A roundup of the latest ICT/technology news from across the Caribbean region for the period Monday 11 April to Sunday 17 April 2016.
Monday, 11 April 2016
John Gomez named new Chief Operating Officer of Cable Bahamas
Bahamas – Cable Bahamas Ltd (CBL) announced today that John Gomez has been appointed Chief Operations Officer of the company. As COO, Mr Gomez will assume responsibility for the entire CBL operation, including finance, marketing, customer experience, engineering and technology… more
Q&A: Caribbean Sets Sights on Becoming Legal Process Outsourcing Hub
Barbados – Legal expertise is probably not the first thing that springs to mind when you think of Barbados, a small island nation best known for its white sandy beaches, welcoming people, and beautiful climate. But the 295-square-mile island is hoping to change that… more
Police IT Specialists actively probing cyber threat to President
Guyana – Police information technology experts are vigorously probing several aspects of the matter involving the 52-year-old woman and others, who allegedly posted racially-inciting social media comments about African Guyanese, and what appeared to be a threat to President David Granger… more
Marketing Strategies Today: Seven tools and tips for social media marketers
Regional – Do you need to streamline your daily social media tasks? … more
Tuesday, 12 April 2016
FTC addresses Digicel triple credit complaints
Barbados – THE FAIR TRADING Commission has intervened in a matter with Digicel after receiving complaints about a promotion offered last week… more
Ashcroft company asks US to seize $38 mil from Belize
Belize – The United States Supreme Court has invited US Solicitor General Donald Verrilli to file a brief expressing the federal government’s point of view in a rare case asking the US authorities to move against the assets of a foreign government in fulfillment of an international arbitration award… more
BOTC passport applications going digital
Cayman Islands – As government continues its slow crawl towards the use of technology to improve services, the time it takes to get new British Overseas Territory citizens (BOTC) passports has been reduced by around five days through technology supplied by the British passport office… more
Hackers hitting Cayman companies
Cayman Islands – Several Cayman businesses have been hit in the last few months by a “ransomware” virus scam… more
Dominican Republic ends January with 8.82 mln mobile lines
Dominican Republic – A total of 8.82 million mobile lines were in operation in the Dominican Republic in January 2016, compared with 8.79 million in December 2015, according to data published by the Dominican Telecommunications Institute (Indotel)… more
Telecoms Minister To Consider Consumer Rights Tomorrow
Saint Lucia – THE Ministers with responsibility for telecommunications in the OECS region will meet in Saint Lucia tomorrow to consider new legislation to strengthen the rules on consumer rights and ensure that the climate for investment remains open and competitive… more
Wednesday, 13 April 2016
Bahamas government invites public consultation for Freedom of Information Bill
Bahamas – The Bahamas Government has officially launched the Freedom of Information Bill and has planned a series of Town Meetings for public consultation on the process… more
BTC to Provide Prepaid Electricity
Bahamas – Metered and prepaid electricity will soon become a reality as the Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) has started testing the service in Spanish Wells, Eleuthera. Prepaid metering allows customers to better manage their electricity use and bills via BTC’s 4G LTE data network… more
ON THE LEFT: Regulators balancing varying interests
Barbados – THE FAIR TRADING COMMISSION has determined that the new Price Cap Plan 2016 (PCP 2016) will govern the adjustments of rates of regulated telecommunications services of Cable & Wireless (Barbados) Limited from April 1, 2016 to March 31, 2019… more
ON THE RIGHT: A fair deal for the consumer
Barbados – THE LATEST DECISION on regulated rates is out… more
THE ISSUE: The landline a dying species
Barbados – IN THE BARBADIAN HOUSEHOLD the landline was once a precious thing… more
Dominican Republic mobile penetration passes 150%
Dominican Republic – The mobile telephony penetration rate in the Dominican Republic has passed 150 percent, as most of the population -around 60 percent- use two to three mobile phones, according to the president of the Dominican Telecommunications Institute (Indotel), Gedeon Santos… more
60 J’can youth to participate in CDB workshop on ICT and entrepreneurship
Jamaica – This week 60 youths from across the island will learn about ICT and entrepreneurship as part of the Caribbean Development Bank’s (CDB) Vybzing Youth Forum… more
CXC to introduce electronic testing
Jamaica – THE Barbados-based Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) says it will soon implement electronic testing to allow learners to take their examinations on a computer or electronic device… more
New ICT Access Centre for Canaries
Saint Lucia – The Government will take a significant step in bridging divide when it opens a new, modern Community Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Access Centre in Canaries on Thursday 14th April, 2016… more
Thursday, 14 April 2016
‘Champions’ promotion lands Digicel in FTC hot water
Barbados – Telecommunications services provider Digicel has apologized to cellular phone customers for a “miscommunication” following a reprimand from the Fair Trading Commission (FTC) over an advertisement… more
CONVERSATIONS WITH FTC: New FTC boss shares vision
Barbados – CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR RECENT APPOINTMENT as chief executive officer (CEO) of the Commission. How many years have you been with the organisation? … more
The Fleecing of the “People’s Company”?
Belize – BTL is not the people’s company. It became a special interest company led by the Government ever since the Barrow Administration took it over in 2009. Everything Barrow touches takes a strange turn… more
ECTEL sensitizes stakeholders on Electronic Communications Bill
Dominica – Players in the electronic communications sector are meeting today for a one day national stakeholder workshop organized by the Eastern Caribbean Telecommunications Authority (ECTEL)… more
Radio in Haiti is heartbeat of the community
Haiti – Enel Beaulière stands in front of his radio studio in Fondwa, Haiti, looking at his phone for someone to call about troubles with launching Radio Zetwal’s broadcast… more
C&W Business Launches Innovative Software Defined Data Center Solution
Regional – C&W Business, a division of Cable & Wireless Communications, Plc (LSE: CWC), today announces the launch of an innovative high-value Software Defined Data Center (SDDC) solution that allows customers to use Information Technology as a Service or ITaaS from any one of the Company’s datacenters… more
ECTEL FIGHTS BACK – LIME, FLOW To Be Brought In Line
Regional – New Telecoms Licenses To Reflect Quality Service For Consumers. Licences given to telecommunications companies to operate in the jurisdictions controlled by the Eastern Caribbean Telecommunications Company (ECTEL) will be adjusted to reflect a better quality of service to consumers… more
Tax on online shopping gets mixed reviews
Trinidad and Tobago – It’s an activity that uses millions of dollars in foreign exchange annually and—with the country’s tight foreign exchange situation—local business groups have been lobbying the Government to crack down on it… more
Digicel backs women in leadership
Turks and Caicos Islands – In support of the initiatives which encourage women to take an active role in global economic development, Digicel hosted a ‘Women in Leadership’ Forum at The Palms Resort in order to encourage young women to aspire to be leaders and to encourage those already involved to continue to be game changers in their respective areas… more
Friday, 15 April 2016
Taiwan helps Belize vehicle/drivers license system go digital
Belize – Belize will soon have an electronic system for driver and vehicle licenses, as well as vehicle registration with a web portal to access information thanks to the efforts of the Central Information Technology Office (C.I.T.O.) and Taiwan’s technical mission in Belize, led by Ming-Cheng (Diego) Tsai… more
Dominican digital inclusion project to require USD 300 mln
Dominican Republic – The Dominican Republic’s digital inclusion plan, which foresees the deployment of fibre optic cables to all regions and communities in the country, will require an investment of USD 300 million, according to the president of the Dominican Telecommunications Institute (Indotel), Gedeon Santos… more
Jamaican online education platform featured on BBC
Jamaica – Edufocal, the online learning platform created by Jamaican Gordon Swaby, was featured by the BBC on its website on April 5… more
Geraldine Pitt to lead the combined CWC/Columbus business
Saint Lucia – Following the successful merger of Cable and Wireless Communications (CWC) and Columbus International, President, Consumer Group, CWC, John Reid, today, announced the appointment of Geraldine Pitt as Country Manager for our combined buiness in St. Lucia, under the new Flow brand with immediate effect… more
LIME officially rebrands to FLOW in St. Lucia
Saint Lucia – The transformation from LIME St. Lucia to the new and refreshed Flow heralds the start of a new and exciting era for the brand, which underscores the successful integration of Cable & Wireless Communications and Columbus Communications Ltd… more
Message from Wayne Hull – FLOW Country Manager
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines – Hello Vincy,: Welcome to the new FLOW! … more
Saturday, 16 April 2016
FLOW names new manager; ECTEL express displeasure with merger
Regional – Flow has named Grenadian Geraldine Pitt as the new country manager in St. Lucia even as the Eastern Caribbean Telecommunications Company (ECTEL) continues to express its displeasure at the merger involving Cable and Wireless Communications (CWC) and Columbus International… more
Country Manager Reacts To ECTEL Criticism
Saint Lucia – THE Country Manager of FLOW St. Lucia, Geraldine Pitt has partially responded to comments made by Telecommunications Minister James Fletcher during the 33rd meeting of the Eastern Caribbean Telecommunications Authority (ECTEL) Council of Ministers on Wednesday… more
‘FLOW–ING’ – New Entity Promises Service Second To None
Saint Lucia – THE Telecommunications giant FLOW has now been officially launched in Saint Lucia… more
Sunday, 17 April 2016
Guyana holds second public consultation on draft cybercrime bill
Guyana – The second public consultation on Guyana’s draft Cybercrime Bill of 2016, kicked off on Wednesday in Georgetown; with stakeholders making several meaningful submissions on almost every aspect of the draft legislation, which seeks to rein in perpetrators of cybercrimes against Guyanese citizens, companies, and state institutions… more
Inside BPO Call Centres: Uncertainty Looms – Politicians’ Hopes Of Boosting Employment Through Call Centres Could Flop
Jamaica – During the recent election campaign period, both the then governing People’s National Party (PNP) and the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) pointed to the Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) sector as an area which would provide thousands of jobs over the next five years… more
Rogue Operators Hurting Sector – Stakeholders
Jamaica – Some business process outsourcing (BPO) call centre operators are expressing fear that the legitimacy of the industry in Jamaica is being threatened by players who are refusing to become a part of the formal system… more
Image credits: filipe ferreira (flickr); Wikipedia; Wikipedia; ECTEL; Wikipedia
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