A roundup of the latest ICT/technology news from across the Caribbean region for the period Monday 6 March to Sunday 11 March 2017.
Monday, 6 March 2017
Cyber war!
Barbados – The ruling Democratic Labour Party (DLP) is giving itself a pat on the back following last weekend’s mid-year conference at which Prime Minister Freundel Stuart and members of his Cabinet sought to present the ‘facts’ about Government’s performance over the past nine years… more
Flow lays off workers in team restructure
Cayman Islands – Local telecommunications company Flow, the brand name of Cable & Wireless, confirmed that they have laid off seven Caymanians workers and two ex-pat positions have been cut in what it described as “adjustments to how we run our business”… more
Jamaica Police Using WhatsApp to Tackle Sexual Exploitation of Children
Jamaica – The Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) is using messaging service WhatsApp to tackle the sexual exploitation of children via social media… more
Marketing Strategies Today: Video blogging tips
Regional – Want to watch profits rolling into your business? Then go for online video blogging! It is deemed to be the future in Internet marketing… more
PM: Full proclamation of e-legislation soon
Trinidad and Tobago – Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley on Monday delivered the feature address at the Regional Standardization Forum for Bridging the Standardization Gap (BSG) at the Office of the Parliament, International Waterfront Centre, Port of Spain… more
PM: Over 2 million cellphone subscriptions
Trinidad and Tobago – TRINIDAD and Tobago has achieved a mobile penetration market of 155 per cent of the population or over two million subscriptions to cellular phones, Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley said yesterday as he addressed Government’s role in moving this country further into the information age… more
Tuesday, 7 March 2017
USE ICT TECHNOLOGIES TO MAKE PUBLIC SERVICE MORE EFFICIENT
Barbados – BY utilising information and communications technology (ICT), even some that are decades old, Government could ensure that the public service becomes much more efficient… more
Flow Caribbean president promotes deregulation in Cayman
Cayman Islands – For Flow’s Caribbean President Garfield Sinclair, the future of the Cayman Islands and global business lies in digital connectivity… more
Trace and Studio Mobile launch Trace FM Haïti
Haiti – nternational media group Trace joins forces with Studio Mobile to launch Trace FM Haïti, which aims to become the best station targeting Haitian youth who accounts for 60 per cent of the Island’s population… more
Digicel eyeing Nokia 3310 for summer
Jamaica – Finnish brand Nokia recently unveiled a revamped version of its iconic 3310 model and telecommunications company Digicel plans to make it available in Jamaica this summer… more
Digicel Promo for Samsung Smartphone
Saint Lucia – DIGICEL St. Lucia has launched yet another exciting and cool promotion to coincide with the new month of March… more
PM: T&T to get e-legislation to make it ICT ready “soon”
Trinidad and Tobago – Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley says Government is committed to ensuring the proclamation of e-legislation with supporting rules and regulations in “the not too distant future… more
T&T in excess of two million mobile subscribers
Trinidad and Tobago – As of September 2016, there were in excess of two million mobile subscribers in a population of 1.4 million people in T&T… more
Wednesday, 8 March 2017
Flow To Go exceeds BTC’s expectations
Bahamas – As an early Christmas present, Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) launched its mobile television service, Flow To Go… more
Cyberbullying on the rise among San Pedro’s youth
Belize – Cyberbullying has become more prevalent, especially with the rapid advance of technology and its accessibility… more
Guyana prepares for Electronic Visa (E-Visa) and Work Visa System
Guyana – Guyana, concerned about bogus immigration stamps in foreigners’ passports and human trafficking, is moving to introduce an Electronic Visa (E-Visa) and Work Visa System as part of the implementation and development of a modern visa issuance policy and system… more
#IWD2017: Online platform on gender-based violence to be launched today
Jamaica – The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) said it is pleased to be partnering with the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport to launch an online platform on gender-based violence — ‘Break the Silence’ — at the International Women’s Day: Unite to End GBV Concert, which will be held today at Emancipation Park… more
Digicel Needs To Boost Cash To Pay Down Debt, Says Fitch
Regional – A top ratings agency is saying Digicel Group needs to improve its free cash flow by next March in order to offset debt maturities… more
TSTT, Massy team up
Trinidad and Tobago – THE country’s largest telecommunications provider, Telecommunications Services of Trinidad and Tobago Limited (TSTT), has signed a deal with the country’s newest, Massy Communications, that would have the two share infrastructure and save foreign exchange… more
Thursday, 9 March 2017
BTC bridging the digital divide
Bahamas – Over the last two years Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) has been hard at work on a number of initiatives to progress the “smart island” agenda for the country. Last year, the company began a focused partnership with the Registrar General’s Department aimed at making the registration process for all Family Islanders seamless… more
BTC’s Flow to Go service hits 14,000 subs in two months
Bahamas – Bahamas operator BTC has announced that its Flow to Go mobile TV service has reached 14,000 subscriptions just two months after its introduction… more
BTC restoration expected to be 99% complete by end of the month
Bahamas – In October of 2016 Hurricane Matthew ripped through The Bahamas as a very large and very dangerous Category 4 system, bringing with it heavy rains, and high winds which downed power lines, uprooted trees, flooded low lying areas and left a trail destruction in its wake – particularly on Grand Bahama which received a near direct hit… more
Barbados Schools Get $5M Donation in Tech Gear from China
Barbados – Barbados schools and education institutions received a donation of US$5 million from the People’s Republic of China in order to give a boost to their teaching facilities Wednesday… more
Altice Q4 sales up 6% to EUR 189 mln in Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic – Altice announced fourth-quarter revenues of EUR 188.8 million for its Orange Dominicana brand in the Dominican Republic, up 6.6 percent year on year on a constant currency basis and 6.0 percent on a reported basis… more
GTT joins call for gender equality in workplaces
Guyana – GTT yesterday pledged to continue to “Be Bold For Change” as part of the company’s activities in observance of International Women’s Day 2017… more
Why is GTT on voicemail when people call for emergency purposes?
Guyana – Dear Editor, Last Saturday I noticed my internet went down very early in the morning… more
Secretary General’s Address on International Women’s Day
Regional – “International Women’s Day is a time to reflect on progress made, to call for change and to celebrate acts of courage and determination by ordinary women who have played an extraordinary role in the history of their countries and communities” United Nations… more
Technology Upgrade for Courts
Regional – A STATE of the art e-filing system with a fully-integrated modern e-case management system is to be implemented in all member states and territories of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (ECSC)… more
Innovation and commercial banking
Trinidad and Tobago – In Trinidad and Tobago, commercial banks play a most crucial and pivotal role in the financial system… more
TSTT partners with NWRHA
Trinidad and Tobago – TSTT’s partnership with the North West Regional Health Authority (NWRHA) to install a modern closed circuit TV (CCTV) system at the Port-of-Spain General Hospital is providing a state-of-the-art video surveillance system that is unlike anything used at the institution before… more
We’re Secure: Digicel Denies Security Breach
Trinidad and Tobago – Telecommunications company Digicel insists its network is safe, reliable and secure, following a claim that Trinidad and Tobago’s prime minister may have had some of his text messages and emails intercepted… more
Friday, 10 March 2017
BTC Post-Paid Customers Angry After Overcharging For Services
Bahamas – IRATE Bahamas Telecommunications Company post-paid mobile customers yesterday told The Tribune they now have “issues of trust” and are contemplating leaving BTC for its competitor Aliv, after they were overcharged for services and did not learn of the issue until weeks after the extra fees were heaped on their bills… more
GTT launches 4G service in Guyana
Guyana – The Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GTT) has finally activated its 4G-LTE service, rolling out the technology for customers on the Essequibo Coast some four months ahead of schedule, reports Demerara Waves, citing the company’s CEO Justin Nedd… more
Ready TV to make Portmore its home base
Jamaica – The Jamaican government, the Opposition, the church and the residents of Portmore, St Catherine seem to be rallying behind the decision of new digital cable company, Ready TV, to make the dormitory town its home base… more
Saturday, 11 March 2017
New BTC fiber network expected for GB
Bahamas – Eldri Ferguson-Mackey, BTC Northern Bahamas Vice President, said that despite experiencing setbacks with its system due to the passing of Hurricane Matthew, the company is pleased to announce that it is now in the process of upgrading the fiber network, which is proposed for a November delivery for Grand Bahama… more
Cops getting hands-on Cybercrime training in Panama
Guyana – Guyana is being represented at an international Cybercrime Capacity Building Project for Latin America and the Caribbean… more
Sunday, 12 March 2017
Government Firm On BPO Tax – Stakeholders Warn That This Could Drive Away Investors
Jamaica – Minister of State in the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service Fayval Williams has slammed the door in the faces of operators in the business processing outsourcing (BPO) industry who have been pushing for a rollback of the 12.5 per cent corporate income tax (CIT) levied on the sector… more
Image credits: GotCredit (flickr); Wikipedia; The Eleutheran; Wikipedia
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