A roundup of the latest ICT/technology news from across the Caribbean region for the period Monday 9 July to Sunday 15 July 2018.
Monday, 9 July 2018
EDITORIAL – OfReg: A regulator in need of a regulator?
Cayman Islands– OfReg, Cayman’s avaricious and metastasizing regulator, is making far too many headlines in this newspaper, and the headlines are not flattering. Since it opened for business in January 2017, its performance has bee n anything but stellar. In fact, it has been extremely troubling… more
OfReg spends $1M on consultants
Cayman Islands– The Utility Regulation and Competition Office, known as OfReg, spent some $2.2 million on salaries and benefits for 22 employees last year, and also had to spend more than $1 million on consultants because the staff lack the skills to carry out the office’s regulatory work, according to OfReg’s 2017 annual report…more
Local IT company in initiative to push collaboration, innovation for growth of tech industry
Guyana – Social-impact led Software Company Version 75 (V75) Solutions recently launched the NeXus Hub Initiative, a project which aims to foster an environment of collaboration and innovation among local techpreneurs to bring the industry to a state where it can significantly contribute to job creation… more
Cedric Stephens | Mobile Phones Still A Driving Hazard
Jamaica – The driver of a big, white, left-hand drive Toyota truck it was probably a Tundra nearly killed my wife and me on Shortwood Road in Kingston a few days ago… more
St Lucia Teachers Credit Coorporative introduces mobile banking app with Digital Blitz Day
Saint Lucia– On Saturday June 30th, 2018 the Teacher’s Credit Cooperative hosted a “Digital Blitz Day” for its membership & members of the public to introduce its new mobile banking App… more
Fiber break causes TSTT mobile disruption
Trinidad and Tobago – A MAJOR break in a fiber optic cable in the Chaguaramas area yesterday afternoon caused a temporary disruption in all mobile data and internet services, says Graeme Suite, senior manager of public relations and external affairs at TSTT… more
Tuesday, 10 July 2018
Bahamas operator Aliv first to launch LTE-A services
Bahamas – Bahamas mobile operator Aliv has upgraded its network to LTE-A technology in New Providence and Grand Bahama, reports Tribune 242, citing company CEO Damian Blackburn… more
BVI officials trained at communication in emergencies workshop
British Virgin Islands– Officers from a cross-section of the Government are now trained to meet the unique communication needs of communities in the Territory before, during and after an emergency… more
Absolute need to say goodbye to telephone monopoly– Digicel CEO
Guyana – At a time when technology experts are in Guyana to demonstrate the use of 21st century techniques, the existing telephone monopoly was highlighted as a limitation to development… more
Regional telecoms body launches ICT roadshow in Guyana
Guyana – Over the next five days members of the public will have an opportunity to interact with regional experts about how they can use Information and Communications Techno-logy (ICT) to improve every aspect of their lives as the Caribbean ICT Roadshow makes its 24th stop in Guyana… more
Technology will revolutionise education, economy’ – President Granger
Guyana – The Caribbean Telecommunications Union (CTU) Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Roadshow officially got underway yesterday at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC)… more
Moody’s downgrades outlook on Digicel
Regional– The U.S.-based Moody’s downgraded its outlook on Digicel from stable to negative in a recently released report from the credit ratings agency… more
Free WiFi services installed in the constituency of Micoud North
Saint Lucia – Education Minister and Parliamentary Representative for Micoud North Honorable Dr. Gale Rigobert has welcomed the launch of the Government of Saint Lucia Island-Wide Network (GINet) Project in her constituency, and appealed to students to use the free internet services for research and educational advancement… more
Service restored after bmobile customers hit by data, broadband outage
Trinidad and Tobago – Bmobile customers across Trinidad and Tobago reportedly experienced interruptions to their mobile data and broadband service following an outage at the telecommunications provider on Monday afternoon… more
TSTT services restored after cable break
Trinidad and Tobago – A major break in a TSTT fibre optic cable in the Chaguaramas area on Monday afternoon caused a temporary disruption in all mobile data and internet services, says Graeme Suite, senior manager of public relations and external affairs at TSTT… more
Wednesday, 11 July 2018
First Lady opens ICT Workshop for Region Three youths
Guyana – First Lady, Mrs. Sandra Granger on Monday, launched yet another Information Communication Technology (ICT) training programme; this time, in the Essequibo Islands-West Demerara Region (Region Three), to provide youths with skills in the areas of information technology, literacy and numeracy, entrepreneurship, sexual reproductive health, STEM subjects, and other soft skills… more
Bringing CE-Intelligence to the Caribbean
Regional– The Caribbean Export Development Agency (Caribbean Export) in collaboration with the European Union officially launched their market intelligence portal, known as CE-INTELLIGENCE…more
Prime Ministers Sign Protocol Amending ECTEL Treaty
Regional – THE Eastern Caribbean Telecommunications Authority (ECTEL) announces the signing of the Protocol Amending the Treaty Establishing the Eastern Telecommunications Authority (ECTEL)… more
Thursday, 12 July 2018
Drones could help fight disease
Antigua and Barbuda – The Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI) representative in Antigua and Barbuda, Paul Lucas, has offered advice to mitigate the spread and effects of the lethal yellowing disease afflicting coconut trees… more
Bahamas to host internet marketing conference
Bahamas – As The Bahamas seeks to establish itself as the Silicon Valley of the Caribbean, it will play host to one of the largest and longest running e-business conferences in the world… more
BTVI Programme Aims To Close It Skills Gaps
Bahamas – The Bahamas Technical and Vocational Institute (BTVI) believes its Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Summer Youth Programme is another step towards eliminating skills gaps… more
Tech Firm’s President Lures Internet Event To Bahamas
Bahamas– A Bahamian technology executive used his address to an Internet conference to lure the same event to this nation in 2019… more
Jamaica Being Positioned As A Smart Destination – Bartlett
Jamaica – Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, says Jamaica is being positioned as a smart destination… more
Friday, 13 July 2018
Aliv ‘More Than Just A Phone Company’
Bahamas– Aliv is continuing to develop a “fairly comprehensive App platform”, an executive yesterday revealing that the mobile operator sees itself as “more than just a telephone company”… more
Aliv now offering 4.5G LTE on New Providence and Grand Bahama
Bahamas – Telecommunications firm Aliv is now offering 4.5G LTE speed over its network in its major markets of New Providence and Grand Bahama, where it is testing this latest technology. Aliv also revealed yesterday that it now services about 110,000 subscribers across The Bahamas… more
Nat’l Information System for Health Policy coming to BVI
British Virgin Islands– The British Virgin Islands is gearing up to implement its first-ever National Information System for Health (IS4H) policy… more
Drone technology and the agricultural sector
Guyana – There is probably a case for suggesting that the current (understandable) preoccupation with the imminent commencement of oil exploitation offshore Guyana and what this could mean for the future economic shape of our country could serve as a distraction from other equally important issues that have a bearing on the economy of our country and the well-being of our people… more
Alorica and Kingston get honoured for BPO jobs
Jamaica – Miro Batista, Business Processing Outsourcing (BPO) investor Alorica Inc’s president for Latin American and the Caribbean, has been recognised as the Nearshore Executive of the Year in the 2018 Nexus IlluminateAwards… more
UWI students off to China
Regional– Thirty-one students from The University of the West Indies (UWI) are expected to leave for China this September to continue their studies in software engineering with a focus on mobile application technologies for both Android and iOS, thanks to a specialised four-year degree programme being offered by UWI and its strategic partner, the Global Institute of Software Technology (GIST)… more
Raw deal from cable, Internet companies
Trinidad and Tobago – I would like to know what the Telecommunications Authority of Trinidad and Tobago (TATT) is doing about the regular increases in cable and internet bills. One provider has increased its prices twice in one year, with the new increase due August… more
Saturday, 14 July 2018
ICT Roadshow exceeds expectations ─ Hailed a success by CTU Secretary-General, Min. Hughes
Guyana – Secretary-General of the Caribbean Telecommunications Union (CTU), Bernadette Lewis, has said the inaugural Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Roadshow hosted here, exceeded expectations… more
Sunday, 15 July 2018
Sagicor Bank Launches SWYPE For Mobile Payments
Jamaica– Sagicor Bank Jamaica Limited has fielded a mobile point-of-sale device which can be used by merchants and small business persons on the go, potentially widening the market for cashless transactions… more
Future of Caribbean marketing is integrated
Regional– Consumers today are more connected and empowered than they’ve ever been, and it means that even here in the Caribbean, businesses must radically evolve the way that they engage, sell and market to their customers… more
What power do little nations have in the digital age?
Regional– History shows small nations have an immense capacity to be influential. In the little nation of Israel, two of the world’s great faiths—Judaism and Christianity—began… more
Image credits: Mick Baker)rooster (flickr); Wikipedia; Wikipedia; Wikipedia
