A roundup of the latest ICT/technology news from across the Caribbean region for the period Monday 2 November to Sunday 8 November 2015.
Monday, 2 November 2015
GTT extends mobile money service to Digicel customers
Guyana – Effective October 30, customers of Digicel can register free of cost to access the services of Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company Limited (GTT)’s mobile money… more
ECTEL calls out DIGICEL on proposed ad control technology implementation
Regional – The Eastern Caribbean Telecommunications Authority (ECTEL) has written to provider DIGICEL warning the company against implementing its proposed ad control technology. The warning has come in a letter that has been dispatched to Digicel’s managers in all five Member States… more
Expert: Caribbean Has Appetite For Internet
Regional – CARIBNOG – it may sound like some strange Caribbean version of eggnog, but actually it’s the Caribbean Network Operators Group… more
Utility regulators conference held in TCI
Regional – UTILITY regulators of 13 Caribbean countries will discuss strategies to improve the telecommunications, electricity, natural gas, water and transportation sectors in the Caribbean over the next three days… more
Flow Ready For Business, Opens Flagship Store In St. Kitts
Saint Kitts and Nevis – Telecommunications company Flow has opened its flagship store in St. Kitts and Nevis, the second in the region since rebranding from Cable and Wireless LIME… more
Tuesday, 3 November 2015
FCIB warns against cyber attacks
Cayman Islands – CIBC FirstCaribbean is warning customers to be vigilant against online fraud, noting that it can come in many forms… more
Information minister sides with ECTEL against Digicel
Regional – The country’s information minister supports the decision by the Eastern Caribbean Telecommunications Authority (ECTEL) to oppose Digicel’s plan to filter advertising content, via the internet… more
Regulator warns Digicel against blocking ads on customer phones
Regional – The Eastern Caribbean Telecommunications Authority (ECTEL) has warned Digicel against proceeding with plans to implement technology to block Internet ads on customers’ mobile phones, saying it would not only be hindering the growth, usage and deployment of broadband but also breaching its licence… more
FLOW St. Kitts & Nevis Voicemail Migration
Saint Kitts and Nevis – FLOW wishes to advise all of our valued customers that we have recently migrated your home phone voicemail service to a new and improved platform… more
FLOW UPS RATES – But NTRC Says It Can’t Stop Them
Saint Lucia – THE National Telecommunications Regulatory Commission says that it does not have any authority to regulate broadband and subscriber TV services… more
Wednesday, 4 November 2015
FLOW doing the best for business
Barbados – IT IS NOT BUSINESS AS USUAL for Cable & Wireless (C&W) Barbados… more
Shannon: award-winning software engineer
Barbados – Name: Shannon Clarke… more
CCT: We upgrade, won’t charge more like others
British Virgin Islands – Local telecommunications provider CCT announced yesterday that it would have been increasing its bandwidth capacity overnight to improve internet speed, adding that the company has “no plans to increase any of its service rates as other providers have done”… more
Flow forms educational partnership
Cayman Islands – Cable & Wireless, operator of the Flow and LIME brands, has signed a five-year partnership with One on One Educational Services aimed at offering Caribbean students greater access to a range of study materials for GSAT, CSEC and CAPE examinations… more
Security risks inherent in use of ‘pirated’ software
Guyana – The Guyana National Computer Incident Response Team (Guyana National CIRT) has issued a warning to the general public against the use of ‘pirated’ or ‘cracked’ software as they can lend to infection and security breaches in computers… more
Symposium commences to promote increase use of ICT in education delivery
Guyana – With a keen focus on fostering the increased use of Information Communication Technology (ICT) in the school system, the Ministry of Education, through the National Centre for Educational Resource Development (NCERD) yesterday commenced an ICT symposium at the Pegasus Hotel… more
New tech entrepreneurs for Start-Up Jamaica this month
Jamaica – Accelerator programme Start- Up Jamaica will host another 60 young technology entrepreneurs from the Caribbean region seeking funds for the development of their software-based solutions… more
Digicel Appseeker Available On Google Play And My Digicel Available Now In Apple App Store
Regional – Digicel customers across the globe can discover and enjoy the latest and greatest apps with the launch of Digicel AppSeeker… more
Digicel Ad Control Plan Knocked As Breach Of Net Neutrality Rules
Regional – St Lucia-based Eastern Caribbean Telecommunications Authority (ECTEL) has written to Digicel Group warning against plans to deploy ad-blocking technology across its network, saying it breaches the region’s net neutrality policy… more
Mayaro film flair on your phone
Trinidad and Tobago – Winning the 2015 T&T Smartphone Film Festival was a surprise to Ayesha Jordan. Her first place entry, Good Ole Days, was not her first stab at the competition… more
Thursday, 5 November 2015
Digicel making it safer
Barbados – IN ITS CONTINUING EFFORTS to protect customers against increasing cyber threats, Digicel Business Solutions has launched several managed security services in the Barbados market… more
Profit increase for Cable & Wireless in Barbados
Barbados – CABLE & WIRELESS Communications (CWC) is reporting increased revenue and profits in Barbados… more
WhatsApp messages not from Crime Stoppers
Barbados – CRIME STOPPERS BARBADOS has distanced itself from messages being circulated via social media which claim to have been sanctioned by that organisation… more
E-government faces security, customer service challenges
Cayman Islands – Moving to an e-government system for public services within the next 18 months, as currently planned, will present numerous security and service challenges as the government tries to consolidate nearly 100 websites into a single portal… more
Symposium ponders greater use of ICT in education
Guyana – The National Centre for Educational Resource Development (NCERD) hosted a two-day symposium for stakeholders to lay the foundation for the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) “as a key driver in re-tooling the education system.” … more
Cable & Wireless Communications plc results for the six months ending 30 September 2015
Regional – Full year outlook in line with guidance; strong first six months trading 3 year plan on track; integration benefits increasing… more
Cable and Wireless Communications posts positive H1 results amid FLOW brand merger
Regional – Cable and Wireless Communications today posted positive results for the first half of 2015 amid its purchase and subsequent merger with Columbus Communications under its brand name FLOW… more
Why Experts are Upbeat About the Future of Caribbean Tech
Regional – Regional Internet and technology experts remain upbeat on the future of the industry in the Caribbean… more
FLOW broadband rates increased; NTRC says service “unregulated
Saint Lucia – FLOW St. Lucia has moved to increase its broadband monthly service rate, which took effect from Sunday, November 1, 2015… more
Online Branding Seminar Next Week
Saint Lucia – AN online branding seminar slated for next Wednesday and Thursday, November 11-12, at The Landings St. Lucia is being touted as a great opportunity for businesspeople… more
C&W Business launches in T&T
Trinidad and Tobago – Seven months after the closing of the merger of Cable and Wireless Communications (CWC) and Columbus International, the combined companies rolled out the T&T leg of their ongoing integrating and rebranding at a gala event at the Hyatt Regency in Port-of-Spain yesterday evening… more
Farrell to examine operations at TSTT
Trinidad and Tobago – He was speaking on Wednesday evening at the Hyatt Regency in Port of Spain during a Cable & Wireless (C&W) reception to launch C&W Business… more
TSTT celebrates customer service heroes
Trinidad and Tobago – In a market where there the technology is so similar among telecommunications firms, TSTT’s future will depend increasingly on the quality of the experience customers have when dealing with the Company, said Executive Vice President Mobile, Nicole Kerry Lum Kin… more
Friday, 6 November 2015
BTC Job Loss Fears On $24m Saving Plan
Bahamas – Fears of further job losses at the Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) were raised last night due to the planned imposition of a new “centralised” business model, which will help its controlling shareholder realise a further $24 million cost saving… more
BTC Sees Near 22% Profit Fall
Bahamas – The Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) suffered a near-22 per cent profits fall to $29 million for the first half of its 2016 financial year, as revenues and margins came under pressure from mobile competition preparations… more
GAL FRIDAY: Unplugging from technology
Barbados – YOU KNOW, I can’t understand the big brouhaha when it comes to immediately responding electronically these days… more
Belize’s Courts Improve on Data Security via CARIBNOG Donation
Belize – Caribbean Network Operators Group (CaribNOG) has donated a firewall device to Belize’s Judiciary that will enable the courts to have secure access to their database… more
Digicel announces new talk, text, WhatsApp plan
British Virgin Islands – Amid criticisms over allegations that it has been blocking free Whatsapp calls in the British Virgin Islands (BVI) and other Caribbean countries, Digicel today announced that its BVI customers will now have access to ‘free’ Whatsapp and other services in brand new plans that will come at different costs… more
FLOW customers unable to call 911
Cayman Islands – The Department of Public Safety Communications (DPSC) advises that 9-1-1 calls from FLOW wireless phones started working around 9:30 a.m.… more
Outage at Flow impacts 911 service
Cayman Islands – Cable & Wireless’ rebranded telecommunication network, Flow, experienced a widespread outage Friday morning that impacted all of its customers, as well as the emergency services communications as well, since their customers were unable to dial even 911… more
Entrepreneurship is contagious
Guyana – Linda Rottenberg and Chris Bierly recently set out to study just how entrepreneurship could be made contagious… more
Flow Launched In Montserrat
Montserrat – A release dated today, November 6, 2015, begins, “It’s official – LIME Montserrat is now the new Flow. This transformation marks the beginning of a new era for the brand – the result of Cable & Wireless’s successful merger with Columbus International Inc. which was completed in April this year.” … more
Cable and Wireless Communications Plc’s Buy Rating Reaffirmed at Jefferies Group (CWC)
Regional – Jefferies Group reissued their buy rating on shares of Cable and Wireless Communications Plc (LON:CWC) in a report released on Thursday, MarketBeat Ratings reports. The firm currently has a GBX 76 ($1.17) price objective on the stock… more
Cable and Wireless Communications Plc Receives “Neutral” Rating from Nomura (CWC)
Regional – Cable and Wireless Communications Plc (LON:CWC)‘s stock had its “neutral” rating restated by investment analysts at Nomura in a research note issued to investors on Friday, AnalystRatings.Net reports… more
Cwc Cuts 560 Staff, 340 More Jobs To Go By March
Regional – Cable and Wireless Communications Plc (CWC) cut 560 employees, or about seven per cent of its staff, over the six months to September… more
C&W Networks awarded “Best Caribbean Wholesale Carrier” for third year in a row
Regional – C&W Networks, one of the largest telecommunications service providers in the Caribbean, announced today that for the third consecutive year in a row the Company has been awarded “Best Caribbean Wholesale Carrier” at the 2015 Global Carrier Awards… more
C&W profits up
Regional – Cable and Wireless Communications (CWC), the London-headquartered telecommunications company which is a longstanding service provider in the Caribbean, today reported US$90 million in revenues and a four per cent increase in profits from its Barbados business during the first six months of the current financial year started last April… more
C&W pushes for Liberty deal
Regional – Cable & Wireless is projecting that a possible deal with US cable company, Liberty Global, will help both entities add scale in a high-growth, low-penetration region for smartphones and broadband connections… more
CWC spends US$20m in T&T
Trinidad and Tobago – T&T will soon be reaping the benefits of the merger of Cable and Wireless Communications (CWC) and Columbus International with some US$20 million in capital expenditure planned in this market… more
More scrutiny of state companies
Trinidad and Tobago – There will be greater scrutiny of the operational effectiveness of state enterprises, including the Telecommunications Services of T&T (TSTT), as the Government moves to forge a new economic direction for T&T, Communications Minister Maxie Cuffie has said… more
T&T apps launched at World Travel Market
Trinidad and Tobago – The two new mobile applications set to help destination T&T increase the impact of its digital marketing footprint were launched at World Travel Market (WTM) which ended yesterday in London…. more
Saturday, 7 November 2015
Dominican Republic’s LTE deployment to boost data consumption examined in new market research report
Dominican Republic – Published annually, this presentation-quality, executive-level report provides detailed analysis of the near-term opportunities, competitive dynamics and evolution of demand by service type and technology/platform across the fixed telephony, broadband and mobile sectors, in addition to a review of key regulatory trends… more
ICT symposium concludes…Local IT teachers ready to support education delivery
Guyana – Information Communication Technology (ICT) is an integral component for educational development immediately and in the future… more
JUTC Partners With Facey Telecom To Market “Paper” Smartercards
Jamaica – The Jamaica Urban Transit Company Limited (JUTC) has taken another step towards having the majority of its passengers use cards instead of cash to pay their bus fares, with the official launch of its Prepaid or ‘Paper’ SmarterCard… more
Bentley: No need for concern on pending Liberty bid
Regional – he head of Cable & Wireless Communications (CWC) Phil Bentley is not prepared to say much on the pending Liberty Global bid to acquire the company… more
Bit by Bitt (Part 1)
Regional – LET ME START by explaining centralised versus decentralised currencies because that is one of the fundamental differences between this currency system and others that have come before it… more
Curacao to host second Caribbean internet peering forum
Regional – Curacao will host the Caribbean’s second regional Internet Peering Forum from July 7 to 8, 2016… more
ECTEL Takes a Closer Look at Roaming Rates
Regional – Coming out of the 32nd Council of Minister’s Meeting in St. Kitts and Nevis in October, the Eastern Caribbean Telecommunications Authority (ECTEL) is said to be looking into regional roaming… more
FLOW seeking to address service issues
Regional – The top executive of telecommunications company Cable & Wireless Communications, which trades here as FLOW, is assuring Barbados that the company is working to correct all the service issues they have been experiencing… more
USE SOCIAL MEDIA WISELY
Saint Lucia – IT is the revolution of the century and has brought to the world a common medium for thoughts, words and expression… more
The illusion of online privacy
Trinidad and Tobago – The recent court victory of Theresa Ho, a perceived victim of revenge porn, once again spotlights the dangers of letting your guard, and everything else, down for sordid candids… more
Sunday, 8 November 2015
Jamaica Ready To Soar – Strong Economic Signals Entice Digicel To Spend More Than J$1B To Improve Its Offerings
Jamaica – Upbeat about Jamaica’s prospects, the Digicel Group is splashing out more than US$100 million to take fibre to the houses of Jamaicans… more
Image credits: Dennis Skley (flickr); Wikipedia; Wikipedia; Wikipedia; Wikipedia; Flow
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