A roundup of the latest ICT/technology news from across the Caribbean region for the period Monday 2 July to Sunday 8 July 2018.
Monday, 2 July 2018
Are Digital IDs the Start of a Blockchain-Based Service Economy for the Cayman Islands?
Cayman Islands – Caribbean initial coin offering (ICO) hotspot, the Cayman Islands, last week outlined a timeline for a proposed digital ID system for its population; it aims to have the technology in place within a year… more
Tuesday, 3 July 2018
Bahamas to launch digital currency
Bahamas– The Central Bank of The Bahamas is moving to introduce a pilot digital currency for the country… more
BTVI LAUNCHES NEW TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM
Bahamas– Prime Minister Hubert Minnis has committed to furthering the education of Bahamian students. Students are now able to obtain their associates degree by age 17, following with their bachelor’s degree by age 18… more
Online Platform To Eliminate ‘Job Gaps’
Bahamas – A TOP private sector representative yesterday hailed an online platform to match employers with job seekers as helping to reducing unemployment by eliminating information gaps between the two… more
Flow highlights role telecoms during career expo
British Virgin Islands – Approximately 50 students of the Leonora Delville Primary School learned more about British Virgin Islands telecommunications industry and the services provided by Flow during the school’s Career Expo held on Thursday, June 28… more
Is Management Doing Its Job With Respect To Cyber Security?
Cayman Islands– When reading news and statistics about Cyber Security incidents, it is easy for executives to become immune to the information overload. We have all seen the headlines such as “Billions of dollars in losses” However, how those incidents may affect your specific organisation is often unclear… more
Joey Hew attends Commonwealth ICT Forum
Cayman Islands– Minister for Commerce, Planning and Infrastructure Joey Hew recently attended the annual Commonwealth Information Communications Technologies (ICTs) Forum in London… more
Parfaite Harmonie begins ‘Blazin’ with GTT
Guyana – In efforts to continue to ‘do more’ for its customers, telecommunication giant GTT has spent two days in Parfaite Harmonie conducting registration and installation of its most recent superfast internet service powered by their fibre optic cable; GTT Blaze… more
Caribbean Peering Forum Brings Dream of Better Internet Close
Regional – The dream of a faster, safer, more affordable Internet in the Caribbean sometimes seems elusive. One group of Internet pioneers is taking steps to make it a reality… more
American company opens another Saint Lucia facility
Saint Lucia – KM2 Solutions, a leading US-based contact centre services provider, has opened a new facility in St. Lucia, expanding their footprint of service locations to nine centres in six countries, employing an additional 400 young Saint Lucians… more
Wednesday, 4 July 2018
Aliv touts successful network buildout, market share
Bahamas – Telecommunications company Aliv celebrated its two-year anniversary Monday evening after completing its network buildout throughout The Bahamas and securing 30 percent of the mobile market, according to Chief Aliv Officer Damian Blackburn… more
Develop your own ‘Facebook’
Barbados– Secondary school students from across the island got the opportunity to participate in the Youth Internet Governance Forum and to give feedback on issues that impact them online… more
USE MORE TECHNOLOGY
Barbados– More can still be done to advance technology and innovation in schools, so says Rodney Taylor, Chairman of the Internet Society Barbados Chapter… more
Unitel roaming service arrives in Belize
Belize – Unitel’s roaming services has arrived for the first time in Belize, Central America, through a partnership with local operator Belize Telemedia Limited, reports Angop. In Central America, Unitel already has voice roaming partnerships in Guatemala, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama… more
Lock your phones | Pocket dials affecting 911 call centre
British Virgin Islands – Russell Jones, Project Manager for the Next-generation 911 emergency call centre initiative wants cellphone users to be more aware of their devices since a considerable number of 911 calls to the centre are found to be ‘pocket dials’… more
BIG STORY: HEW SEES ICT OPPORTUNITIES APLENTY FOR CAYMAN
Cayman Islands– Infrastructure Minister Hon. Joseph Hew recently returned from the annual Commonwealth Information Communication Technologies Forum, in London… more
Ctrl-IT And Hacker Hostel Merge
Jamaica– Tech firms Ctrl-IT and Hacker Hostel merged their operations in June, positioning the companies to go after business in Caribbean markets… more
Moody’s changes Digicel’s outlook to negative
Jamaica – Moody’s Investors Service has changed its outlook on the ratings of the Digicel Group from stable to negative… more
Moody’s downgrades Digicel’s rating
Jamaica – Ratings agency Moody’s Investors Service changed its long-term outlook on regional telecommunications company Digicel Group to negative, arguing that the planned sale of cell towers to reduce debt needs more disclosure… more
Bitcoin ATM not authorised by regulators in ECCU
Regional – It has come to the attention of the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB) and the Financial Services Regulatory Commission of St Kitts and Nevis (FSRC) that a Bitcoin ATM has been installed at a location in the Federation of St Kitts and Nevis… more
Freedom of Information bill passes unanimously at Nevis Island Assembly sitting
Saint Kitts and Nevis – The landmark Nevis Freedom of Information Bill 2018 and the Tax Administration and Procedures (Amendment) Bill 2018 after receiving their second and third readings, were passed at a sitting at the Nevis Island Assembly July 3… more
Cyberbullying a serious problem
Trinidad and Tobago – THE EDITOR: Bullying among children is not something new to schools in TT. It has always been around. What is changing is the nature of bullying… more
ICT training for teachers long overdue
Trinidad and Tobago – THE EDITOR: I saw in the news that more than 500 secondary school teachers have completed training in information and communications technology (ICT) with a view to integrate technology into their teaching and learning methodologies when conducting classes. This is great news… more
New school code to crack down on bullying, cyberbullying
Trinidad and Tobago – Viral videos of school fights may soon be reduced with the implementation of the new National School Code of Conduct… more
Thursday, 5 July 2018
Aliv: ‘We’ve Been Like An Earthquake’
Bahamas– Aliv’s top executive yesterday hailed its introduction of the latest 4.5G technology as “a regional first”, and said: “We’ve been like an earthquake for the market… more
Invest Grand Bahama partners with Caribbean counterparts on BPO opportunities
Bahamas – For the third consecutive year, the Grand Bahama Port Authority, Limited (GBPA) has partnered with local business process outsourcing (BPO) operator, itelBPO Solutions to showcase Grand Bahama at the 19th Annual Customer Contact Week (CCW) in Las Vegas, Nevada… more
Website for finding service providers launching next month
Bahamas – Technology is set to change the way Bahamians find service providers for odd jobs and beyond when FindrPro launches next month… more
Blue Flame Hackathon launching on July 9
Barbados – The Blue Flame Challenge, one of the signature segments of the Barbados Investment and Development Corporation’s (BIDC) annual Innovate Barbados Conference, will be launched next week… more
BVI Tourist Board wants Airbnb bookings taxed
British Virgin Islands – Director of the BVI Tourist Board, Mrs. Sharon Flax-Brutus disclosed that a submission was made through the Premier’s Office to the Ministry of Finance, to work with popular accommodation booking platform Airbnb, to collect revenue for properties booked in the Territory… more
Cayman’s reputational risk and blockchain
Cayman Islands – The Cayman Islands is facing somewhat of a dilemma. Although its regulatory regime is not tailored to cryptocurrencies, token offerings or distributed ledger technology, Cayman became home to the world’s largest initial coin offering this year… more
Ghost in the machine – wills and digital assets
Cayman Islands – We live in a world where technology is increasingly interwoven into our daily lives to the extent that losing a smartphone now ranks as a major life trauma; but what becomes of our digital assets and online presence after we die? … more
ICT roadshow to take e-Agriculture, other technology to rural communities
Guyana – Agriculture specialists along with Information Communication Technology (ICT) and other experts from across the Caribbean will fan out to Berbice and the Bina Hill Institute at Annai, Rupununi, to hold specialised technology clinics for residents starting next week… more
TVJ Wins Copyright Case – Cable Firm Ordered To Pay For Diamond League Breaches
Jamaica – Local cable company Linscom Network has been ordered to pay Television Jamaica Limited (TVJ) US$14,857.50 for breaches of copyright over its showing of two IAAF Diamond League events in 2014… more
Don’t use social media to hurt
Trinidad and Tobago – THE EDITOR: Leaps continue to be made in technology, especially in the area of social media. However, we have to be careful that what is meant for good is not used for evil, as has already happened with children being lured by paedophiles via the internet… more
Friday, 6 July 2018
Bahamasair to utilize a call center for reservations
Bahamas – Bahamasair Chairman Tommy Turnquest confirmed yesterday that Bahamasair intends to close its reservations department and redeploy staff to other departments within the company as it sets up a new call center platform… more
BTL loan signing agreement with Taiwan ICDF
Belize– The Belize Telemedia Limited (BTL) signed a loan agreement with the Taiwan ICDF on Thursday, June 28, 2018. Through those funds from that loan, the company will be expanding its services, with the hopes to have the entire country “fiberized” by mid next year… more
Creative Brands to host Global Digital Marketing Summit in Jamaica
Jamaica – Creative Brands & Concepts Ltd, in collaboration with the Texila University based in India, will host the first staging of the Global Digital Marketing Summit in Jamaica at the Courtleigh Auditorium… more
‘Caricom To Streamline Single ICT Space Project’: Grenada
Regional – Grenadian Prime Miister Keith Mitchell said: “Caricom has indeed taken bold steps in developing the work plan for the Caricom Single ICT space… more
Cops recover stolen batteries from cell tower
Trinidad and Tobago– Belmont police on Wednesday arrested a Maloney man and recovered 25 batteries stolen from a cell tower at Lady Young Road, Morvant. Two men escaped, but investigators said arrests are imminent… more
Cyber Unit to probe SEA leak
Trinidad and Tobago–THE leak of a 369-page Secondary Entrance Assessment (SEA) document that discloses sensitive information about the primary school pupils who sat this year’s exam is to be probed by the Cybercrime Unit of the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS)… more
Saturday, 7 July 2018
BELIZE’S TELEVISION GENERATIONS
Belize– 24 TV channels can now be received directly from a satellite 21,000 miles away in space by means of an earth station recently erected at Tropical Park… more
Business Byte: Digicel ready for hurricane Beryl
Dominica – With the threat of Hurricane Beryl bearing down on Dominica in the next couple of days, Digicel has put its hurricane contingency plan into high gear to ensure that everything is in place to best manage the events of the coming days… more
Sunday, 8 July 2018
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
Funds Run By Artificial Intelligence
Jamaica – A computer can trounce a human chess master and solve complex mathematical calculations in seconds. Can it do a better job investing your money than a flesh-and-blood portfolio manager? … more
Digicel urged to ring changes as market confidence wanes
Regional – Cash reserves at Denis O’Brien’s Digicel have fallen to their lowest level in seven years, helping to heap pressure on the company’s bond prices… more
Image credits: Nicolas Alejandro (flickr); Wikipedia; Wikipedia; Wikipedia
