A roundup of the latest ICT/technology news from across the Caribbean region for the period Monday 21 November to Sunday 27 November 2016.
Monday, 21 November 2016
Microsoft M4—a Public Sector digital hero
Antigua and Barbuda – A quote by the World Economic Forum’s Professor Klaus Schwab from his book—The Fourth Industrial Revolution, turned up repeatedly in the talks as a sounding board for anyone hesitating about digital transformation… more
Insight: Aliv And Kicking
Bahamas – The creation, organisation, staffing and financing of NewCo in less than a year suggest a model pattern for other private-public joint ventures in the Bahamian economy, Richard Coulson says… more
Cellphone store gutted in Regent St fire
Guyana – A blaze suspected to be electrical in nature gutted a mobile phone shop on Regent Street yesterday but swift action by members of the Guyana Fire Service (GFS) led to the saving of several businesses located in the same building… more
Tracking device on stolen IPhone leads cops to deportee’s home
Guyana – After serving a lengthy stretch in a US prison for manslaughter and drug trafficking, it appears that it’s back to prison for a 55-year-old deportee… more
Cable & Wireless Partners With Juvo for MFS in the Caribbean
Regional – Cable & Wireless Communications (C&W) has partnered with Juvo to boost access to mobile credit services and drive financial inclusion across 15 Caribbean markets… more
Commonwealth HR/ICT Forum Opens In Kingston Today
Regional – The two-day Commonwealth Telecommunications Organization (CTO) Human Resources & Information Communications Technologies (HR/ICT) forum opens today at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel in New Kingston… more
Digicel Selects Aviat Networks’ Transmission Solution
Regional – Aviat Networks, Inc. (NASDAQ: AVNW), the leading expert in microwave networking solutions, today announced that it recently turned on the world’s longest microwave link servicing a public mobile phone network… more
HBO GO ARRIVES IN THE CARIBBEAN WITH NEW MULTI-LANGUAGE OFFER
Regional – HBO Latin America announced their multiple new functions are available on HBO GO, the brand’s Premium digital platform, which offers Caribbean users an even more dynamic access to HBO original and exclusive content anytime, anywhere… more
John Reid Confirmed as CEO of Cable and Wireless
Regional – John Reid has been confirmed as Chief Executive Officer of C&W Communications (“C&W”, or the “Company”) effective November 7, 2016… more
Tuesday, 22 November 2016
Aliv launches first wave of retail outlet openings; meets first service milestone
Bahamas – As Aliv moves toward its full launch day, set for Wednesday, November 23, it announced yesterday the opening of six new retail locations across New Providence… more
Bahamas-Based Cloud Services Company Was Ready for Hurricane
Bahamas – November 22, 2016) – As the people and businesses throughout the Caribbean region prepared for the onslaught of a major Category 5 hurricane bearing down on them October 6th, for most, their focus was family, friends and colleagues, boarding up windows and positioning sandbags… more
Committee Will Probe BTC Deal
Bahamas – MORE than five years after a deal was inked by the previous Ingraham administration to sell the Bahamas Telecommunications Company Ltd (BTC), the government yesterday moved a resolution in Parliament to establish a select committee to probe the controversial sale to Cable and Wireless… more
4G LTE goes live at Flow
British Virgin Islands – On Friday, with much fanfare, Flow launched their new 4G LTE mobile network. ESHS drum corp and the Rams Cheerleading squad paraded through Road Town and “Flow Lights up Road Town” T-shirts worn by many in the streets… more
Ministry Commits to Universal Access to ICT
Jamaica – Science, Energy and Technology Minister, Dr. the Hon. Andrew Wheatley, says the Ministry remains committed to providing Jamaicans with universal access to information and communications technology (ICT)… more
CANTO Responds to “ECTEL Moving Ahead with Net Neutrality Policy”
Regional – ECTEL, a regional regulator of Caribbean operators issued a release on November 11, 2016 titled ‘ECTEL Moving Ahead With Net Neutrality‘… more
Jamaican Philip Cross appointed regional advisor for the Americas
Regional – The Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation (CTO) has appointed Jamaican citizen Philip Cross, an independent ICT consultant, as the regional advisor for the Americas… more
OECS celebrates completion of inaugural Digital Internship Programme
Regional – The OECS Commission held a graduation ceremony this morning to commemorate the completion of its first-ever OECS Digital Internship Programme… more
IT Department Holds Workshops To Increase Competencies In PC Computing And Networking Management
Saint Kitts and Nevis – The Information Technology (IT) Department is currently holding a workshop which seeks to ensure that its technical personnel are competent in PC computing and networking management… more
13 End Digital Internship Training
Saint Lucia – The OECS Commission held a graduation ceremony last Friday to commemorate the completion of its first ever OECS Digital Internship Programme… more
Wednesday, 23 November 2016
BTC chairman to remain at helm of C&W
Bahamas – Liberty Global has confirmed that John Reid, interim CEO of Cable & Wireless Communications (C&W), would continue in the post… more
BTC hosts ‘sneak peak’ of new corporate mobile devices
Bahamas – Bahamas Telecommunications Company Limited (BTC) last week on Friday held a “sneak-peak” preview to introduce the new mobile devices available to the business community… more
Evans welcomes probe on BTC sale
Bahamas – Bahamas Communications and Public Officers Union President Bernard Evans yesterday welcomed the appointment of a select committee of Parliament to probe the 2011 sale of the Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC), saying it is long overdue and it would be “good for history just to close that chapter”… more
Ex-Minister Supports BTC Select Committee
Bahamas – A former Cabinet minister in the Ingraham administration yesterday encouraged the Government to proceed with creating a select committee to probe the 2011 Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) privatisation, arguing that reviewing government decisions should become “common practice”… more
Minnis: BTC probe irrelevant
Bahamas – Free National Movement (FNM) Leader Dr. Hubert Minnis said yesterday Deputy Prime Minister Philip Brave Davis’ suggestion that then Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham paid almost $500,000 over the Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) chairman’s recommended bonuses for 15 executives in an effort to “induce them to keep quiet” about the controversial sale to Cable and Wireless Communications (CWC) is a “deflection” from more important issues in the country that the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) is responsible for… more
Minnis: BTC Probe Just A Distraction By Government
Bahamas – FREE National Movement Leader Dr Hubert Minnis said yesterday that the government’s probe into the sale of the Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) to Cable and Wireless (CWC) is nothing more than “distraction” from the country’s real issues… more
20 schools get iPads
Barbados – Twenty primary, nursery and special needs schools are now more equipped to keep up with technology, thanks to the Khan Academy Mathematics Initiative… more
Cellphone thief undone by GPS
Barbados – CELLPHONE THIEF Justin Wayne Jackman thought he had got away with his crime until the phone rang a couple of hours later… more
CONATEL calls the media to objectivity and moderation
Haiti – The General Direction of the Executive Body of the National Telecommunications Council (CONATEL) takes note of the emotion that reach the media and language discrepancies that tend to lead to incitement to violence, following the election day of November 20, 2016, asks the Directors of Opinion to rise to the dimension of objectivity and impartiality that must characterize their conduct… more
CRFM and FAO plan fisheries data reform for the Caribbean
Regional – The coming of the digital age presents novel opportunities for the fisheries and aquaculture sector of the wider Caribbean to build a more robust data and information system that would augment the monitoring of production trends and traceability of catches, support more sustainable management regimes through increased people engagement, and facilitate stronger international and regional trade… more
St. Lucia Simplifies Government Communications and Reduces Costs with Avaya
Saint Lucia – Avaya announced today that the Government of St. Lucia has implemented a full stack solution which enables the country to save as much as 25 percent of its previous communications budget… more
Thursday, 24 November 2016
BTC Privatisation Chair Confident In ‘Best Deal’
Bahamas – The chair of the Bahamas Telecommunications Company’s (BTC) privatisation committee yesterday expressed confidence that a Parliamentary probe would find the sale was “the best deal that could be done”, provided its inquiry was conducted properly… more
Entrecon II to get Belize into 6 Billion ICT market
Belize – Almost everyone on the planet is using Information and Communications Technology (ICT) in one form or another, creating a virtually limitless market of 6 Billion approaching 7 Billion users for ICT innovators… more
The erroneous definition of broadcasting has not been removed from the Telecommunications Bill
Guyana – Dear Editor, When I was asked to become a member of the board of the Guyana National Broadcasting Authority (GNBA), I was mandated to undo any irregularity which I found in Broadcast Act 17 of 2011, which was put there by Bharrat Jagdeo, especially when it had to do with the illegal issuance of radio and other licences… more
New digital marketplace launched to aid small businesses
Saint Lucia – Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) was declared opened by Hon. Bradley Felix – Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister with responsibility for Commerce, Industry, Investment, Enterprise development and Consumer affairs… more
Globally ranked, poised to make TT J international ICT hotspot
Trinidad and Tobago – Ultimately, thinks David D’Oliveira, it is CW Business’ corporate culture that sets it apart from its competition. The Vice President of CW Business, Trinidad, sat with Business Day to talk about developments at the company, which he says is poised to grow exponentially since its acquisition by Liberty Global, formalised earlier this year… more
Friday, 25 November 2016
CWC ‘Backdoor’ Was ‘Red Flag’ For BTC Privatisation
Bahamas – Cable & Wireless Communications (CWC) “backdoor” entrance should have been “a red flag” to the Ingraham administration that the Bahamas Telecommunications Company’s (BTC) 2011 privatisation was ill-timed, a well-known businessman said yesterday… more
Police have funds for CCTV setup at Stickette
British Virgin Islands – Following the shooting death of a man near The Stickette on Tortola last week, Commissioner of Police Michael Matthews has indicated that CCTV cameras will be installed in that area, as well as in other criminal hotspots around the British Virgin Islands… more
NTRC presents HAM software to schools
Dominica – The National Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (NTRC) in collaboration with HAM Radio (HAM-INICA) and the Dominica State College (DSC) made an official presentation of HAM software to a number of schools… more
GTT’s Mabaruma phone service restored
Guyana – After weeks of disconnected land-line and shaky cellular connection in Mabaruma from Guyana’s only land-line provider, residents of Mabaruma, North West District are breathing a sigh of relief after the community of 300 subscribers was finally reconnected last Sunday… more
Government Employees Being Trained in Cybersecurity
Jamaica – The Ministry of Science, Energy and Technology, through its Cyber Incident Response Team (CIRT), will be training 80 Government information and communications technology (ICT) experts over the next two days… more
Huawei Taps Intcomex As Partner For Regional Push
Jamaica – Chinese mobile phone manufacturer Huawei is using Jamaica as a launching pad into regional markets and has tapped Intcomex as partner to distribute its mobile devices locally and in the Caribbean… more
Jamaicans Urged To Be Cautious With Online Transaction
Jamaica – As the country approaches the busiest shopping season of the year, the Government is urging Jamaicans to exercise the greatest level of caution when conducting online transactions… more
Digicel has found a new way to tackle the OTTs
Regional – Mobile operators need to fight internet OTTs based on value as well as features, said senior Digicel executives at the recent GSMA WAS summit in Dublin… more
LTE services to start in French overseas territories
Regional – Orange, Digicel, Free and other operators are now able to launch 4G services in France’s overseas territories… more
Trinidad’s 7 percent online sales tax bad for the economy
Trinidad and Tobago – Trinidad’s government recently announced a 7 percent online sales tax in hopes of recouping some of the government income lost from falling oil prices… more
Saturday, 26 November 2016
Government seeks meeting with civil society groups after street protest
Bahamas – Prime Minister Perry Christie says he is prepared to meet with representatives of a group that staged a protest march here on Friday for what he hopes will be “serious and mutually respectful dialogue”… more
The Development of a Bahamas Trade Information Service Portal
Bahamas – The signing of the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) by The Bahamas in 2008 was significant… more
Gov’t Moves Ahead With Plans to Create Single ICT Regulator
Jamaica – The Government is moving ahead with plans to establish a single regulator for the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector… more
Technology Minister Hails Spectrum Management Authority
Jamaica – Science, Energy and Technology Minister, Dr. the Hon. Andrew Wheatley, has lauded the role of the Spectrum Management Authority (SMA) in advancing Jamaica’s telecommunications and broadband landscape over the past 15 years… more
Sunday, 27 November 2016
Intelsat and Intelsat General Support Hurricane Matthew Recovery Efforts
Haiti – Intelsat and Intelsat General are both playing significant roles to support hurricane relief work in Haiti in the aftermath of Hurricane Matthew… more
Cybersecurity Conference To Address Concerns With Online Business
Jamaica – With growing concerns for the security of individuals conducting business online, seven international speakers will lead local experts at the fourth national cybersecurity two-day conference, scheduled to begin tomorrow and conclude on Tuesday at the University of the West Indies’ Regional Headquarters… more
Wheatley welcomes Huawei/Intcomex partnership
Jamaica – Leading networking and telecommunications manufacturer Huawei and Intcomex launched their partnership to build the presence of the Huawei brand in the Jamaican market and the region on Tuesday night… more
UWI launches new multimedia service – UWItv
Regional – Vice-Chancellor of the University of the West Indies (UWI), Professor Sir Hilary Beckles, has described as “a game charger in Caribbean education and public outreach” the launch of UWItv, a new multimedia public information and education service… more
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