A roundup of the latest ICT/technology news from across the Caribbean region for the period Monday 10 December to Sunday 16 December 2018.
Monday, 10 December 2018
The Bahamas Designs New Regulations for Battling Phony ICOs
Bahamas – Phony initial coin offerings (ICOs) are a big problem here and abroad. That’s why countries like the Bahamas are taking matters into their own hands and enforcing regulations to ensure they stop… more
OfReg: ‘Some’ ICT licensees not meeting financial obligations
Cayman Islands– The Utility Regulation and Competition Office, known as OfReg, has issued a notice stating that “some” of the territory’s licensed information and communications technology companies are not meeting their financial reporting requirements… more
MOU signed between Airbnb and DDA
Dominica – The Discover Dominica Authority and Airbnb have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to cooperate on areas of common interest… more
Delaying With Digital – Jamaica Ranks 13th In Region On Evolution Index
Jamaica – Jamaica is advancing steadily and has made steady progress in the digital revolution in the past 10 years, but weak infrastructure and poor institutional quality are two of the factors causing the country to lag behind much of the region… more
Phone war escalates
Trinidad and Tobago– EVEN as he was condemned for sharing the Prime Minister’s mobile phone number, a defiant former government minister Devant Maharaj yesterday shared National Security Minister Stuart Young’s cellphone number on social media… more
Police Investigating as Trinidad PM Gets Abusive Calls after Opposition MP Gives Out Telephone Number on Social Media
Trinidad and Tobago– Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley was forced to change his phone number after an Opposition Member of Parliament circulated it on social media… more
Trinidad PM gets abusive calls after MP shares number on social media
Trinidad and Tobago– Prime Minister (PM) Dr. Keith Rowley was forced to change his phone number after an opposition Member of Parliament (MP) circulated it on social media… more
Tuesday, 11 December 2018
BTC aggressively targets IPTV growth
Bahamas – The Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) is “aggressively” targeting the 40,000 households in eastern New Providence to buy into its internet protocol television (IPTV) platform before it expands to other parts of The Bahamas… more
BTC CEO: Contact center changes would require govt approval
Bahamas – Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) CEO Garfield Sinclair yesterday confirmed that the company is currently sharing a “contact center experience” with a plan to fully transition the local call center to other regional jurisdictions… more
Jamaican brands not fully utilising digital assets
Jamaica – Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Trend Media Aileen Corrigan says brands in Jamaica are not using their full digital assets to measure the impact of their campaigns… more
CTU AND MICROSOFT INITIATE TALKS ON CLOUD ADOPTION
Regional – The Caribbean Telecommunications Union (CTU) and Microsoft held discussions to explore strategies and harmonised approaches to accelerating digital transformation in the Caribbean… more
Wednesday, 12 December 2018
BAHAMAS: BTC pays fine for breach of number portability regulations
Bahamas – Consumers affected by a regulatory breach by the Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) can expect to receive a $100 credit applied to their cellular mobile account on 12 December 2018… more
Bahamas ranked third in Digital Evolution Index for LAC region
Bahamas – The Bahamas has been ranked third in the Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) region in the Digital Evolution Index (DEI) of the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University… more
BTC fined $102,004 by URCA
Bahamas – The Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) has been fined more than $100,000 by the Utilities Regulation and Competition Authority (URCA), after it was found to have breached the protocols relating to mobile number portability (MNP) last November, according to an URCA press release… more
BTC introduces ‘Always On’ for postpaid customers
Bahamas – Following the recent introduction of its historic value-added tax (VAT) inclusive ‘Always On’ prepaid plan, Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) is once again asserting its mobile leadership position by introducing the postpaid version of the ‘Always On’ customer value proposition with a completely upgraded suite of offers… more
BTC Pays For Black Friday Meltdown
Bahamas – Regulators have ordered the Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) to pay 50 percent of its fine for last year’s Black Friday mobile number portability meltdown to affected consumers… more
67.6% of Dominicans use the Web, poll says
Dominican Republic– 67.6% of the Dominican population uses the internet. Of that figure, 71.0% belongs to urban areas… more
Digicel completes GNOC transformation project in partnership with Eirteic
Regional – Eirteic and Digicel have completed the GNOC Transformation project, the companies said… more
New high school to feature high-tech
Saint Kitts and Nevis– The imminent construction of the new state-of-the-art Basseterre High School (BHS) is one of the Government of National Unity’s major accomplishments, Prime Minister Dr. the Honourable Timothy Harris said during his 2019 Budget Address on Dec. 12… more
Statistics show areas with CCTV coverage have reduced crime
Saint Kitts and Nevis– The effectiveness of the Closed Circuit Television Surveillance System Project in deterring crime was highlighted on Dec. 12 by Prime Minister Dr. the Honourable Timothy Harris… more
Allyuh too wicked: CWU leader ‘thrown out’ of TSTT
Trinidad and Tobago – Security personnel at the Telecommunications Service of Trinidad and Tobago (TSTT) have been accused of unjustifiably physically assaulting leader of the Communication Workers’ Union (CWU) Clyder Elder… more
Telecom providers breaching concessions
Trinidad and Tobago – TELECOMMUNICATIONS providers have been breaching their concessions by not providing service to all parts of the country, and have told the Telecommunications Authority of Trinidad and Tobago (TATT) straight up that the Authority can do nothing about it as it has no “sanction powers”… more
TSTT Clears The Air – No Force On Elder
Trinidad and Tobago – TSTT wants to correct the misinformation surrounding the incident which occurred on Wednesday 12 December at the Nelson Exchange involving the Secretary General of the Communications Workers Union (CWU), Mr. Clyde Elder… more
TSTT denies security used force on union leader
Trinidad and Tobago – The Telecommunications Service of Trinidad and Tobago (TSTT) has disputed the account of the President of the Communication Workers’ Union (CWU) following an alleged altercation with security guards… more
TSTT HANGS UP ON WORKERS
Trinidad and Tobago – STATE telecoms company TSTT has retrenched 51 workers – just two weeks before Christmas and less than a month after chopping almost a third of its workforce, by sending home 503 employees… more
TSTT just fired 51 more workers: Says no to salary increases
Trinidad and Tobago – TSTT today fired 51 more employees… more
TSTT on the path to profitability
Trinidad and Tobago – TSTT completed its staff rationalization exercise on Wednesday 12 December 2018 with fifty-one (51) non–unionized employees being served retrenchment notices… more
TSTT sends home more workers as part of “staff rationalisa tion exercise”
Trinidad and Tobago – The Telecommunications Services of Trinidad and Tobago (TSTT) Wednesday announced the dismissal of 51 of its employees as the head of the Communications Workers Union (CWU) Clyde Elder said he was physically removed from the company’s headquarters by force… more
Union boss kicked out TSTT headquarters
Trinidad and Tobago – Head of the Communications Workers’ Union (CWU) Clyde Elder was physically removed Wednesday from the Telecommunications Services of Trinidad and Tobago (TSTT) Edward Street, Port-of-Spain office…more
Thursday, 13 December 2018
Gov’t moves ahead with plans to implement number portability
Antigua and Barbuda – The Lower House of Parliament has approved an amendment to the Telecommunications Act of 2018 which will, in essence, give residents the option of switching between telecommunications service providers without having to change their mobile numbers… more
BTC fined $102,004 by URCA
Bahamas – The Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) has paid a total fine of $102,004.00 to comply with an order handed down by the Utilities Regulation and Competition Authority (URCA)… more
Gov’t depts may go digital
Barbados – Government could soon be using digital technology across a number of its ministries including housing, finance and immigration, in an effort to get a better handle on tracking transactions… more
Belize Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband Market Growth, Analysis, Challenges and Industry Key Players – BTL (DigiCell); SpeedNet (Smart)| 2018-2022
Belize – Belize government pays final instalment to secure BTLOne the smaller countries in Central America, Belize in many respects has closer affinities with English speaking countries of the Caribbean than with its immediate neighbours… more
PUC blocks GTT’s application for increase in bundled landline rates
Guyana– Regulators have denied an application of the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GTT) to increase a number of landline charges… more
FLOW takes two AMCHAM awards
Jamaica – Flow Jamaica was recognised by the Jamaican Chapter of the American Chamber of Commerce (AMCHAM), receiving two awards at AMCHAM’s annual Business and Civic Leadership Awards held recently at the Pegasus Hotel… more
CXC launches Digital Media syllabus
Regional – The Caribbean Examinations Council is launching its Digital Media syllabus, something CXC describes as a world leading development… more
Managers suspended after info leak to media TSTT mum on action
Trinidad and Tobago – Telecommunications Services of Trinidad and Tobago (TSTT) executive are remaining silent on the suspension of two senior executives on Monday and Tuesday… more
Trinidad telecoms fires 51 more workers
Trinidad and Tobago – Telecommunications Services of Trinidad and Tobago (TSTT) yesterday fired 51 more employees… more
Friday, 14 December 2018
Curacao Telecoms Partnership Sees LLA Move Deeper Into Digicel Territory
Curaçao – Liberty Latin America (LLA) is following up on its plan for long-term growth through mergers and acquisitions… more
Digicel Jamaica now largest LTE network in English-speaking Caribbean
Regional – A multi-billion-dollar investment in bringing high-speed mobile internet services to everyone everywhere in Jamaica has resulted in Digicel delivering the largest LTE network in the English-speaking Caribbean and bringing connectivity to over 200 towns and cities in 10 parishes… more
Flow investigating intermittent mobile call failure
Saint Lucia – Flow advises that we are aware that voice calls from Flow mobile have been failing to other networks, due to an unidentified problem, which emerged earlier this week… more
‘Is TSTT union-busting?’
Trinidad and Tobago – Is the Telecommunications Services of TT (TSTT) engaged in union-busting? … more
Unions ready to rumble againWhere is Jennifer?
Trinidad and Tobago – Members of the Joint Trade Union Movement are calling for the Minister of Labour Jennifer Baptiste-Primus to address what they are calling “union-busting” tactics by the Government… more
Saturday, 15 December 2018
Broadcasting Authority briefs broadcasters on tough 2019 – Televised public events, newscasts must have closed captions, sign language interpreters next year
Guyana – Regulators are moving to making public events more friendly for persons with disabilities, starting next year. In fact, TV newscasts will have to include a sign language interpreter and closed captions until it becomes the norm… more
CWU, TSTT go to court over dismissals
Trinidad and Tobago – THE Communications Workers Union (CWU) and TSTT will be going to the Industrial Court over the company’s decision to fire 503 workers in November… more
Sunday, 16 December 2018
Customs fees issues with my phone
Jamaica– In September 2018, my friend who lives in Canada, bought a Samsung A8 mobile phone as a gift for me and sent it out from a UPS store in Canada via DHL Express… more
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