A roundup of the latest ICT/technology news from across the Caribbean region for the period Monday 17 December to Sunday 23 December 2018.
Monday, 17 December 2018
Optometrist welcomes cell phone eye exam
Antigua and Barbuda – Technology allowing people to examine their eyes using cell phones is being tested… more
PUC denies GTT’s application for rate increase
Guyana – The Public Utilities Commission (PUC) has denied GTT’s application for increases in wireline access and landline metered charges, saying that the telecommunications giant did not present a convincing case… more
T&T company launches online payment solution
Guyana – Consumers and local businesses will now be able to conduct online transactions, after a new online payment solution – WiPay of Trinidad and Tobago – was launched on Thursday… more
Appeal Court Temporarily Halts Caricel Shutdown
Jamaica – The Court of Appeal has temporarily halted the shutdown of telecommunication company Caricel… more
Big Bucks For ‘Smart City’ – $6b Needed For Basic Infrastructure In Planned Bernard Lodge Development
Jamaica – Basic infrastructure work for the planned Greater Bernard Lodge development in Portmore, St Catherine, is scheduled to get under way early next year, and Joseph Shoucair, who leads the enterprise team overseeing the project, is promising that this will be the start of the creation of the ‘smart city’… more
New Digital Platform For COK Sodality
Jamaica – The COK Sodality Co-operative Credit Union has signed on to a cutting-edge digital software platform designed to facilitate both simple and intricate transactions while offering iron-clad security features… more
Digicel: Say Hello to St Vincent and the Grenadines’ first LTE Network
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines– Digicel customers can now enjoy blazing-fast mobile speeds on St. Vincent and the Grenadines’ first superfast Long-Term Evolution (LTE) network… more
bmobile takes tech start-ups further
Trinidad and Tobago – The bmobile Connect Technology Conference and Innovation Week is scheduled to take place from January 28 – February 1, 2019 at the Hyatt Regency Trinidad… more
TSTT’s shoddy treatment of a loyal customer
Trinidad and Tobago – I’ve been a TSTT (Telecommunications Services of Trinidad and Tobago Company Ltd) customer for 32 years… more
What every T&T business should know about technology
Trinidad and Tobago – We are in the era of information and businesses are being told to embrace and incorporate digital tools, but does digitalisation benefit every business model? … more
Tuesday, 18 December 2018
Antigua and Barbuda set to implement MNP
Antigua and Barbuda – The lower house of the parliament of Antigua and Barbuda has approved an amendment to the Telecommunications Act of 2018 put forward by telecommunications minister Melford Nicholas with a view to implementing mobile number portability (MNP), reports… more
Dominican Republic adopts LPWAN for advanced metering
Dominican Republic– Edenorte, a utility based in the Dominican Republic, has selected Trilliant for the provision of a communications network for smart metering operations; using Trilliant’s low power wide area network (LPWAN) to connect some 30,000 smart meters… more
Caricel Gets Temporary Reprieve, Vows To Fight Government
Jamaica – Telecommunications company Caricel has vowed to use “every resources at our disposal” to fight the Government’s decision to shut down its operations…more
Information And Communication Technology Authority Coming
Jamaica – Jamaica is to get an Information and Communication Technology Authority… more
Digicel inching toward debt-swap agreement
Regional – Telecoms company, Digicel, is edging toward an accord with some investors to push out a share of its debt after months of negotiations… more
Red Advertising now largest Google Partner Agency in the Caribbean
Regional – Red Advertising has added the region’s most certified Google Ad agency to its list of achievements after an extensive staff training program… more
Wednesday, 19 December 2018
Digicel denies claims made by PM
Antigua and Barbuda – Regional telecommunications giant Digicel has publicly denied allegations made by Prime Minister Gaston Browne over the weekend that it is taking advantage of local customers… more
Digicel seeks meeting with Antigua PM over ‘rape’ comment
Antigua and Barbuda – Telecommunications company, Digicel, is seeking a meeting with Prime Minister Gaston Browne after he accused the Irish-owned company as well as another provider of “raping” the people of Antigua and Barbuda… more
Embracing digital technology in banking
Barbados – Over the last two decades, digital technologies have been transforming the global financial services market… more
Digicel Lights Up Grenada With Super Fast LTE Service
Grenada – Customers can now enjoy blazing-fast mobile speeds on Grenada’s speediest network, Digicel… more
A wind of digital change blows through Concacaf Member Associations
Regional – From 11 to 12 December representatives of FIFA and the FIFA Connect team presented the digital platform to a range of selected Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (Concacaf) Spanish-speaking Member Association (MA) representatives who will be using the new system to register their football stakeholders in the future… more
Digicel convinces bondholders to wait longer for repayment
Regional – Telecommunications group Digicel has convinced holders of US$1.89 billion of bonds that are due to mature in 2020 to postpone their scheduled repayment by two years, following months of negotiation… more
Digicel Group Limited Receives Tenders for 94.7% of 8.250% Senior Notes due 2020
Regional – As of the date hereof, Digicel received from holders valid and unrevoked tenders of $1,893,688,000 aggregate principal amount of the Existing 2020 Notes, representing approximately 94.7% of such notes… more
Digicel says delivering largest LTE network in English-speaking C’bean
Regional – TELECOMMUNICATIONS company Digicel says a multi-billion-dollar investment in bringing high-speed mobile Internet services to everyone, everywhere in the island has resulted in it delivering the largest LTE network in the English-speaking Caribbean, and bringing connectivity to more than 200 towns and cities in 10 parishes… more
“Free WiFi” for Castries launched
Saint Lucia – The Saint Lucia government on Wednesday (Dec. 19) officially launched the Government Island Wide Network (GINET) Wi-Fi Zone for Castries, Prime Minister Allen Chastanet has announced on Facebook… more
bmobile and JMMB Express Finance partner to make smartphone financing easy
Trinidad and Tobago – Owning a smartphone is almost a prerequisite for existing in today’s hyper connected world… more
Indarsingh sees ploy to decertify CWU at TSTT
Trinidad and Tobago – FORMER minister in the Ministry of Labour Rudranath Indarsingh said the aggression used by TSTT security guards to belittle the secretary general of the Communications Workers Union (CWU) Clyde Elder in the presence of his members reeks of “somebody in a high position” sanctioning that action… more
Thursday, 20 December 2018
Claro Dominican Republic share up to 56% of mobile lines
Dominican Republic – The Dominican Republic ended October with a total of 8.8 million mobile lines, up 231,000 year on year, according to the latest update from the country’s telecommunications watchdog Indotel… more
Dominican telecoms roundup: US$1.5bn in telecoms FDI since 2010
Dominican Republic – Internet accounts in the Dominican Republic jumped by over 2,191% in the 10 years to October 2018, to 7.4mn… more
FLOW files lawsuit against regulators
Grenada– The telecommunications company FLOW has filed a lawsuit against the Eastern Caribbean Telecommunications Authority (ECTEL), in a bid to revoke the 700-spectrum license granted to the Irish-based company, Digicel… more
National strategy for protection of ICT, other critical infrastructure must be implemented
Guyana – Dear Editor, As a teenager, I was a science fiction fanatic reading all there was in the library about robots and computers… more
WiPay launches online payment solution in Guyana
Guyana – WiPay, an e-commerce platform which currently allows users to make payments online without the need for a credit card, has launched in Guyana… more
Jamaica’s Very Own Netflix – Vueture
Jamaica – On January 1, Jamaicans can celebrate more than just the start of a new year. They can also rejoice because the country will have it’s very own independent film and television-streaming distribution platform called Vueture…more
C&W Employees on a Mission Across the Caribbean and Latin America
Regional – -Employees across all Cable & Wireless markets in the Caribbean and Latin America celebrated the company’s annual “Mission Day” recently by leading several community partnership programs and internal activities across the region… more
Digicel Group Limited Amends Denominations of 8.250% Senior Notes Due 2020 and 7.125% Senior Notes Due 2022 to Facilitate Participation in Exchange Offers
Regional – Digicel Group Limited (“Digicel”) announced today that, to facilitate participation in the previously announced Exchange Offers (as defined in the Offering Memorandum)… more
Freedom of Information Act needs fine-tuned to become operational
Saint Kitts and Nevis – The Federation’s Freedom of Information Bill, that was passed into law on May 3, will be operationalized after the necessary requirements are put in place according to Attorney General and Minister of Justice and Legal Affairs, the Honourable Vincent Byron Jr… more
Kids build computer programming skills for Christmas
Saint Lucia – In order to give a group of young students from Saint Lucia a leg up on the competition, Writing Legends, in tandem with Flow and the Curriculum and Materials Development Unit (CAMDU) in the Ministry of Education, Innovation, Gender Relations, and Sustainable Development hosted the island’s first Christmas Coding Camp… more
Mayor Believes Saint Lucia Can Be Region’s Telecommunication Hub
Saint Lucia – Castries Mayor, Peterson Francis, has expressed the view that Saint Lucia can become the telecommunication hub of the Caribbean with more investments in the sector… more
bmobile announces Code Challenge competition
Trinidad and Tobago – The Caribbean start-up technology team that wins bmobile’s first ever Code Challenge will be rewarded with technological support, expert business advice and funding to transform their winning idea into commercial reality… more
Samsung opens Experience Kiosks at Gulf City, C3
Trinidad and Tobago – Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., the leader in digital convergence technology, is heading to South Trinidad as it welcomes customers to two signature kiosks at the popular Gulf City and C3 Malls in San Fernando… more
Friday, 21 December 2018
Aliv Fined $735k For Roll-Out Miss
Bahamas – Regulators fined Aliv $735,000 for failing to hit one of the deadlines for the nationwide build-out of its mobile communications infrastructure, it has been revealed… more
Expedia: 70% increase in mobile bookings to New Providence
Bahamas – There has been a 30 percent increase in bookings to the Family Islands using mobile phones and a 70 percent increase to New Providence, the Expedia Group reports… more
Flow customers get ‘EXTRA’ this Christmas
Dominica – Flow customers across Dominica will get something ‘extra’ to help ‘warm’ the traditionally colder nights that signal the Christmas season’s arrival… more
ICreate Looks To The Market For Capital To Expand
Jamaica – Despite reports that a float of its shares on the junior stock market is weeks away from execution, digital media training start-up iCreate Institute, founded by Tyrone Wilson and partners, insists it’s still weighing its financing options for an expansion push under the guidance of financial adviser Sagicor Investments Jamaica Limited… more
Musson Foundation Promotes Coding Skills With Hour Of Code 2018
Jamaica – For the third year running, the Musson Foundation and tech-based social enterprise Halls of Learning have joined forces to offer computer coding workshops for Jamaican students… more
Digicel Group Appoints Jean-Yves Charlier as Executive Vice Chairman
Regional – Jean Yves Charlier has been appointed Executive Vice Chairman of Digicel Group, reflecting his more active involvement in Digicel since joining the Board last August… more
Education minister promises ‘smart classrooms’ during December
Saint Lucia – With the Caribbean Examination Council (CXC) moving to digitize some of its courses, Education Minister Dr. Gale Rigobert said some of the island’s technical drawing classrooms will be transformed into what she described as “smart classrooms”… more
bmobile encourages Entrepreneurs to enter Code Challenge competition
Trinidad and Tobago – bmobile has issued a call for technology innovators, start-up entrepreneurs and SMEs to apply to its Code Challenge competition which closes on Friday 28th December… more
Saturday, 22 December 2018
GiNet is fulfillment of an important promise of our administration
Saint Lucia – WHEN my government assumed office in 2011, we promised that we would provide free island-wide internet access, because we appreciated the importance… more
Sunday, 23 December 2018
Telecoms liberalization deadline looms… Govt, GTT reach agreement on spectrum allocation – Hughes
Guyana – Minister of Public Telecommunications, Catherine Hughes, said Government remains on track to reach an agreement with the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GTT) to liberalize the telecommunication sector… more
Island-wide Wi-Fi Zone launched
Saint Lucia – A US$ 4 million initiative geared at bringing Wi-Fi to communities across the country has been launched making Saint Lucia, from north to south… more
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