A roundup of the latest ICT/technology news from across the Caribbean region for the period Monday 6 November to Sunday 12 November 2017.
Monday, 6 November 2017
BTC Contractors In Key Meeting Today
Bahamas – THE Bahamas Telecommunications Company’s (BTC) contract workers are expected to meet with management today in a bid to resolve their grievances, a trade union leader has revealed… more
Insight: Cable Bahamas – A Text Book Case On How It Should Be Done
Bahamas – The comprehensive Annual Report of Cable Bahamas, the country’s largest non-bank company, should be read not only by its shareholders but by anyone interested in how a multi-division enterprise can thrive in our restrictive economic environment… more
Kareem Says P.M. Should Pay for B.T.L.
Belize – The settlement of the acquisition of Belize Telemedia Limited and related concerns twice over by the Government of Belize between 2009 and 2011 remains a burr in the saddle of the People’s United Party… more
Cuban Etecsa To Tap Into UTS Fibre Network To Boost Internet
Cuba – Cuba’s state-owned telecommunications operator Etecsa has reached a deal with Curacao-based operator United Telecommunication Services (UTS) to improve available internet bandwidth in Cuba, reports website CubaSi, citing Etecsa president Mayra Arevich Marin… more
Natcom will deploy to MTPTC an office software
Haiti – The Vietnam Army Telecommunications Group (Viettel) through its subsidiary Natcom in Haiti, will deploy its electronic document management system (N-Office) within the Ministry of Public Works (MTPTC) after a trial period which ended positively… more
Digicel Committed To Providing Affordable Internet Service
Jamaica – THE EDITOR, Sir: We note the feedback from Digicel customer, Teddylee Gray, published in The Gleaner on November 3, 2017, titled ‘Internet getting out of reach’… more
Commentary: Drones: The new Caribbean lifestyle, revolutionizing the medical, economic and logistic sectors
Regional – Drones are becoming an inescapable reality in the Caribbean. They have already taken the world by storm and are now infiltrating every area of business and of our collective social experience, causing the Caribbean to ask some essential questions going into the future… more
Digicel boss in direct competition with Mexico’s telecoms tycoon
Regional – Digicel boss Denis O’Brien is on course to enter into direct competition with his old rival Mexican telecoms tycoon Carlos Slim, in the wholesale telecoms market… more
COSTAATT students to compete in regional programming event
Trinidad and Tobago – A three-member team of students from the School of Business and Information Technologies at the College of Science, Technology and the Applied Arts of Trinidad and Tobago (COSTAATT) will participate in the regional leg of a collegiate programming competition in Cuba over the weekend… more
Tuesday, 7 November 2017
Altice’s Dominican Republic revenues fall 3.6% to EUR 170 mln in Q3
Dominican Republic – Altice announced third-quarter revenues of EUR 170.0 million for its Orange Dominicana and Tricom brands in the Dominican Republic, up 1.8 percent year on year on a constant currency basis and 1.2 percent on a reported basis… more
App lets Dominicans tip off Antinarcotics anonymously
Dominican Republic – Antinarcotics (DNCD) president, Edmundo Felix, on Tues. announced the mobile app Sociedad Empoderada Reporta (SER) (empowered society reports), to anonymously tip off authorities… more
Cable & Wireless Reports Millions In Hurricane Damage To Its Networks
Regional – Cable & Wireless, the parent company of regional telecommunication company Flow, is reporting approximately $50 million US dollars in damage to its networks across the Caribbean as a result of Hurricanes Irma and Maria in September… more
PM Chastanet declares Digicel’s St. Lucia hub “open for business”
Saint Lucia – In front of an enthusiastic crowd of business leaders, politicians and Digicel staff, the Prime Minster of Saint Lucia, the Honourable Allen Chastanet, declared Digicel’s new St. Lucia hub offices “open for business” on Thursday, November 2… more
Wednesday, 8 November 2017
AG: Data collection critical to combating crime
Barbados – Issues related to crime and security and disaster management should be the only two issues on the agenda for the next Heads of Government meeting… more
Only C&W for now
Barbados – Our hands are tied! … more
CVM Losses Worry Auditor As Debt Climbs – Chairman Says Cost Cuts, Capital Injection Bearing Fruit
Jamaica – Financial losses at CVM Television Limited continued to mount last year, and its auditors have highlighted concerns about the company’s cash flows and indebtedness, according to the audited report released for the October 25 annual general meeting… more
Flow Continues Fight As Court Clears Path For Rate Cuts
Jamaica – Termination rate cuts for fixed line phone calls are now to be implemented over a four-month period starting December 1, this year as the Supreme Court gives the green light to the Office of Utilities Regulation, OUR, to proceed with its decision made on June 7 this year… more
Thursday, 9 November 2017
Amateur Radio Poised to Bring a Brighter Future to Dominica
Dominica – Despite the devastating blow Hurricane Maria dealt to the Caribbean island nation of Dominica, Brian Machesney, K1LI, is optimistic that the recent delivery of Amateur Radio gear to the island will help to expedite ongoing recovery and better prepare Dominica for any similar disasters in the future… more
Inova Solutions Received An Exclusive Invitation By Microsoft Executive, Judson Althoff
Regional – On November 8, 2017, The CEO of Inova Solutions, Hans Kruithof, and COO of NetPro, John van Wezel, attended an exclusive meeting with none other than Microsoft Executive VP, Mr. Judson Althoff and Peter Elmgren of the Microsoft Executive team. The meeting took place in San Jose, Costa Rica… more
Pushing the tech agenda
Regional – Imagine a world where a school child no longer needs to lug around a heavy book bag but, instead, the only thing he carries is a tablet loaded with all academic-related information… more
bmobile joins businesses to light a Spark at Career Fair
Trinidad and Tobago – bmobile and other local businesses played host to hundreds of secondary school students from south Trinidad, as the students got the opportunity to explore a wide range of careers and tertiary education options during the Spark Education Career Fair at the National Energy Skills Centre (NESC), Ste Madeleine campus recently… more
Digicel launches new ‘1-2-3’ promotion
Trinidad and Tobago – Digicel prepaid customers will be able to save with the launch of the company’s new ‘1-2-3’ promotion this week until Monday November 13… more
Mayers appointed chairman of TSTT *
Trinidad and Tobago – INVESTMENT manager, Robert Mayers was yesterday confirmed as the new chairman of majority State-owned Telecommunications Services of Trinidad and Tobago (TSTT)… more
Friday, 10 November 2017
ICT Week – The Bahamas: Improving the Caribbean Internet
Bahamas – Experts from across the region will convene in The Bahamas to discuss the Internet which is now a critical information and communications technology (ICT)… more
Tech Summit Opens In Grand Bahama
Bahamas – HUNDREDS packed the convention centre at the Grand Lucayan Resort yesterday for the first ever Grand Bahama Technology Summit opened by Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis, who revealed that legislation has been put forth to enable new technology businesses to come to the island… more
CELLPHONES STILL A DISTRACTION FOR DRIVERS
Barbados – Whilst much talk of late has been about the deep potholes or “craters” that are fast evolving on our local roads, I want to call attention again to an issue that has been in the public domain for some time, but is yet to be fully addressed – that of the use of cellphones whilst driving… more
TABLETS FOR SHARON, HOLY INNOCENTS PRIMARY STUDENTS
Barbados – The contribution of the Aron & Christina Foundation to rural schools in Barbados has been commended by MP for St Thomas Cynthia Forde… more
Raspberry Pi Jam’s First Place Winner: Ecumenical High School
Belize – The winners of the Raspberry Pi Jam competition are students of Stann Creek Ecumenical High School… more
Tech Savvy High Schoolers
Belize – Last year in March, we showed you the tech savy high schoolers who participated in the first annual Raspberry Pi Jam… more
The Raspberry Pi Jam Takes over the Princess
Belize – It was created in 2008 and first brought to Belize seven years later. But the Raspberry Pi computer has become the base of the Public Utilities Commission’s Young Innovators Program… more
They’re here! Digital textbook distribution next week
British Virgin Islands – In an effort to further enhance the teaching and learning process for students of the territory, the Ministry of Education and Culture will integrate the use of digital textbooks in the classroom for students in grades 7 and 8… more
Amateur radio poised to bring a brighter future to Dominica after Maria
Dominica – Despite the devastating blow Hurricane Maria dealt to the Caribbean island nation of Dominica, Brian Machesney is optimistic that the recent delivery of Amateur Radio gear to the island will help to expedite ongoing recovery and better prepare Dominica for any similar disasters in the future… more
Dominican Republic to tender 30MHz in the AWS band
Dominican Republic – The Dominican Republic’s telecom regulator Indotel has launched a tender for 30MHz of spectrum in the AWS band (1700-2100MHz)… more
Focus on “science and technology”, not “work under the sun like a mule” – PM Nagamootoo urges Berbice youths
Guyana – As the closure of a number of East Berbice operations of the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GUYSUCO) draws near, Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo has urged youths there to pursue studied in Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM)… more
E-Governance Unit flagged for fuel racket
Guyana – The Audit Office of Guyana has found the E-Governance Unit of the Ministry of Public Telecommunications to be operating in a manner that is not consistent with best accounting practices and the laws of Guyana… more
Telecommunications Ministry set for Hackathon 2017
Guyana – The Ministry of Public Telecommunications yesterday at a press conference at the Ministry’s boardroom, on Camp Street, Georgetown announced the programme for this year’s Hackathon. It is being held under the theme ‘Hack to the Future’… more
Sutherland Adding More Seats, Jobs At CSO Centre
Jamaica – Business process out-sourcing firm Sutherland Global is adding about 400 jobs at its South Camp Road facility near downtown Kingston, which would effectively quintuple its workforce at that centre since it first launched there… more
CANTO’s 34th AGM to Discuss Digital Adoption and Disaster Risk Management
Regional – Theme: “Guiding Digital Adoption to Lead the Global Market” CANTO and co-host TSTT invite you to join 200 industry professionals as we discuss “Guiding Digital Adoption to Lead the Global Market”… more
Hurricanes shine light on emergency communications
Regional – The Atlantic hurricane disasters this year left more than 260 dead with
$300 billion in damages, making them the costliest ever… more
Digicel Offers Customers New Retail Experience
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines – Digicel SVG Limited is giving customers a new ‘experience’ in communication and entertainment… more
FLOW Gets Bomb Scare
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines – Workers at Telecommunications Company FLOW had to vacate the building’s headquarters on Halifax Street, after someone called in a bomb threat on Wednesday… more
Saturday, 11 November 2017
DIGICEL LAUNCHES 2017 INDEPENDENCE PROMOTION
Barbados – Digicel Barbados will be celebrating the island’s 51st Anniversary of Independence with a series of initiatives, which are all designed to reward customers as they participate in the company’s 2017 Independence promotion… more
Negotiations on outstanding US$5M GTT Shares still ongoing
Guyana – After two years of discussions, Government has not received a cent from Hong Kong Golden Telecom Company (HKGT), the Chinese company which owes US$5M for the shares it bought in the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph (GTT) Company… more
Jamaica Contractor General gets state-of-the-art equipment to probe corruption
Jamaica – Forensic recovery of evidence data centre devices that can extract data from computers and smartphones, along with other critical pieces of equipment to aid in the fight against corruption, were yesterday handed over to the Office of the Contractor General (OCG) by the United States Embassy… more
Flow Sports To Broadcast Rally Round West Indies
Regional – Some of the biggest, most exciting names in West Indies cricket history are set to pad up on Saturday for a charity cricket match that will be played in Barbados and carried live on Flow Sports… more
TSTT denies CWU’s corruption claims
Trinidad and Tobago – The Communications Workers Union (CWU) is calling on TSTT to fire three executives over alleged corrupt practices involving a US$5.4 million deal, signed in 2015, for Oracle software products… more
TSTT rejects CWU’s accusations
Trinidad and Tobago – The Telecommunications Services of T&T (TSTT) is defending itself against what they claim is information of a defamatory nature being disseminated by the Communication Workers Union (CWU)… more
Sunday, 12 November 2017
Cedric Stephens | Tech Investments Not Paying Off For Insurance Buyers
Jamaica – Technology has the potential to make Africans “wealthier, healthier and better educated by greatly lowering the costs of development”, according to The Economist magazine… more
Donovan White | Rethinking Disaster Recovery
Jamaica – November 30 marks the end of the Atlantic hurricane season… more
Image credits: Bernard Goldbach (flickr); Wikipedia; Wikipedia; Wikipedia; Wikipedia; Wikipedia
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