A roundup of the latest ICT/technology news from across the Caribbean region for the period Monday 20 July to Sunday 26 July 2015.
Monday, 20 July 2015
Union Unsure Of Number Of BTC Staff To Be Laid Off
Bahamas – BAHAMAS Communications and Public Officers Union Secretary General Dino Rolle yesterday said he was unsure how many employees will be laid off by BTC in this round of downsizing but said the company has already started issuing separation packages… more
Flow-ing all across the island
Barbados – Cable & Wireless Communications (CWC) took to the streets over the weekend with a mini-Crop Over-type motorcade as the company continued to Paint Barbados Blue, launching its refreshed consumer brand Flow… more
Dominican developing 3D animation game
Dominica – Albert Pierre, 28, of Grand Fond who resides in the USVI is in the process of building a 3-dimension video game which he believes will help market Dominica internationally… more
Over 90 Educators Better Skilled In ICT
Dominica – On Friday July 17th, over 90 individuals were awarded certificates at a closing ceremony of a two week Information and Communication Technology Training Programme… more
Operators Worldwide Look to GLDS for Customer Management, Billing & Provisioning
Regional – Great Lakes Data Systems, Inc. (GLDS), the leading provider of customer management and billing systems for the small to medium-sized broadband service providers, today announced it has recently converted five new operators to its WinCable® subscriber management and billing system in the last 6 months, including Digicel Group … more
Tuesday, 21 July 2015
Cayman by numbers: population grows nearly 6%
Cayman Islands – The Cayman Islands population has grown by over 5.8%, from 55,036 people in 2010 when the last national census was conducted to 58,238 at the end of last year… more
As Havana opens Washington embassy, bipartisan bill seeks to improve Internet access in Cuba
Cuba – On Monday, the Cuban government officially opened an embassy on United States soil for the first time since 1961, a key step in updating US-Cuba relations for the 21st century… more
Private Citizen triumphs over GT&T at CCJ
Guyana – Within weeks of hearing an appeal made by Mr. James Samuels, the Caribbean Court of Justice (“CCJ”) unanimously overturned the Guyana Court of Appeal’s decision that Samuels’ use of VoIP breached his contract with GT&T… more
Mobile Top-Up Company Promotes Family Planning With Free Minutes
Haiti – Ding, a mobile top-up company, partnered with Haiti Projects, a nonprofit organization working in rural Haiti to lower the rate of unplanned pregnancies in the region… more
Jamaica’s venture capital programme ranks ninth in Caribbean and Latin America
Jamaica – Jamaica’s efforts to put venture capital into the investment and entrepreneurial mix are paying off. The Latin American Private Equity and Venture Capital Association (LAVCA) has ranked the country ninth in its 2015-2016 Scorecard, thereby placing Jamaica ahead of the Dominican Republic and Argentina… more
Branson launches Caribbean entrepreneurship centre
Regional – Richard Branson and Virgin Unite-founded Branson Centre of Entrepreneurship-Caribbean (BCOEC) has launched a non-academic online skills training programme to increase its intake of potential entrepreneurs across the region… more
Cable & Wireless Reiterates Guidance As First Quarter Revenue Up 4%
Regional – Cable & Wireless Communications PLC Tuesday reiterated its guidance for its current year to end-March 2016, as it saw revenue rise 4% in its first quarter… more
Cable & Wireless Sales Rise as Columbus Deal Offsets Slow Mobile
Regional – Cable & Wireless Communications Plc said first-quarter sales rose 4 percent as the acquisition of Barbados-based Columbus International Inc. helped offset a flat performance at its mobile phone business… more
CCJ rules against Guyana telephone company in VoIP case
Regional – The Trinidad-based Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) has ruled that the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GT&T) breached its contract in disconnecting a customer’s internet service because of his use of Vonage, an internet phone service which uses Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology… more
Phoenix Rising: Please pass the passion!
Regional – A few years ago retired General Colin Powell was toying with the idea of running for the presidency of the United States… more
Q1 2015/16 Trading Update
Regional – This announcement provides an update on the First Quarter performance and financial position of the Group since the year ended 31 March 2015. Interim results for the period ending 30 September 2015 are expected to be announced on 5 November 2015… more
Wednesday, 22 July 2015
BTC Roaming Rates ‘12x Higher’ Than Caribbean
Bahamas – The Bahamas Telecommunications Company’s (BTC) controlling shareholder yesterday said it had little choice but to slash roaming rates that were 12 times’ higher than the Caribbean average, a move that caused a 9 per cent slump in its total mobile revenues… more
BTC Targets B2B, TV Markets For Cable ‘Fight Back’
Bahamas – The Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) is targeting the business and video markets to “fight back” against Cable Bahamas, having already installed its new TV product for the 12 sets in Prime Minister Perry Christie’s Cable Beach home… more
Customers to enjoy better experience with MQI through new software solution
Barbados – Customers of McEnearney Quality Inc. (MQI) can look forward to improved and more responsive communications when having their vehicles serviced thanks to a new software system installed recently… more
Fair Trading Commission has new board
Barbados – A NEW BOARD has been appointed to the Fair Trading Commission, effective Friday, July 10, 2015 until July 2018… more
ON THE LEFT: Marketers looking for what works best
Barbados – TWITTER, YOUTUBE and LinkedIn hold the top spots for future plans. A significant 66 per cent of marketers plan on increasing their use of these social networks… more
THE ISSUE: Media of choice for most
Barbados – A LARGE NUMBER of Barbadian businesses have a Facebook page. In fact, many of them have a dedicated space on this social media network but do not own a website… more
Is Technology Holding a Grip On Our Children
Belize – Technology has become a vital part of our society. Whether you are watching television, making a call or using the internet; we use technology every day, but what effect is it having on us… more
Digicel Grenada Announces New Prepaid Voice Plan
Grenada – Digicel Grenada has launched its new amazing value “Digicel ZERO” prepaid rate plan… more
Dangerous duality in digital experience design
Jamaica – A sparkling, voluptuous body, sitting on beautiful wheels with a deep, throaty growl emanating from the tailpipe… more
LIME Ja continues to grow mobile sub base
Jamaica – THE LIME Jamaica branded telecom continued to gain mobile subscribers at double-digit levels up to its first-quarter ending June 2015, according to its regional telecom parent Cable & Wireless Communications (CWC)… more
Paulwell to address telecommunications conference in Miami
Jamaica – Minister of Science Technology, Energy and Mining, Phillip Paulwell, will deliver an address at the ministerial panel of the 31st annual telecommunications conference in Miami, USA, next week… more
CCJ ruling may have implications for telecoms companies in the region
Regional – A ruling this week by the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) may have implications on how telecommunications companies dictate to their customers about what they can do with their internet service, according to local tech expert Russell Williams… more
Thursday, 23 July 2015
100 Staff Take BTC Severance
Bahamas – SOME 100 workers at BTC have accepted voluntary separation employee packages as a part of BTC’s downsizing operation, Bahamas Communications and Public Officers Union President Bernard Evans said yesterday… more
C&W Unveils the ‘new’ FLOW and Creates History in Barbados
Barbados – Telecoms history was made in Barbados today as Cable & Wireless Communications (C&W) officially launched its retail brand, Flow, for its newly combined consumer group… more
US$160 million CW investment for Barbados
Barbados – CABLE and Wireless (CW) is investing US$160M in Barbados as the company rolls out its new retail brand Flow on the island as part of its merger with Columbus Communications. Barbados is the first country to launch the newly combined retail brand. Niall Sheehy, Country Manager of the “new” Flow, revealed a number of significant developments for Barbados… more
The future is technology in the hands of our youth
Jamaica – If we need evidence that Jamaicans can be trained to manage, develop, and handle any and all technologies, we just have to look how easily Jamaicans, especially the young, have been able to use the various types of cellular phones, tablets, and computers with which they have been provided… more
CWC reports US$583 million revenue
Regional – CABLE and Wireless Communications (CWC) has reported Group revenue of US$583 million, an increase of four percent in the first quarter of the 2015 financial year… more
To Delete or Not Delete
Regional – FOR the wrong reasons, a North American company called Avid Life Media Inc. has featured recently in the technology news… more
Ali keeping you connected Free of charge
Trinidad and Tobago – IN this age of technology, when the importance of staying connected can not be overlooked, businessman Mazuree Colin Ali has made it easier for us to do so — free of charge… more
‘Maverick’ helps visually impaired
Trinidad and Tobago – History was made yesterday at the National Library and Information System (NALIS), Port-of- Spain, as the Maverick Money Reader was launched… more
Minister assures elderly: No devil links in biometric card
Trinidad and Tobago – People and Social Development Minister Christine Newallo-Hosein has sought to dispel fears, particularly among the elderly, that her ministry’s biometric card is not associated with the devil… more
TSTT working to repair cables damaged by seismic activity
Trinidad and Tobago – TSTT has said it is working to resolve Internet connection problems after its submarine fibre optic cables, located up the Caribbean between St Vincent and Grenada, were damaged… more
TT taps into Singapore
Trinidad and Tobago – IN an effort to continue its cooperation with the Government of Singapore in the area of e-service delivery and Information and Communication Technology (ICT), the Government of Trinidad and Tobago has extended the Memorandum of Understanding signed in 2008 for an additional five year period… more
Friday, 24 July 2015
Cable and Wireless pushing work-from-home concept
Jamaica – AS Jamaican employees and employers increasingly seek greater work flexibility, Cable & Wireless (C&W) Business Solutions has intensified its drive to push the concept of a mobile workforce via use of the internet… more
Court Tosses Flow Lawsuit To Bar Latty From Digicel Job
Jamaica – The Supreme Court has thrown out an application by Columbus Communications, which trades as Flow, to bar Digicel Jamaica from employing former Managing Director Sean Latty for at least nine months… more
Digicel Educating Customers
Jamaica – THE EDITOR, Sir: I write in response to letter from Pauline Peart that appeared in The Gleaner on Thursday, July, 23, 2015 regarding data charges taken from her account balance… more
Incubator Boosts BPO Boom
Jamaica – THE Montego Bay Business Process Outsourcing incubator now boasts an occupancy rate of 50 per cent, helping to boost an already fast-growing sector… more
Flow adds FEVA TV to channel line-up
Regional – Caribbean telecoms provider Flow, a Cable and Wireless Communications brand, has added the channel FEVA TV to its basic package, available at no extra cost in eight markets across the region…. more
Digicel St. Kitts Has a New Home
Saint Kitts and Nevis – The Circus, Basseterre branch of Digicel’s retail store has opened new doors to its existing and prospective customers in St. Kitts. The former DotCom location on Princes Street is the temporary home of the telecommunications family effective immediately… more
Digicel On Another Cash Binge
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines – Telecommunications service provider Digicel is at it again. They are giving away cash, and loads of it… more
First Winners In LIME Upgrade Promotion
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines – Nicole Byron and Percy Lampkin are the first two weekly winners in LIME’s ‘Summer Upgrade Campaign’, after texting #SUMA to 6263… more
…Grocery says sorry after online backlash
Trinidad and Tobago – Super Quality grocery, the location for day three of the No Rowley campaign, has apologised to its customers in the wake of “negative feedback”… more
New contact centre to be opened in Trinidad
Trinidad and Tobago – iQor, a global provider of business process outsourcing and product support services with 32,000 employees in 17 countries, will open its newest contact centre in Trinidad and Tobago in September 2015… more
Saturday, 25 July 2015
Going up!
Regional – Cable and Wireless Communications (CWC), a major player in the Caribbean telecommunications market, is reporting a four per cent growth in group revenue to US$583 million for the first quarter of its current financial year which began on April 1… more
Region must refocus
Regional – There is a call for the Caribbean to shift its policymaking efforts to create and retain wealth… more
Free Calls For LIME Customers
Saint Lucia – LIME prepaid mobile customers can now talk for hours, for free, with the relaunch of this free talk campaign! … more
Sunday, 26 July 2015
Curacao children to take up Android training and App development challenge
Curacao – Seeking to take its place among the recognized global list of countries with technologically smart kids, the Dutch Caribbean Island of Curacao is set to become the first country in the Netherlands Antilles to benefit from an Android training program for children between the ages of seven and twelve… more
Cell Phones Etiquette And A Silent Family Gathering
Guyana – It was a very surreal moment; I was on my cell phone messaging friends in Guyana. I looked around the living room; the two-year-old plus granddaughter was on her iPhone playing games… more
OLPF project was wasting taxpayers’ money – Minister of State
Guyana – The One Laptop Per Family (OLPF) project, launched under the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) administration, was wasting taxpayers’ money, said Minister of State, Joseph Harmon, yesterday… more
Digicel’s O’Brien to receive UWI honorary law degree
Jamaica – Denis O’Brien, the chairman of telecom firm Digicel, is to receive an honorary law degree from the University of the West Indies (UWI) within the coming months… more
LIME finally reactivates customer’s lost credit
Jamaica – Dear Claudienne, I had approximately $2,700 LIME credit up to December 30, 2014. I received a LIME text message at 12:54 a.m. on December 31, 2014 stating: “Your account state is No Credit (S1)…” more
Schools Ponder Cell Phone Policy!
Jamaica – With more and more students turning up at schools with cellular phones, administrators are mulling a unified position around the use of these devices amid concern for the safety of students and the possible negative issues related to the use of phones in schools… more
Image credits: journalismthatmatters (flickr); Wikipedia; The Eleutheran; Marketing Magazine; Flow; Wikipedia
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