A roundup of the latest ICT/technology news from across the Caribbean region for the period Monday 19 March to Sunday 25 March 2018.
Monday, 19 March 2018
DRONES MAP DEVASTATED DOMINICA
Dominica – Maryland pilots joined a team assembled by Canadian relief organization Global Medic in February to create high-resolution digital maps of Dominica, and returned with fresh insights and practical experience supporting disaster recovery… more
ECTEL to donate over $200,000 to aid Dominica’s telecommunications recovery
Dominica – The Eastern Caribbean Telecommunications Authority (ECTEL) will be donating in excess of EC$200,000 for hurricane disaster relief for Dominica’s telecommunications sector… more
Eight Ransomware Cases In Two Years – Police
Jamaica – There has been an increase in cases of cyber extortion, ransomware, identity theft, and electronic fraud, according to Assistant Superintendent of Police Warren Williams, head of the communications department in the Jamaica Constabulary Force’s Communication Forensics and Cybercrime Division… more
Government looking to expand BPO sector
Jamaica – The Jamaica government says it is exploring possible revision of sections of the Special Economic Zones (SEZ) Act, to enable stakeholders to keep pace with the fast-growing Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) sector… more
Gov’t entities with ICT needs encouraged to get in touch with USF
Jamaica – The Universal Service Fund (USF) is encouraging government entities with information and communications technology (ICT) needs to make contact with the fund to be a part of the Technology Advancement Programme (TAP)… more
Workshop on cyber security in aviation begins tomorrow
Jamaica – Civil aviation personnel from 14 countries across the Caribbean and Latin American region will take part in a Cyber security in Aviation Workshop from March 20 to 23 at the Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay, St James… more
St Kitts and Nevis gets digital independence
Saint Kitts and Nevis – The government of the Federation of St Kitts and Nevis has become the first in the Caribbean to have its own unique identifier on the global Internet… more
St Kitts and Nevis Government First in Caribbean To Get Unique Internet Identity
Saint Kitts and Nevis – The government of St Kitts and Nevis has become the first in the Caribbean to have its own unique identifier on the global Internet… more
Tuesday, 20 March 2018
Major Reforms Needed For GB ‘Tech Hub’ Plan
Bahamas – The Government faces a massive task to make Grand Bahama a technology hub, a confidential report has revealed, despite hopes of attracting “hundreds of companies in months”… more
Logic wins World Cup rights, sparking debate over limited access
Cayman Islands – The bulk of the coverage of the football World Cup – one of the most viewed sporting events in the world – will not be available to almost half of the Cayman Islands population after cable company Logic secured exclusive rights to the competition… more
Darroux concerned over roaming rates in OECS
Dominica – Telecommunication Minister, Kelvar Darroux, is expressing concerns over the rate of roaming in the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) and has challenged Eastern Caribbean Telecommunications Authority (ECTEL) to do something about it… more
Big data the next big thing, says expert
Jamaica – Researchers believe big data will become the world’s most valuable resource and it will soon knock oil off its pedestal… more
Concentrix Opens New Center In High-Growth Jamaica
Jamaica – Concentrix, a SYNNEX Corporation Company (NYSE: SNX), celebrated its entry into the Jamaican market with a grand opening of its newest facility located in Montego Bay, Jamaica… more
Jamaica on the way to being a digital society – Holness
Jamaica – Prime Minister Andrew Holness has given an update on the controversial National Identification System (NIDS), which he said will take Jamaica into the digital age… more
Cable & Wireless foundation to give grants for hurricane relief
Regional – The Cable & Wireless Charitable Foundation announced that it will provide additional funding of over US$290,000 to projects that will improve the lives of children in areas of the Caribbean impacted by last year’s hurricanes… more
Telecoms service providers urged to do more seven months after passage of hurricane
Regional – Seven months after Hurricane Maria swept through Dominica destroying the telecommunications system, a senior government minister is urging providers to do more to enable consumers to keep in touch… more
The Caribbean’s digital future depends upon the cloud
Regional – In 2018, many first-world countries are seeing the remarkable, disruptive impact of the digital economy. In the Caribbean, however, there is no consistent delivery of state-of-the-art information and communication technology (ICT) services from country to country, and the availability of online services to citizens can vary widely… more
Digicel given 50-year fibre-optic licence in TCI
Turks and Caicos Islands – Digicel has been awarded a 50-year licence to roll out underground fibre-optic cables throughout the Turks & Caicos Islands (TCI), reports local portal RJR News, citing the company’s marketing executive Romello Williams… more
Wednesday, 21 March 2018
New Commander Replaces Cell Phones with Radios
Belize – This afternoon, new south side commander Howell Gillett received a donation of twenty thousand dollars worth of communications equipment from Belize Water Services Limited… more
Cayman makes deal with Airbnb
Cayman Islands – The Cayman Islands has become the latest destination to embrace Airbnb, the company which started as an informal couch surfing service and was once considered a threat to traditional tourism businesses and to government coffers… more
Cayman talks up FinTech on Hong Kong trip
Cayman Islands – The rapidly changing international financial services industry took center stage early Wednesday at the U.K.-sponsored Great Festival of Innovation in Hong Kong with Cayman representatives making their pitch for the new investment technologies… more
6 costs of a social media budget
Jamaica – I’m pleased to see that over the last two years, social media has not only become more understood, but taken more seriously. The number of ads for social media professionals, are numerous and show that companies are realising the importance of such a service to their businesses… more
CWJ’s chief financial officer resigns
Jamaica – Ian Cleverly who holds the position of chief financial officer at the telecom Cable & Wireless Jamaica Limited (CWJ) will demit office at month end… more
Prime Minister: Public Engagement For NIDS Regulations
Jamaica – The Government has completed 90 per cent of the business processes required for the implementation of the National Identification System (NIDS), Prime Minister Andrew Holness disclosed during his contribution to the Budget Debate yesterday… more
CANTO 2018 to be Held in Panama City, Panama
Regional – The telecommunications and ICT Association CANTO, invites all to the 34th Annual Conference & Trade Exhibition (CANTO 2018) at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Panama City, Panama… more
DSS Releases Graphing Tool For ICIJ Databases
Regional – Domus Semo Sancus (DSS) today announced the release of its “Visualize Connections for ICIJ Databases” link analysis graphing tool. The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) is a global network of investigative journalists and media organizations who focus “…on issues that do not stop at national frontiers: cross-border crime, corruption, and the accountability of power… more
LatAm countries commit to roaming-free continent by 2022
Regional – Delegates from 19 countries in North, South and Central America and the Caribbean have jointly committed to removing roaming fees throughout the American continent during the annual meeting of the Inter-American Telecommunication Commission (CITEL) in Buenos Aires… more
Cybercrime Unit: ID theft, catfishing in TT
Trinidad and Tobago – There have been reports of identity theft and “catfishing” (luring someone into a relationship with a fake online persona) to the local Cybercrime Unit said unit representative Sgt Daniel Hernandez… more
Huawei plants more local ‘seeds’
Trinidad and Tobago – ON TUESDAY, Huawei Technologies (TT) Ltd signed a memorandum of understanding with the University of Trinidad and Tobago, further cementing the relationship between the technology manufacturer and the local learning institution… more
Thursday, 22 March 2018
National Cyber-Crime Strategy Critical To Underpin ‘Tech Hub’
Bahamas – THE Bahamas must develop a National Cyber-crime Strategy otherwise its plans to become a ‘technology hub’ will be “gravely affected”, the Attorney General’s Office has warned… more
B.T.L. – What Is It Really Worth to Belize?
Belize – Is the Government running a game with the share price of Belize Telemedia Limited and what the company is really worth? … more
Microsoft helping Belize meet its Digital Transformation goals
Belize – A team from Microsoft lectured Chief Executive Officers from within the Government on Wednesday morning at the Central Information Technology Office in Belmopan on the digital tools now available within Microsoft ‘s Office 365. Such educational sessions for public officers continues Thursday at the George Price Center… more
Compass investigation – Cayman communications: From telegrams to broadband
Cayman Islands – When former Cable & Wireless CEO Tim Adam started his telecommunications career in the 1970s, much of the Cayman Islands’ tourism and financial sectors communicated with the rest of the world via “telex,” a network of machines that could send and receive text-based messages to each other… more
Subsea cables: Another means of improving internet service
Cayman Islands – To improve internet services in the Cayman Islands, government is largely focusing on improving local fixed-line networks, with Premier Alden McLaughlin announcing earlier this month that his administration intends to install its own fiber-optic cables in the under-served eastern districts… more
Where Cayman ranks in internet speed, price
Cayman Islands – The Cayman Islands ranks 39th and 190th in average internet speed and price, respectively, according to studies published in late 2017 by the U.K.-based research firms BDRC Continental and Cable.co.uk… more
ECTEL meets with local service providers
Dominica – The Eastern Caribbean Telecommunication Authority (ECTECL), met with service providers in Dominica yesterday, Wednesday 21 March 2018… more
Telecommunications Minister calls for unified and resilient network
Dominica – Minister for Information, Science, Telecommunications and Technology Kelver Darroux has recommended that discussions to look into legislation and regulations for the facilitation of a unified and resilient network begin… more
New RadioShack MoBay ‘a success’
Jamaica – RadioShack, the store that “has all your needs that suit your lifestyle”, had its grand opening earlier this month in St James, and already the operators are describing it as a success… more
International & Regional personnel gather for Emergency Telecommunications Workshop in Dominica
Regional – Representatives of International Companies Facebook and Google as well as from our premier regional organization for Disaster Management, CDEMA together with other disaster response personnel from Jamaica, Barbados, Antigua and Trinidad and Tobago will be joining their counterparts in Dominica for a 3-day Workshop on Emergency Telecommunications at the Office of Disaster Management in Jimmit from Wednesday March 21st 2018 to Friday 23rd March 2018… more
What You Need to Know About Digital Cash
Regional – You’ve heard the term a lot these days: digital cash… more
A technology boost for tourism
Trinidad and Tobago – Tourism Minister Shamfa Cudjoe, centre, with Elizabeth Ammom, vice president, C&W Business Trinidad, following the launch of the company’s business product at the Hilton Trinidad and Conference Centre in St Ann’s last week… more
Buying data in Trinidad: How Cambridge Analytica did it
Trinidad and Tobago – In December 2017, the Sunday Express began an investigation which uncovered that several data mining operations took place between 2010-2015, facilitated by politicians, with the cost being borne by taxpayers… more
TSTT pensioners wants money owed to them
Trinidad and Tobago – WAYNE Caesar, chairman of Telecommunications Services’ (TSTT) pensioners’ committee, yesterday called on TSTT’s management to pay former workers money owed to them… more
Friday, 23 March 2018
Poor internet access no limit to Cuban YouTubers
Cuba – Frank Camallerys paces Havana’s Malecon esplanade with a telephone at the end of a pole, seducing thousands of internet users with images of Cuba despite the communist island’s limited web access… more
Cable and Wireless eying investment here
Guyana – Dennis Waters (left), Vice President of Sub Sea Systems, Cable & Wireless Networks, paid a courtesy call on Minister of Public Telecommunications, Cathy Hughes, on Thursday March 22 at Colgrain House… more
Cabinet approves online passport application facility
Jamaica – THE Government has given the Passport, Immigration and Citizenship Agency (PICA) the go-ahead to proceed with implementation of the online passport application facility… more
Digicel Responds To Customer Grouses
Jamaica – THE EDITOR, Sir: This is a response to letters published on March 15 and 16, 2018, titled ‘Digicel customer service disaster’ and ‘Given the runaround by Digicel automated system’, respectively, regarding changes made to the way we offer customer care… more
GraceKennedy ups digital presence with WU.com launch
Jamaica – GraceKennedy Limited wants to rake in $14 billion or 15 per cent of revenue from its thrust in digital technology and has already started with the launch of WU.com , a digital money transfer service which will allow Jamaicans to send funds via an online platform to 200 countries globally… more
‘Tech Charge’ – GraceKennedy Foundation Lecture Highlights The Importance Of Technology
Jamaica – Dr Parris Lyew-Ayee Jr delivered the 2018 GraceKennedy Foundation Lecture entitled ‘Tech Charge – Smart Homes, Smart Businesses, Smart Nations’ to a large and diverse audience at the event held at the Jamaica Pegasus recently… more
Flow Customers Keep Winning As CANOC Grants Flow Broadcast Rights For 2018 Commonwealth Games
Regional – More exciting sports action is in store for Flow customers as Flow Sports is now the official Caribbean broadcaster of the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games (GC2018)… more
St Kitts and Nevis Government First in Caribbean To Get Unique Internet Identity
Saint Kitts and Nevis – The government of St Kitts and Nevis has become the first in the Caribbean to have its own unique identifier on the global Internet… more
Computer Coding and Robotics Pilot to be launched
Saint Lucia – Four secondary schools have been selected and will be outfitted with the necessary tools for a Computer Coding and Robotics Pilot Project, set for its official launching next week Wednesday, 28th March, 2018 at the Grande Rivière Secondary School, Dennery, from 9:30 to 11:00 am… more
11 questions about Blockchain and cryptocurrency
Trinidad and Tobago – I asked these questions of the Cryptocurrency expert panel that I was moderating at the 28th ICT Open Forum of the Telecommunications Authority of Trinidad and Tobago, at their headquarters in Barataria on March 22, 2018… more
Have right mindset, become billionaire
Trinidad and Tobago – Young entrepreneurs are the billionaires of tomorrow once they have the right mindset, and they must use their customer service skills and not lose the opportunity by promoting themselves and their products… more
Saturday, 24 March 2018
No, Flow
Barbados – It presents itself as a telecommunications “tour de force, unmatched in every market we serve in the Caribbean”.However, Cable & Wireless (C&W), the company that trades here as Flow, is unmatched among the utility companies in the number of complaints lodged against it to the Fair Trading Commission (FTC)… more
SMART move
Barbados – Barbados Light & Power Company (BL&P) is reporting progress in the implementation of its advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) smart grid technology project, an integrated system of smart meters, communications networks, and data management systems that will enable two-way communication between the utility company and its customers… more
WI DONE PAY (THRU WI NOSE) FU BTL, TROY
Belize – I am aware of some third party leaders who didn’t agree with the nationalization of BTL. Their argument is that the Public Utilities Commission could have regulated the business so that monopoly didn’t trample on the rights of Belizeans… more
Cable & Wireless eager for return to Guyana – working on submarine cable with local partner
Guyana – Despite several delays in the current negotiation process between Government and US-owned Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GTT), interest in the country’s telecommunications sector is high… more
Cable and Wireless interested in Guyana – Telecommunications Minister
Guyana – Cable and Wireless Networks has expressed an interest in investing in Guyana’s telecommunications sector… more
Gold Board seeking to plug info leaks with IT Upgrade
Guyana – Chairman Gabriel Lall has announced plans to upgrade the information technology system of the Guyana Gold Board (GGB) to improve efficiency and prevent the leakage of private information, which remains an issue… more
Guyana wants single ICT space across South America
Guyana – Given the importance of information connectivity among countries, Guyana is pushing to ensure the establishment of a single Information Communication Technology (ICT) space across South America… more
Computer Coding and Robotics Pilot to be launched
Saint Lucia – Four secondary schools have been selected and will be outfitted with the necessary tools for a Computer Coding and Robotics Pilot Project, set for its official launching next week Wednesday, 28th March, 2018 at the Grande Rivière Secondary School, Dennery, from 9:30 to 11:00 am… more
Sunday, 25 March 2018
Gamers throng Marriott as GT&T’s tech expo kicks off
Guyana – First Lady, Mrs. Sandra Granger, yesterday commended the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company Limited (GTT) on its inaugural Innov8 Summit and Expo, which brought together hundreds of technology-based businesses, business leaders, entrepreneurs, students and youth group members to showcase their creativity, exchange ideas and to create linkages for business… more
Visitors awed at impressive Cosplay, new technology at GTT tech show
Guyana – Scores of persons turned out to view the exhibition at the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph (GTT) first ever Tech show, Innov8 Summit and Exhibition, which kicked off yesterday at the Guyana Marriot Hotel, Kingston, Georgetown… more
Digicel Group Unveils New Structure, New Management Team
Regional –Telecommunications operator Digicel has put in place a new group senior management team and what is describes as a leaner structure from top to bottom as it enters the second year of its 2030 global transformation programme… more
Image credits: carterse (flickr); Wikipedia; Wikipedia; The Belize Web; Wikipedia; Wikipedia; Wikipedia
