A roundup of the latest ICT/technology news from across the Caribbean region for the period Monday 1 October to Sunday 7 October 2018.
Monday, 1 October 2018
Uber alternate for Barbados
Barbados – Barbados may soon have an indigenous version of the world-renowned Uber taxi service but as Minister of Tourism Kerrie Symmonds considers the idea, he has to dispel suspicion of local drivers who fear take-over by the foreign company… more
Guyana Gets Broadband-Boosting Loan from China
Guyana – China has agreed to loan Guyana US$36.5 million to aid with the extension of the Guyana National Broadband Project, a three-year endeavor that seeks to bolster the country’s internet connectivity… more
Flow customers well-positioned to access superior digital experiences
Regional – “Flow Caribbean customers are well-positioned to enjoy unparalleled access to the rapidly expanding data needs of an evolving digital lifestyle,” …more
PTI acquires 451 tower sites from Digicel in Jamaica
Regional – Phoenix Tower International (“PTI”) via its subsidiary Phoenix Tower Jamaica Limited, announces that it has closed its sale and leaseback transaction with Digicel to acquire the ownership or management rights relating to 451 wireless communication tower sites for US$90M… more
Tuesday, 2 October 2018
Innovative IT Youth Program Paves Way for Tech Hub
Bahamas – One hundred and twenty three students from private and public schools in New Providence were recently awarded certificates after completing phase one of the government’s Information and Communication Technology (ICT) program that will span across three summers… more
Telecoms companies oppose OfReg’s internet plan
Cayman Islands – In March, the Utility Regulation and Competition Office, known as OfReg, announced that it was launching a process that would result in high-speed internet services being made publicly available to every resident in the territory… more
No unsafe levels of mercury at Gold Board, GTT, nearby Brickdam areas
Guyana – Two US experts using special equipment have not found worrying levels of mercury at the Brickdam compound of Guyana Gold Board and its environs… more
Big data in big business
Jamaica – The 21st century brings with it a hyper-connected world, with a flood of data created everyday through the interactions of billions of people using various devices… more
Jingle Competition for Cyber Awareness Month
Jamaica – The Jamaica Cyber Incident Response Team (Ja-CIRT) in the Ministry of Science and Technology is inviting members of the public to participate in its ‘Be Cyber Safe’ 2018 jingle competition… more
Use Your Tech To Boost Jamaica’s Tourism – Junior Tourism Minister
Jamaica – Junior Tourism Minister Bryanna Hylton wants young people to make full use of their access to technology, including smartphones and social media, as a means of boosting Jamaica’s tourism product and promoting the country to attract potential visitors… more
Today’s Tech Tip: Stop that computer from freezing
Regional – So that computer keeps freezing just when your thoughts are flowing into that document, when you are finally going to find out who the culprit is in the movie that’s been keeping you pinned to the screen with all its twists or turns, or worse yet when you’re about to beat your top score? … more
Use Of Technology Can Help Persons With Disabilities Advance
Saint Kitts and Nevis – Personally and professionally, says CTU Consultant Information and Communication Technologies (ICTS) and their uses must embrace persons living with disabilities so that they will not be left behind in the information age; hence, an all-inclusive approach is necessary, said Trevor Prevatt, consultant with the Caribbean Telecommunications Union (CTU)… more
TelEm Group announces immediate closure of Carrefour branch
Sint Maarten – TelEm Group today announced the immediate closure of its location at the Carrefour Supermarket until further notice and at the same time announced extended opening hours at the company’s main Pond Island location – also until further notice… more
Wednesday, 3 October 2018
2nd Grand Bahama Technology Summit
Bahamas – As Grand Bahama Island has been declared the technology hub of the country, the island has officially geared up to host the 2nd Grand Bahama Technology Summit November 14th-16th, 2018 at the Grand Lucayan Resort… more
BTC Celebrates Small Business In October
Bahamas – The Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) is again celebrating October as Small Business Month in recognition of over 80 percent of its corporate client base… more
IBIS Management and BITT Sign MOU to Bridge the Digital Currency Gap
Bahamas – Bitt Inc., Barbados, and IBIS Management Associates Inc., Curaçao, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to collaborate in bridging the Gap between Financial Institutions and Bitt’s Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) blockchain protocol… more
B.T.L. Earns $159 Million in Revenue in 2017
Belize – Belize Telemedia Limited, or Digi, as it has since been re-branded, held a media mixer on Tuesday night during which executives of the company presented a report covering the fiscal year April first 2017 to March thirty-first 2018… more
Transparent BPO Recruiting Employees this Weekend
Belize – Recruitment manager Audralee Enriquez also took the opportunity to invite persons, eighteen years and older, to come to a job fair hosted by Transparent BPO… more
Jamaica Supporting BPO Growth with New Technology Park in Portmore
Jamaica – Jamaica is gearing up to build another technology park to house more facilities in the country’s ever-expanding BPO industry, this time in the Southern coastal city of Portmore… more
‘No business is too small to be hacked’
Jamaica – INDIVIDUALS and companies are being encouraged to exercise greater care in managing and protecting their online presence… more
Thursday, 4 October 2018
BTL receives it’s highest revenue ever in 2017/18
Belize – The Belize Telemedia Limited is blossoming financially; that is according to the Chief Financial Officer, Ivan Tesucum… more
Students Could Do CXC Exams Online in Five Years – Minister
Jamaica – Minister of Education, Youth and Education, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid has reiterated that in about five years, students sitting Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) subjects will do some aspects of their examinations online… more
Digicel signs 15-year ICT agreement with three C’bean countries
Regional – Telecommunications company, Digicel, has signed a multi-million dollar information communication technology (ICT) contract with three Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries as part of the Caribbean Regional Communications Infrastructure Programme (CARCIP)… more
Flow doubles fixed broadband speed in Saint Lucia
Saint Lucia – Flow Santa Lucia, a subsidiary of Cable & Wireless Communications (CWC), has announced that it’s doubling fixed broadband download speeds to 100Mbps at no additional cost to subscribers… more
Friday, 5 October 2018
Doctors Hospital launches country’s most advanced MRI technology
Bahamas – Doctors Hospital today announced that patients and physicians now have access to the country’s first-ever digital broadband Magnetic Resonance Imaging system: the Ingenia 3.0T from Philips Healthcare… more
URCA Launches Consumer Education Tours in Acklins and Crooked Island
Bahamas – A key function of the Utilities Regulation and Competition Authority (URCA) is Consumer Education. URCA recently launched its 2018 Family Island tour in the southern Bahamas with visits to the islands of Acklins, Crooked Island and Long Cay… more
MONITOR ONLINE CONTENT
Barbados – GIVING some startling insight into a recently conducted survey on online abuse and harassment, a local researcher believes inappropriate behaviour on social media by adults and even teenagers will eventually find its way into the workplace… more
E-voting to be used in next election
British Virgin Islands – After four hours and nearly 200 votes cast, the results were in. An eager crowd gathered around Elections Supervisor Juliette Penn, craning their necks as she examined the printout from the territory’s brand-new DS200 Precinct Scanner and Tabulating Machine, which had been set up last week in the Multi-purpose Sports Complex… more
Protecting Personal Data – Is The Financial Industry Prepared?
Cayman Islands – The new Cayman Islands Data Protection Law (“DPL”) is due to come into effect in January 2019 and will regulate the future processing of all personal data in the Cayman Islands… more
Grenada criminalises the use of electronic devices at polling booths
Grenada – Parliament Friday approved an amendment to the People’s Representation legislation that will among other things criminalise going into a polling booth on any polling day with any electronic devices with special emphasis on cellular phones and digital cameras… more
Suriname shuts down Digicel’s microwave data link with Guyana, causing mobile data service blackout
Guyana – The Suriname government has shut down what it deems to have been an illegal microwave link that supplied data from Digicel (Suriname) to Digicel (Guyana), causing a massive interruption of data services on Digicel’s Guyana network over the last few days… more
Winning projects of Hackathon innovation medias
Haiti – 11 teams, for a total of 44 young people participated, from September 29 to October 1, 2018, in the 6th edition of the Hackathon innovation medias of the International Organization of the Francophonie (OIF), which aimed to promote the creation and development of innovative information products and services, in line with the evolution of technologies (including mobile) to meet the needs of populations… more
Jamaica leaps into world robotics competition tomorrow
Jamaica– JAMAICA takes a spectacular leap into the arena of international robotics competition when the local finals of this year’s World Robotics Olympiad — set to be held in Thailand — unfolds tomorrow at The University of the West Indies, Mona, St Andrew… more
Parents encouraged to be more vigilant about Internet use at home
Jamaica – PARENTS are being encouraged to be more vigilant about Internet use in the home as the country observes October as Cybersecurity Awareness Month, under the theme ‘Cybersecurity, our Shared Responsibility’… more
Flow Connects Saltibus with High-Speed Internet, HD TV
Saint Lucia – Hundreds of residents in the communities of Daban, Getrine, La Haut, Londonderry, Park Estate and Saltibus can now apply for high-speed broadband access and take advantage of high-definition… more
NTRC Folly
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines– Even before the deadline for the technologically based i2 competition organized by the NTRC closed on September 27, it was already too late for anyone 36 years of age or older to submit a presentation for the competition… more
Saturday, 6 October 2018
End the robocalls GTT
Guyana – Dear Editor, If a lawyer or anyone from the PUC is reading this letter, please advise me how I can sue GTT for harassment… more
“E-Networks is carving for itself a place on the national spectrum” – PM Nagamootoo
Guyana – Congratulating the E-Networks company as a leader in innovative cable television services, Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo said it pioneered the transformation of quality services via cable and high definition fibre optics… more
Sunday, 7 October 2018
Consumers’ body rebuffs GTT’s move to charge for landline blocking features
Guyana – The Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GTT) has applied to the utility regulator for the introduction of a rate for the Subscriber Activated Call Blocking Feature… more
E-networks celebrates 15 years of service
Guyana – Congratulating the E-Networks company as a leader in innovative cable television services, Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo said it pioneered the transformation of quality services via cable and high definition fibre optics… more
Guyana: Digicel customers experience data blackout after Suriname gov’t shutdown
Guyana – The disruption in data services for Digicel subscribers over the past few days has been caused by a reported shutdown of what the Surinamese government has deemed an illegal microwave link that supplied data from Digicel (Suriname) to Digicel (Guyana)… more
Alorica readies for 2,000 new BPO jobs in Jamaica
Jamaica – Alorica will create 2,000 new business process outsourcing (BPO) jobs in Jamaica as it expands its operations in the island… more
Digicel buys some time, but is it enough as hard choices loom?
Regional – When Denis O’Brien sensationally pulled the long-awaited initial public offering (IPO) of Digicel shares at the 11th hour in October 2015 he was robust in his defence of the decision… more
Image credits: Free-Photos (Pixabay); Wikipedia; Wikipedia; Wikipedia; The West Indian News
