A roundup of the latest ICT/technology news from across the Caribbean region for the period Monday 9 October 2017 to Sunday 15 October 2017.
Monday, 9 October 2017
Sexting: Not a playground for teens
Jamaica – When you send a sexually explicit image of yourself via the Internet, do you really have any control over its further dispatch… more
Liberty Global reviewing Q3 guidance following Caribbean hurricanes
Regional – Liberty Global’s Latin American and Caribbean group (LiLAC) has announced that it’s reviewing its previously-issued 2017 financial guidance in view of the uncertainty regarding the ultimate impact of Hurricane Irma and Hurricane Maria on its operations in the Caribbean… more
Tuesday, 10 October 2017
Antigua, US Remain Deadlocked Over Online Gambling Dispute
Antigua and Barbuda – Storm ravaged Barbuda and Antigua stand to make millions of dollars if its long simmering trade dispute with the USA dealing with online gambling can be resolved… more
Taiwan to assist BTL in fiber networking
Belize – On Friday, during a donation ceremony hosted by the Embassy of the Republic of China, Taiwan, Prime Minister Dean highlighted the partnership that Belize and Taiwan have enjoyed over the years. In his address, PM Barrow announced that Taiwan has indicated its willingness to assist Belize Telemedia Limited in its Fiber network project… more
Digicel: Service Restoration Update
Dominica – More cell sites are coming up across Dominica as Digicel’s army of engineers continue to restore service to customers following the passage of Hurricane Maria… more
‘Building the Internet Collectively’ – Internet Week Guyana launched
Guyana – Experts from the Information Communication Technology Sector (ICT) are gathered in Guyana to participate in the annual high-level Technology Conference to mark International Internet Week 2017… more
E-commerce ready – Kitty Post office rehabilitated and reopened – Over 300,000 to benefit
Guyana – The Guyana Post Office Corporation (GPOC) today reopened its Kitty Post Office, with the aim to maximise e-commerce in the country’s postal services… more
Kitty Post office reopened
Guyana – The Guyana Post Office Corporation (GPOC) yesterday reopened its Kitty Post Office, with the aim to maximise e-commerce in the country’s postal services… more
Digicel Play is now Digicel
Regional – Digicel announced today that its home entertainment service, formerly known as DigicelPlay, has been rebranded to Digicel… more
Hurricane damage in Puerto Rico, other Caribbean islands cuts Liberty Global, Dish Network service
Regional – Hurricane damage in Puerto Rico and the Caribbean islands is keeping TV companies Liberty Global plc and Dish Network Corp. from providing service in region, and it’s not clear when either company’s business there will recover… more
Liberty Global Weighs Financial Impact of Hurricanes Irma and Maria
Regional – Liberty Global said it expects to receive insurance proceeds to cover the losses to operations in the Caribbean following in the wake of Hurricanes Irma and Maria, but, given the uncertainties linked to the recovery, it’s reviewing its previously-issued 2017 financial guidance for its Liberty Latin America and Caribbean (LiLAC) division, and plans to provide an update at the company’s Q3 call next month… more
Social media abuse
Trinidad and Tobago – By now we have all experienced it. First, you get a ringing notification on your phone… more
Wednesday, 11 October 2017
Why hurricane-ravaged Barbuda desperately wants to resolve a dispute over American online gambling
Antigua and Barbuda – As the Caribbean nation of Antigua and Barbuda struggles to rebuild following Hurricane Irma, the tiny islands are demanding that the United States settle a long-simmering trade dispute that could provide them with millions of dollars for recovery… more
GTT should start showing some level of professionalism
Guyana – Dear Editor, Please allow me the opportunity to publicly express my pent up frustration with Guyana’s very own GTT… more
Call Centre Concerns – Business Operators Differ Over Sustainability Of BPO Sector
Jamaica – The Government has made no secret of its plan to leverage business process outsourcing (BPO) to drive Jamaica’s economic growth, but members of the local private sector are not all convinced about the sustainability of this fast-growing industry… more
GIS Technology A Critical Crime Fighting Tool – PM Holness
Jamaica – Prime Minister Andrew Holness says Geo-spatial Information System (GIS) technology will play a major role in assisting the government’s security objectives… more
JCF Uses Geospatial Data to Improve Operations
Jamaica – Minister of National Security, Hon. Robert Montague, has credited the use of geospatial data in improving the technological capabilities of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) as it seeks to predict and prevent criminal activity… more
Mobile wallet catching on in Jamaica
Jamaica – Subscribers to the GK MPay mobile wallet use it largely to buy phone credit rather than for transactions such as consumer purchases or bill payment… more
Thursday, 12 October 2017
Overcoming obstacles to Innovation & productivity in Firms: a case of The Bahamas
Bahamas – Earlier this year, the IDB Group’s Caribbean Department invested in training for its employees to participate in a ‘Simplexity Workshop’, facilitated by Basadur Applied Creativity, with the objective of introducing the team to creative problem solving… more
Flow reconnects in more communities
British Virgin Islands – Following the passage of Hurricane Irma, Flow’s technicians have been working diligently throughout the islands to restore full coverage to customers… more
Digicel restores service to Calibishie and Bense
Dominica – Service has resumed for Digicel customers in Calibishe and Bense… more
The ICT revolution has unleashed individual and group deficiencies
Guyana – Dear Editor, The world is no longer flat… more
Jamaica lost US$100m to cybercrime in 2016 — Govt
Jamaica – Senior Advisor in the Ministry of Science, Energy and Technology, Trevor Forrest, is urging increased vigilance against cybercrime, as everyone is at risk… more
Digicel said to prepare up to $50m Hurricane Irma claim
Regional – Denis O’Brien’s Digicel telecommunications group is reportedly preparing to make up to a $50 million (€42.2 million) insurance claim for damages caused to its network and property across several Caribbean islands as a result of Hurricane Irma last month… more
International partners join forces with C&W for hurricane relief efforts
Regional – Just one week after the launch of the Cable & Wireless Charitable Foundation to provide relief to Caribbean countries devastated by recent hurricanes, major local, regional and international partners are joining the call for support… more
Bmobile, Uber join forces*
Trinidad and Tobago – Local telecommunications provider bMobile has joined forces with the taxi service company Uber to offer free wifi during rides… more
Friday, 13 October 2017
Antigua and Barbuda to implement a maritime single window for ship notifications
Antigua and Barbuda – IMO says Antigua and Barbuda is getting ready to implement a maritime single window for ship notifications relating to stay and departure of the vessel, under a project facilitated by IMO technical cooperation programme… more
CaribNOG 15 Will Take Place In Miami In April 2018
Curaçao – Techies, computer network operators and cybersecurity experts from across the Caribbean will be converging on the city of Miami from 19 to 20 April 2018, for the 15th regional meeting of the Caribbean Network Operators Group… more
Flow making steady progress with service restoration following Hurricane Maria 21 of 49 mobile sites restored
Dominica – Flow has made significant progress in the successful restoration of mobile services in Dominica following the devastation caused by Hurricane Maria… more
Broadcasters encouraged to be responsible
Guyana – Local broadcasters were charged to more responsible and cognizant of the effect their words have on listeners when on-air… more
THE CROWDSOURCED MAPS GUIDING PUERTO RICO’S RECOVERY
Puerto Rico – Almost three weeks after Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico, the island is in a grim state… more
Digicel Rebrands Its Home Entertainment Service
Regional – The home entertainment service formerly known as Digicel Play has been rebranded to Digicel… more
UTS firmly condemns price gouging of its prepaid credit
Sint Maarten – United Telecommunications Services (UTS) on Thursday “categorically condemned” the price-gouging of its prepaid credit vouchers… more
Saturday, 14 October 2017
Internet week
Guyana – The Caribbean Telecommunications Union on Friday hosted a “Youth in ICT Day” to bring the curtains down on five days of Tech Talks for Internet Week Guyana. Secondary and tertiary level youths joined others from community ICT hubs near and far at the Pegasus Hotel… more
911 back on stream in two weeks, Ramjattan says
Guyana – The 911 emergency system will be back in operation in two weeks’ time, according to Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan, who has also announced that a large quantity of vehicles and other equipment necessary for law enforcement to respond arrived here recently from China… more
Digital Danger – Youth Urged To Be Careful Of Social Media Footprints They Create
Jamaica – Young people are being urged to be more responsible in their use of social media given that careless usage may result in a digital footprint that may be detrimental to their future… more
Everyone at risk for cybercrime
Jamaica – SENIOR Advisor in the Ministry of Science, Energy and Technology Trevor Forrest is urging increased vigilance against cybercrime, as everyone is at risk… more
‘I was offered $.1m to surrender cellphone’ *
Trinidad and Tobago – Mark Adams, the man who claims Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi conspired with him to wiretap the offices of United National Congress (UNC) Senator and attorney Gerald Ramdeen, says he was offered a $100,000 bribe to surrender a cellphone allegedly containing text messages between the AG and himself… more
Sunday, 15 October 2017
Can Carolyn Cooper’s Luck Flow This Way?
Jamaica – THE EDITOR, Sir: I envy Dr Carolyn Cooper for all the good luck she’s been having with FLOW… more
OUR Delays Termination Rate Cuts Pending Court Judgment
Jamaica – The Office of Utilities Regulation (OUR) continues to delay implementation of fixed-line termination rate cuts, pending the court’s decision on Cable & Wireless Jamaica’s application for an injunction… more
Trinidad’s Gaming Future in good hands
Trinidad and Tobago – Since its commercial birth in the 1950’s as a technological oddity at a science fair, gaming has blossomed into one of the most profitable entertainment industries in the world… more
Image credits: (Mick Baker)rooster (flickr); Wikipedia; Wikipedia; Brands of the World; Wikipedia;
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