A roundup of the latest ICT/technology news from across the Caribbean region for the period Monday 14 January to Sunday 20 January 2019.
Monday, 14 January 2019
Telecommunication companies battle over LTE licence
Grenada – Telecommunications provider, Flow is taking Minister of Infrastructure Development and Public Utilities, Gregory Bowen and several other parties to court in its efforts to get the Long Term Evolution (LTE) licence granted by government to its rival, Digicel be revoked… more
Tuesday, 15 January 2019
BRA Working With Developer to Rectify TAMIS Website Issue
Barbados – The Barbados Revenue Authority (BRA) is currently experiencing a technical issue in relation to the TAMIS website which has been hampering the registration process… more
Dominican Government Signs Multi-Million Dollar Contract With Digicel
Dominica – Dominica has signed an EC$200 million (One EC dollar=US$0.37 cents) agreement with the Irish-based telecommunication company, Digicel, which it says is intended to meet the growing telecommunication and information communication and technology (ICT) needs of the island… more
Digicel Fibre promises to provide a world class, high tech future for SVG
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines – With the recent announcement that Digicel is ready to roll out its new fibre optic infrastructure, St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) is set to enter a new era of global competitiveness and economic development, a release from Digicel says… more
Trinidad government not pleased with contract for CCTV coverage
Trinidad and Tobago – The Trinidad and Tobago government Monday said it is seeking to re-negotiate an agreement with the state-owned telecommunications provider for CCTV coverage after complaining that the fees were too expensive… more
TSTT charging too much: Gov’t to pull out
Trinidad and Tobago– GOVERNMENT plans to cancel its arrangement with TSTT for CCTV coverage because it is charging too much… more
Wednesday, 16 January 2019
Bahamian blockchain firm wins IDB award
Bahamas – A Bahamian technology company owner has claimed that technology will become the third economic pillar of the Bahamian economy, after his company was pegged as the firm with the best blockchain solution in the Caribbean, earning it a Creative Business Cup Award at the Inter-American Development Bank’s (IDB) Demand Solutions event in Chile in December… more
ICT technologies ‘very benefical’ to Dominicans – Kelver Darroux
Dominica – Minister for Information, Science, Telecommunications and Technology, Kelver Darroux, has said that Dominicans have benefited significantly from Information and Communications Technology (ICT)… more
Public Telecommunications Ministry transforming Guyana into a digital age ─ Code Camp 2019 to be taken to Hinterland region
Guyana – The Ministry of Public Telecommunications is on a mission to transform Guyana into the digital age by ensuring every region has access to Information and Communication Technology… more
bmobile to host Innovation Week
Trinidad and Tobago – bmobile will be hosting its Innovation Week from January 28th to February 1st as part of the highly anticipated, bmobile Connect Technology Conference 2019… more
CWU assured TSTT will not be closed
Trinidad and Tobago – The Communication Workers Union has been assured that TSTT will not be closed down, but they are still wary of serious changes which may affect the workforce at the State own telecommunications operator… more
Thursday, 17 January 2019
Another Tech Company Gets Go-Ahead To Operate In Grand Bahama
Bahamas– ANOTHER technology company has been approved by the government under the Commercial Enterprises Act to operate a software development firm in Grand Bahama… more
Digicel launches LTE
Dominica – Digicel launched its new and improved LTE network to Dominicans on Tuesday 15th January, 2019… more
Govt. GTT preparing statement on telecoms liberalization — Minister Hughes
Guyana – Seven years ago, in April 2012, the Donald Ramotar administration approved plans to sell its lucrative stakes in the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GTT)… more
Moves apace to introduce primary level robotics this year – Education Ministry
Guyana – The local education system has been continuously working to incorporate robotics at all levels… more
Haiti Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband Market Outlook 2018 – Growth Drivers, Opportunities and Forecast Analysis
Haiti – Telecoms Haiti again turns attention to digital broadcasting. Haiti’s economic and social indicators remain far lower than the average for Latin America and the Caribbean… more
One Computer ‘A Big Start’ For Essex Hall Primary – Principal Overjoyed At Receiving D&G Foundation Grant
Jamaica – Maxine Lewis, principal of the Essex Hall Primary School in St Andrew, reached out in desperation to the Desnoes and Geddes (D&G) Foundation for assistance to purchase a desktop computer for the institution but admitted that she wasn’t very hopeful… more
CaribNOG 17 Call for Presentations
Regional – The Caribbean Network Operators Group (CaribNOG) will hold its 17th Regional Meeting in Bridgetown, Barbados on April 10 – 12, 2019. The meeting directly follows the ARIN 43 meeting which will be held April 7 – 10, 2019. The CaribNOG Program Committee seeks proposals for presentations, panels, labs, and case studies for the CaribNOG 17 Regional Meeting… more
Digicel’s riskiest new bonds start trading at 50% discount
Regional – The riskiest new bonds Digicel has issued under a massive debt restructuring have started trading at a 50 per cent discount this week, as a leading credit ratings firm highlighted that the financing of Denis O’Brien-owned telecoms group was “untenable”… more
TSTT denies whistleblower claimsMulti-million cell probe
Trinidad and Tobago – A Guardian Media investigation has unearthed a damning whistleblower report inside the Telecommunications Services of Trinidad and Tobago (TSTT) which details specific questionable procurement practices and mega-million dollar deals without board approval… more
Friday, 18 January 2019
BTC Chief: We Must ‘Bottom Out’ In 2019
Bahamas – The Bahamas Telecommunications Company’s (BTC) top executive yesterday said it needs “to act like the market leader it is”, while warning that mobile subscriber losses must “bottom out” in 2019… more
BTC To ‘Radically Attack’ Cable On TV, Internet Hold
Bahamas – The Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) is planning to “radically attack” Cable Bahamas’ internet and TV dominance, having slashed new subscriber waiting time by 80 percent… more
DevDigital Opens New Location in The Bahamas
Bahamas – DevDigital, a leading software and web development company based in Nashville, TN, is pleased to announce that it has launched operations in the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, and will be headquartered in Freeport on Grand Bahama Island. Offices in both Nassau and Freeport will service both US-based and regional clients… more
‘Transform or die’, businesses told
Bahamas – Businesses in Barbados are being warned to develop digital transformation strategies or face extinction… more
$30,000 for a Facebook Post
Belize – Community activist Moses Sulph will have to pay former United Democratic Party politician Mark King $30,000 over a slanderous Facebook post, following a landmark court ruling in the Supreme Court this week… more
BUSINESS BYTE: KS Consultancy social media workshop hailed a success
Dominica – CEO of KS Consultancy, Kerdisha St.Louis, has dubbed “a success” a social media workshop organized by her company… more
Dominica Amateur Radio Club Inc. elects new executive
Dominica – A new executive was elected for the Dominica Amateur Radio Club Inc… more
GTC/GT&T pensioners to take legal action, protest for correct pension
Guyana – About 184 telecommunication industry pensioners on Friday slammed the Guyana Government for failing to ensure they are paid their correct pensions, in keeping with a 1990 agreement for the sale of the state-owned Guyana Telecommunications Corporation (GTC) to Atlantic Tele-Network (ATN)… more
Digicel Promises High Tech Future For SVG
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines – With the recent announcement that Digicel is ready to roll out its new fibre optic infrastructure, Saint Vincent & the Grenadines is set to enter a new era of global competitiveness and economic development. Investment in this state-of-the-art technology helps to ensure SVG’s future: providing a faster, more reliable Internet service on the island…more
TSTT Official Statement
Trinidad and Tobago – …more
UVI SECURES EMERGENCY RADIOS FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES
United States Virgin Islands– Members of the disability community in the Virgin Islands will soon be equipped with emergency radios that could mean the difference between life and death in the face of a disaster, thanks to the efforts of the Virgin Islands University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (VIUCEDD), UVI announced Friday… more
Saturday, 19 January 2019
FEATURE: Building the Caribbean digital economy bit by bit
Regional – Imagine disaster early warning systems using the latest tools offered by artificial intelligence and augmented reality. Imagine tourists having ubiquitous access to one Gigabit secure wireless hot spots. Imagine students engaged real time in data analytics with environmental scientists across the world via advanced networks… more
Sunday, 20 January 2019
Le Hunte: No more job cuts at TSTT
Trinidad and Tobago– PUBLIC Utilities Minister Robert Le Hunte says there are no more job cuts planned at TSTT… more
Image credits: carterse (flickr); Wikipedia; Wikipedia; The Eleutheran; Wikipedia
