A roundup of the latest ICT/technology news from across the Caribbean region for the period Monday 16 July to Sunday 22 July 2018.
Monday, 16 July 2018
URCA Stands Fast With Controversial Radio Sector Proposals
Bahamas – Commercial radio stations remain locked on collision course with their regulator over plans that could force some to change their broadcast frequencies and threaten investment in their brand… more
New App for Barbados’ Crop Over 2018
Barbados – The D’Junction app, developed in Trinidad and Tobago, has received a warm welcome to Crop Over 2018 in Barbados… more
Crime Chief warns…Sharing porn on social media can land you in court
Guyana – The recent hype over the sharing of several sex tapes on social media has caught the attention of Crime Chief Paul Williams who is warning that persons can be prosecuted for distributing obscene photographs and videos… more
Telecommunications official warns…Beware of losing ability of face-to-face communication in ITC age
Guyana – Secretary-General of the Caribbean Telecommunications Union (CTU), Bernadette Lewis has warned about the pitfalls of becoming disconnected in this era when Guyana is forging ahead with expansion in information, communication technology (ICTs)… more
Tertiary educators told increase online learning
Trinidad and Tobago – Professor of Business Administration at the College of Business, University of Illinois, Dr Hayden Noel has urged tertiary education institutions in T&T to incorporate online learning in the professional programmes they offer to students… more
Tuesday, 17 July 2018
Outsourcer To Grow Freeport Unit ‘100%’
Bahamas – A Caribbean-based outsourcer yesterday said its Freeport-based unit will “grow by an additional 100 percent” after securing a contract to serve US-based utilities… more
Barbados-based Blockchain Leader Bitt Names Brian Popelka President
Barbados – Medici Ventures’ blockchain portfolio company Bitt announces the appointment of former Overstock.com executive Brian Popelka as Bitt president… more
Gov’t spending $5.2m to equip teachers with tablets
Jamaica – The Government will be spending approximately J$5.2 million to provide additional tablets to equip teachers involved in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) programme… more
Ready TV set to launch JFF LIVE channel
Jamaica – Ready TV is bubbling to the ball to kick off its latest project, the digital television channel JFF LIVE that will be available to football fans islandwide… more
Do more to protect our data
Trinidad and Tobago – Trinidad and Tobago has a mobile phone penetration rate of 140 per cent, which means practically everyone in this country has a mobile phone… more
TATT must try to regulate cable rates
Trinidad and Tobago – THE EDITOR: I would like to know what the Telecommunications Authority of TT (TATT) is doing about the recent regular increases in cable and internet rates… more
Trinidad and Tobago drops in Global Innovation Index rankings
Trinidad and Tobago – Trinidad and Tobago has dropped five spots on the 2018 Global Innovation Index Rankings (GII)… more
Wednesday, 18 July 2018
Bahamas’ 16-Spot Internet Plunge ‘Absolute Non-Issue’
Bahamas– The Bahamas’ 16-spot plunge to 65th in global rankings for broadband Internet speed was yesterday branded an “absolute non-issue”, despite being critical to its technology hub plans… more
Town planning to introduce e-planning system
Barbados – The Town Planning Department is getting ready to launch its e-planning system, which it predicts will reduce the processing time for applications by between 10 and 13 working days… more
Global Digital Marketing Summit: Tourism being driven by technology
Jamaica – Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett, credits technology with the record number of tourists that arrived in the island last year… more
Jamaica’s Amber Connect strikes telematics deal with Best Buy
Jamaica – Fast growing Jamaican software and technology company, Amber Connect, has partnered with North America’s biggest consumer electronics retailer, Best Buy Co. Inc… more
JAMAICA NEEDS TO IMPLEMENT TECHNOLOGY TO FIGHT CYBER CRIME
Jamaica – Jamaica has access to all the latest technologies to assist with crime fighting and cyber crime, but needs to exercise the will and urgency to implement them as other nations have done… more
Slow Flow: Company working to resolve service issues across Caribbean
Regional – Broadband customers with Flow have reported issues with accessing internet services, with complaints of unusual slowness in their browsing speeds…more
Hefty fines imposed to Sint Maarten Cable TV – revocation of license looms.
Sint Maarten – Bureau Telecommunications and Post St. Maarten (BTP) imposed administrative fines to Caribbean Teleview Services d.b.a. St. Maarten Cable TV for substantial license violations… more
Digicel unveils superfast LTE network
Trinidad and Tobago– Digicel has delivered a $250 million LTE (Long Term Evolution) network to its customers… more
Watch: Digicel launches LTE network in Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago– Digicel customers can now enjoy faster speeds than ever before with the launch of LTE… more
Thursday, 19 July 2018
Govt looking to create ‘a smart’ Barbados’
Barbados – The new Mia Mottley-led Government is aiming to create “a smart Barbados”… more
TelEm Group CEO Kendall Dupersoy calls for fair action by PJD-2 Radio
Sint Maarten – TelEm Group Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Mr. Kendall Dupersoy, says a social media issue involving comments he made on his personal Facebook page in defense of company personnel and the company generally is being unfairly used to create a cloud of distrust within the St. Maarten community… more
Friday, 20 July 2018
Cops probe colleagues’ alleged electronic crimes
Antigua and Barbuda – Two police officers are under investigation for allegedly creating and distributing documents which accuse several of their colleagues of corruption, abuse of power, police brutality and drug pushing among other things… more
Divisive Cybercrime bill passed
Guyana – Government yesterday used its majority to pass the contentious Cyber-crime Bill with an amendment excising a controversial sedition clause… more
PPP/C proposing deletion of sedition clause from cyber crime bill
Guyana – As the National Assembly sits to debate the Cybercrime Bill over the next six hours its members will have two different solutions for the controversial sedition clause to consider… more
Local companies need to implement anti-cybercrime technology
Jamaica – Jamaica has access to all the latest technologies to assist with crime fighting and cybercrime, but needs to exercise the will and urgency to implement them as other nations have done… more
Digicel gets Radical with Prepaid – Out for 6 – Breaking all Boundaries
Saint Kitts and Nevis – Unprecedented value will flood the federation as Digicel launches, ‘A Call is Call with more data!!’… more
STEM Has “Opened A Can Of Worms”
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines – Petrus Gumbs, the Director of the STEM Summer Programme, is sticking to the task of exposing students to the world of technology… more
52 register for MIC IT courses
Sint Maarten – Fifty-two persons have registered and shown interest in pursuing technical and vocational courses being executed by the Trinidad-based MIC Institute of Technology in conjunction with the National Institute for Professional Advancement (NIPA)… more
Damaged cable in Miami affects TT internet
Trinidad and Tobago – UPDATE: Damage to a fibre optic cable in Miami, Florida has affected local internet and mobile services… more
Jobs created in business process outsourcing
Trinidad and Tobago – T&T continues to attract international firms which create new employment opportunities for its citizens… more
Thousands of internet users affected due to damaged fibre optic cable
Trinidad and Tobago – TSTT is advising internet and mobile data customers that, as a result of a damaged fibre optic cable in Miami, both mobile and residential and business will experience slow browsing speed intermittently over the next 12 hours while repairs are underway… more
Saturday, 21 July 2018
Internet scam artists target online bankers in Belize
Belize – Cybercrime is not very common in Belize, at least not yet. But internet scam artists are making their way into the country and it appears that they are presently out to steal your money through your online bank account… more
Controversial sedition clause removed as amended Cybercrime Bill passed …Opposition says not enough done to protect freedom of speech
Guyana – The Cybercrime Bill which attracted widespread attention was last evening passed by the National Assembly with several amendments, including the removal of the controversial clause on sedition… more
Legislators pass Cyber Crime Bill in Guyana
Guyana – The Cyber Crime Bill was passed late Friday by the National Assembly following several hours of debate, after being piloted by Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Basil Williams… more
Focus More On Blockchain Technology
Jamaica – THE EDITOR, Sir: I am a Jamaican expat living in the US and I would like to read more about blockchain technology in Jamaica… more
JTA Gets Funding To Provide Teachers With Tablets
Jamaica – Minister of Science and Technology Dr Andrew Wheatley has committed to providing $US40,000 (J$5.2m) to the Jamaica Teachers’ Association (JTA) to be used to procure tablets for educators… more
Local innovation features Wi-Fi without Internet connection
Jamaica – A local innovation featuring an interactive, digital experience with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), via smartphones and without need for any Internet connection, debuted for the first time at the Go For The Goals roadshow on the SDG and Vision 2030 in Morant Bay, St Thomas, last week… more
TelEm challenges BTP fines in court
Sint Maarten – The TelEm Group said on Friday that it is taking “very seriously” the actions being taken by the Bureau of Telecommunications and Post (BTP) to impose fines on the company for allegedly not providing adequate service to St. Maarten Cable TV’s paying customers… more
Sunday, 22 July 2018
Cybercrime Bill lacks provision for international cooperation – Frank Anthony …says Guyana handicapped in investigating multinational crimes
Guyana – Former Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Dr. Frank Anthony, has expressed the view that the Cybercrime Bill passed Friday evening in the National Assembly should have included a clause on how Guyana will work with the international community… more
UWI helps region’s software engineers
Regional – 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
Image credits: NS Newsflash (flickr); Wikipedia; Wikipedia; Wikipedia;
