th, please note that the Maintenance will now be conducted on Saturday 20th June and Sunday 21st June between the hours of 12:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.… more
GT&T targeting month-end completion for faster internet project
Guyana – The Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GT&T) says it is almost two-thirds complete in its plans to upgrade customers across the country with faster internet… more
Govt Looking To Source Funding For Technology Start-Ups
Jamaica – The Ministry of Science, Technology, Energy, and Mining is in talks with several potential investors to provide funding and business development support for young technology innovators and entrepreneurs benefitting under Start-Up Jamaica (SUJ)… more
Sunday, 14 June 2015
Deloitte: Deal with digital age
Barbados – IT’S A NEW ERA where digital influences and Barbadian businesses, like their international counterparts, need to come to grips with it… more
GT&T takes customer to court over Skype
Guyana – The Caribbean Court of Justice heard arguments on June 2, last, in the matter of James Samuels v. GT&T. Samuels filed an appeal that included arguments concerning the legality of GT&T’s monopoly as well as concerning whether a private citizen can use Voice Over Internet Protocol (“VoIP”) in Guyana without permission from GT&T or without a telecommunications licence… more
ICT – The Shape of things that must come
Guyana – The recent reports in the media highlighting the latest challenges in the sugar industry, the potential problems with rice, and drop in gold prices, are all a grim reminder that despite all the sentiment, these primary sectors can no longer continue to be the primary drivers of our economy in their current scope and framework… more
FTC takes Digicel/Claro matter to Privy Council
Jamaica – THE Fair Trading Commission (FTC) has been given the go ahead to challenge at the United Kingdom-based Privy Council last year’s decision by the Court of Appeal on the Digicel/Claro merger… more
LIME Ordered To Replace Phone Numbers Starting With 700
Jamaica – If your cellular telephone number begins with 700, you could be called in and have it taken from you by LIME… more
Parkinson flows out of LIME
Jamaica – Elon Parkinson has left LIME Jamaica and his role as corporate communications manager to move into independent consultancy. His move comes at a time when LIME , which acquired Flow earlier in the year, is in the process of eliminating its own brand and instead using the more popular Flow brand… more
Image credits: NS Newsflash (flickr); Wikipedia; Wikipedia; Wikipedia
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