A roundup of the latest ICT/technology news from across the Caribbean region for the period Monday 6 June to Sunday 12 June 2016.
Monday, 6 June 2016
Union laments award of mobile license to CBL
Bahamas – While the Christie administration and Cable Bahamas Ltd. (CBL) are celebrating the announcement that CBL has officially been awarded the second cellular license in The Bahamas, and while the regulatory steps, which will effect that change, are being taken, the Bahamas Communication and Public Officers Union (BCPOU) is maintaining its objection to the grant of the license… more
GOVERNMENT OPENS ICT CENTRE FOR EXCELLENCE
Dominica – Another promise fulfilled by the Dominica Labour Party Administration as the much discussed Center of Excellence was officially opened on Friday, June 3rd, 2016… more
LIBERTY RENAMES CWC’S VIDEO SERVICES IN THE CARIBBEAN AS HORIZON FROM FLOW
Regional – US telecommunications company Liberty Global announced through an official statement that, after the acquisition, it renamed the IPTV services offered by British telco Cable & Wireless Communications (CWC) as Horizon from Flow… more
Marketing Strategies Today: Mastermind and profit online
Regional – As the saying goes, nothing is created in a vacuum. If you are looking for new ways to engage your customers, a mastermind group may hold the answer… more
Tuesday, 7 June 2016
URCA exec welcomes CBL, competition
Bahamas – Director of Policy & Regulation at the Utilities Regulation and Competition Authority (URCA) Stephen Bereaux said the introduction of Cable Bahamas Ltd. (CBL) as the second cellular licensee in The Bahamas provides a relief to the communications sector in relation to the competition that the sector currently lacks… more
Prime Minister worried about regional security threats
Barbados – Prime Minister Freundel Stuart has identified money laundering, cyber-crimes and cross border criminal activity among the greatest threats to this region’s security… more
DOMINICA POSITIONED TO BECOME REGIONAL ‘SILICON VALLEY’-ICT MINISTER
Dominica – Dominica is positioned to be the silicon valley of the Caribbean. That’s the sentiment of the Hon Minister for Information, Science, Telecommunication and Technology, Kelver Darroux… more
Conatel yet to award LTE concessions in Haiti
Haiti – Haiti’s telecoms regulator Conseil National des Telecommunications (Conatel) has informed the public that ‘no person has been granted a concession for the operation and marketing of 4G LTE mobile phone services’ in the country, Radio Television Caraibes writes… more
Jamaican teams among first PitchIT Caribbean Challenge winners
Jamaica – LOCAL mobile app developers SameLogic and Bookfusion were among the five teams which scored big at the Caribbean Mobile Innovation Project’s (CMIP) PitchIT Caribbean tech-entrepreneurship competition which ended on Saturday… more
T&T to host BPO Summit
Trinidad and Tobago – The business process outsourcing (BPO) service sector has the potential to considerably boost local employment by creating more than 3000 high-value jobs as well as contribute $1.1 billion to gross domestic product, according to CEO of the T&T International Financial Centre (TTIFC) Varun Maharaj… more
Trinidad to host inaugural business process outsourcing conference
Trinidad and Tobago – Chairman of the Trinidad and Tobago International Financial Centre (TTIFC), Richard Young, says the inaugural international business process outsourcing (BPO) conference here later this month is part of a mandate to create a more diversified economic base in the country… more
Wednesday, 8 June 2016
Bahamas notifies URCA to proceed with new cellular mobile company licensing
Bahamas – The Cellular Liberalisation Task Force advises the public that the Utilities Regulation and Competition Authority (URCA) has been duly notified to proceed with the licensing of the new cellular mobile company (NewCo)… more
BTC Celebrates 50 years as #1 for Communications in the Bahamas!
Bahamas – BTC is boasting that, come June, they will celebrate 50 years as the #1 provider of telecommunications in the Bahamas! … more
COMPANIES SHOWN IMPORTANCE OF SECURITY SOLUTIONS
Barbados – Companies are being encouraged to adapt Information Technology (IT) policies or suffer new vulnerabilities… more
Half a Million Internet Users are Targeted for Social Media Campaign
Belize – The participating agencies have worked closely to design special packages that aim to show the true value of tourist attractions in Central America through social media and website placements… more
US to help Dominican Republic in DTT deployment
Dominican Republic – Advanced Television Systems (ATSC) chairman Mark S. Richer announced that the US standards body is prepared to provide technical and logistical support to the Dominican Telecommunications Institute (Indotel) and Dominican operators for the implementation of the American digital TV standard in the country… more
Haiti working on 4G auction – report
Haiti – Haitian telecom regulator Conseil National des Telecommunications (Conatel) is currently working on establishing the terms and conditions for auctioning 4G spectrum, reports TeleGeography, citing Radio Television Caraibes… more
Data Packages Bring In Billions For Telecoms – Snapchat, Instagram Drive Subscriptions Among
Jamaica – Mobile applications led by Instagram and Snapchat are fuelling local Internet revenues, which rose beyond $4 billion in the review quarter, or 153 per cent higher year on year, according to newly released regulatory data… more
FLOW Million Milestone Achieves Five-Year Target, Says Sinclair
Jamaica – When Garfield Sinclair took office in 2010 as managing director of Cable & Wireless Jamaica then trading as LIME the company had just over 300,000 mobile subscribers… more
Flow ID Wins Global Telecoms Business Award
Regional – UXP Systems, the leader in User Lifecycle Management for telecommunications operators, is pleased to announce today that they have been presented with the prestigious Telecoms Innovation Award for customer service innovation… more
Let’s Talk Business: Three benefits of using social media as a key part of your marketing strategy
Regional – It’s the age of information and technology. Every business that wants to succeed in the current business environment must learn to use emerging technologies to provide better customer service and enhance its brand image… more
PALIG Caribbean CEO: Improvement before innovation
Trinidad and Tobago – Bill Schultz, CEO and managing director—Caribbean for Pan-American Life Insurance Group (PALIG), says local businesses need to strengthen their service culture and implement performance driven models of management to better set the stage for innovation in T&T’s business landscape… more
Thursday, 9 June 2016
URCA notified to proceed with mobile licensing
Bahamas – The 2016 Corporate LiveWire Innovation & Excellence Awards 2016 has recognized Leon Williams as Telecommunications CEO of the Year… more
URCA to proceed with new cellular mobile company licensing agreement
Bahamas – The government has notified the Utilities Regulation and Competition Authority (URCA) to proceed with Licensing of the new cellular mobile company NewCo yesterday… more
Forcepoint unveils security solutions in Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic – Forcepoint, world leader in cyber security, on Thursday unveiled to the press its solutions that allow organizations to enhance their business protected by transformative security technologies… more
Guyana created its own version of Facebook Free Basics, without Facebook’s help
Guyana – Free Basics is Facebook’s controversial plan to offer a limited version of the internet to users for free. Indian regulators blocked it in February for violating net-neutrality principles… more
Digicel launches Jamaica’s First LTE Network
Jamaica – Jamaica’s largest and fastest network, Digicel, picked up significantly more speed with the switching on of its LTE network today – becoming the first mobile provider to introduce innovation that delivers record-breaking performance… more
Gov’t Committed to Knowledge-Based Environment
Jamaica – The Government has reiterated its commitment to develop a knowledge-based environment that will enable Jamaicans to become creators and consumers of applications… more
SmartTerm aims to reinvent education in the Caribbean
Regional – SmartTerm, a cohesive web and mobile learning management system, aims to reinvent education in the Caribbean by providing school administrations and students with a seamless, integrated experience… more
Digicel Brings the Beat with New 4G Data Campaign
Saint Kitts and Nevis – Under the ‘Bring the Beat’ banner which aims is to unite all Caribbean people and cultures, Digicel St. Kitts-Nevis recently launched its new Bring the Beat Data Campaign… more
Riding the technology wave
Trinidad and Tobago – The Internet has revolutionised the way we all work, socialise, create and share information. Despite its omnipresence, many parts of the Caribbean are not getting full access to all the benefits on offer from technology… more
For whom the bell tolls?
Trinidad and Tobago – There has been more rumbling in the wake of Liberty Global’s May 15 announcement that it has closed the deal to purchase Cable & Wireless Communications, this time from the Communications Workers Union… more
Friday, 10 June 2016
Ministry of Education, Science and Technology grants $25,000 to Hack Camp
Bahamas – Hack<IT> 2016, a transformative science and technology programme now in its third year, is honoured to announce it has received $25,000 in support from the Bahamas Ministry of Education, Science and Technology… more
Don’t wait until you are hacked – companies told
Barbados – Local companies are being warned that they could lose millions of dollars each year to cybercrime if they do not carefully store their information and that of their customers… more
PROMOTECH INC. BOOSTS RANKS WITH NEW ACQUISITION
Barbados – Barbados’ top I.T. Solutions Company, Promotech Inc., has acquired Computer Depot Inc.’s knowledge and expertise in a move to not only bolster its ranks but also to accelerate the advance of strategic plans and goals that will benefit all… more
Mobile users stable in Dominican Republic in March
Dominican Republic – A total of 8.85 million mobile lines were in operation in the Dominican Republic in March 2016, with no change compared to the previous month, according to data published by the Dominican Telecommunications Institute (Indotel)… more
E-Governance project run without necessary accounting systems – Audit
Guyana – The recently released forensic audit into the $7.9B E-Governance project has found the venture was being run without the necessary systems of internal control… more
BOJ Warns About Malicious Email
Jamaica – Another state entity is the subject of a malicious email fraud… more
Conec Mobile restricted by low transaction limits, but operators optimistic
Jamaica – Heston Hutton, managing director of Centralized Strategic Services Ltd, which oversees the Conec Mobile Wallet run by Jamaica Credit Union League subsidiary JaMobile Payment Services Ltd, says the company expects to receive central bank approval of phase two of the project “any day now”… more
Digicel Invests $6B In LTE Network, Touts Tenfold Increase In Data Speed
Jamaica – Digicel customers in Kingston and parts of Montego Bay will start experiencing, today, LTE data speeds up to tenfold faster than the telecom’s existing 4G network… more
Patwa Culcha International Launches Crowd Funding Campaign: “Bandwidth: Raw Soul of Jamaica”
Jamaica – Serial entrepreneur Heneka Watkis-Porter needs you to support her new television show bringing Jamaican Reggae Bands to a screen near you… more
Digicel Play Launches SOS Campaign
Saint Kitts and Nevis – The sound of “SOS” usually signals an alarm but Digicel plans to change the lives of Nevisians with its new SOS Campaign, in a positive light… more
Police restricted from using main information software
Sint Maarten – The Police Force of St. Maarten has been without its ACTPOL information software for two days. The reason has to do with overdue payments by the Justice Ministry to utilise the software. The software was shut down by the company on Wednesday and police officers have not been able to use it… more
Saturday, 11 June 2016
TECHNOLOGY USE POLICY COMING SOON
Barbados – Minister of Education, Science, Technology and Innovation, Ronald Jones says his Ministry is working hard to ensure there is a technology use policy in schools across the island by the start of the upcoming school year in September… more
Sunday, 12 June 2016
OLPF Project suffered grave management issues –Forensic audit report
Guyana – As if the financial weaknesses associated with the One Laptop Per Family Project (OLPF) weren’t horrible enough, forensic auditors have identified that the initiative also suffered from grave management issues… more
Resuscitation of failed Fibre Optic Cable Project in limbo
Guyana – Even though Government had set aside more than $200M to resuscitate the PPP’s failed fibre optic cable project, Telecommunications Minister, Cathy Hughes, said that the investment at the moment is stalled… more
Big Bucks On Buses – JUTC Defends $100 Million IT Spend Annually
Jamaica – Days after Transport Minister Mike Henry ordered an immediate management audit of the Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC), The Sunday Gleaner has confirmed that the state-run bus company is spending more than $100 million annually to maintain the information technology (IT) infrastructure on its buses… more
Byles To Investors … ‘BPO Sector Needs You’
Jamaica – President and chief executive officer of Sagicor Group Jamaica, Richard Byles, is encouraging the Government to enlist the support of the wider private sector to invest in the business process outsourcing (BPO) sector to boost economic growth and create jobs… more
SMS revenues tank as Jamaicans text less on local networks
Jamaica – LOCAL telecommunications companies are earning steadily less money from SMS and other mobile data traffic as Jamaicans appear to be making reduced use of their network, using alternative platforms for text messages and receiving international calls… more
Image credits: Mars Hill Church (flickr); Wikipedia; Wikipedia; Bahamas Weekly; Wikipedia; Wikipedia
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