Roundup: for the week ending 23 June 2019

A roundup of the latest ICT/technology news from across the Caribbean region for the period Monday 17 June to Sunday 23 June 2019.

Monday, 17 June 2019

Antigua ‘offers buyout’ of Digicel unit as spectrum row intensifies

Antigua and Barbuda – The prime minister of the Caribbean nation of Antigua and Barbuda says he has contacted Denis O’Brien, the owner of the telecoms group Digicel, to offer a state buyout of the company’s operation on the island, to settle a legal row… more

APUA won’t be left in the dust as PM puts Digicel on buyout notice

Antigua and Barbuda – Prime Minister Gaston Browne, over the weekend, added his voice to the ongoing public spat between the Government of Antigua and Barbuda and one of the major telecommunications companies operating in the country… more

Digicel accuses gov’t of ‘muddying the waters’ in 850 MHz spectrum row

Antigua and Barbuda – Local public utilities authorities are being accused of making “grossly distorted assertions” regarding the 850-megahertz spectrum which Digicel uses to deliver services to its customers in Antigua and Barbuda… more

Dominican Republic Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband Statistics and Analyses 2019-2023 – ResearchAndMarkets.com

Dominican Republic – The Dominican Republic’s fixed-line teledensity is well below the Latin American average, a legacy of under-investment in network infrastructure over the years… more

Caribbean Development Bank pushes ‘digital transformation’

Regional – Caribbean Development Bank President Dr. William Warren Smith called for private-sector-led “digital transformation” to achieve a sustainable future in the region as it faces external threats from globalisation and natural hazards that he said are leading to growing inequality even in developed countries… more

Caribbean Telecoms Market Statistics and Analyses 2019 – ResearchAndMarkets.com

Regional – This report analyses general trends in the Caribbean telecom market, including recent regulatory measures, telecom infrastructure updates and developments in key sectors including mobile, broadband and fixed-telephony… more

TechStart: Building a Startup in 90 Days | The Name

Regional – All the best e-Markets have the simplest names, iTunes, Play store, Amazon, Etsy, eBay, Steam etc… more

TT not ready for CXC online

Trinidad and Tobago – THERE will be no Caribbean Examination Council (CXC) online testing in TT in 2020… more

Tuesday, 18 June 2019

URCA To Look Into Complaints As Channels Vanish

Bahamas – THE Utilities Regulation & Competition Authority (URCA) said yesterday it is looking into RevCable Bahamas’s recent channel line-up change which has left many of the company’s customers irate… more

In the ‘Flow’

Barbados – Just over 20 tertiary-level students will spend the next eight weeks working with Barbados’ leading telecommunications provider after they were accepted into the highly competitive Flow Summer Student Experience Programme… more

Belize’s Telecoms, Mobile & Broadband Markets 2019 – Mobile Sector Accounting for Over 90% of All Phone Subscriptions – ResearchAndMarkets.com

Belize – One of 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

EY appoints technology advisory partner

Cayman Islands – David McGibbon has joined the Advisory practice of EY’s Bahamas, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands and Cayman Islands region as partner… more

Caribbean Peering Forum builds regional Internet community to tackle local pain points

Regional – That person, standing in that line, waiting that long, wondering why that thing couldn’t just be done online… more

Saint Lucia Hosts Caribbean Commonwealth Cyber Security Workshop

Saint Lucia – Saint Lucia recently hosted a pan-Caribbean and American Commonwealth workshop to promote National Computer Security Incident Response Teams (nCSIRTs)… more

Wednesday, 19 June 2019

Aliv previews mobile streaming app; local producers to benefit

Bahamas – Mobile operator Aliv previewed its Netflix-like app on Monday night, which will stream content created by Bahamian producers. The app will be available on the Apple App Store and the Google Play store in about three weeks…more

CUBA TELECOMS, MOBILE AND BROADBAND MARKET SIZE, GROWTH, ANALYSIS, TRENDS, AND OPPORTUNITIES – 2019

Cuba – Cuba widens reach of 3G services. Cuba’s telecom sector remains a peculiarity, with state control having stymied rather than promoted the development of all sectors… more

Telecoms union moving to sue gov’t for full pension benefits

Guyana – The Guyana Postal and Telecommunication Workers Union (GPTWU) is moving to legal action against the Government of Guyana, in a bid to bring closure to a decades-long battle for pension owed to retirees of the Guyana Telecommunications Corporation (GTC) and Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GTT)… more

Would You Choose Cannes Lions Festival Or Haiti Tech Summit?

Haiti – I’ve had the good fortune to attend the annual Cannes Lions many times and always leave more inspired about the advertising industry… more

Bankers to discuss e-fraud at seminar today

Jamaica – THE Jamaica Bankers’ Association (JBA), in partnership with the Jamaica Institute of Financial Services (JIFS), will today host an anti-fraud seminar, under the theme ‘Managing Fraud in a Digitized World’… more

GK now offers cyber-attack insurance

Jamaica – Local insurance provider GK Insurance (GKI) last week launched a new insurance product that aims to assist businesses and individuals with recovery after cyber-attacks… more

Curacao to host Caribbean peering and interconnection forum in June 2020

Regional – The southern Caribbean island of Curaçao has been selected as the venue for the sixth regional conference of the Caribbean Peering and Interconnection Forum, CarPIF, set for June 9 to 11, 2020. The announcement was made by event co-organisers the Caribbean Network Operators Group (CaribNOG) and the Internet Society… more

Thursday, 20 June 2019

BTC Partners On Business Outlook

Bahamas – The Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) yesterday said it has partnered with the organisers of today’s Andros Business Outlook conference… more

Original Tech Hub Investor Queries Govt Commitment

Bahamas – The first investor in Grand Bahama’s “technology hub” yesterday questioned the Government’s “commitment” to continue pursuing the concept given the seeming absence of Budget funding… more

Paid Parental Leave Increase ‘Huge Differentiator’ For BTC

Bahamas – The Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) believes the major increases in paid leave for new parents will be “a huge differentiator” in its attractiveness as an employer… more

Bitt backs out of Bitcoin, Abed’s a believer

Barbados – On his LinkedIn page, Caribbean cryptocurrency activist and cofounder of Barbados based digital currency business Bitt Gabriel Abed posted a note following the announcement that Bitt would be shuttering its Bitcoin exchange and wallet services effective August 29, 2019 at 4pm… more

Haiti Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband Market Drivers, Trends, Opportunities and Industry Key Players – Natcom, HaiTel, Digicel | 2019

Haiti– 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

Dehring pushes for digital switchover

Jamaica – CHIEF Executive Officer of Ready TV Chris Dehring yesterday called on the Government to start implementing the long-awaited digital switchover to enable Jamaicans to access hundreds of available digital channels… more

JCF Increases Use of Technology to Strengthen Investigative Processes

Jamaica – Commissioner of Police, Major General Antony Anderson, says the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) is increasing its use of cyber forensics, ballistics and DNA evidence to strengthen its investigative processes… more

BUSINESS BYTE: C&W Communications – Preparations in place for 2019 hurricane season encourages customers to make a hurricane plan

Regional – Inge Smidts, CEO of C&W Communications (C&W) operator of the consumer brands Flow and BTC, and the C&W Business brand in the Caribbean, has issued a call for all families and businesses to be fully prepared as another Atlantic Hurricane season kicked off on June 1st, 2019… more

Piranha attacks e-waste

Trinidad and Tobago – SEVERAL major companies have begun to realise the importance of retrieving and recycling waste, even more so as the threat of pollution and its effects have prompted organisations worldwide – both private and public – to take action… more

Friday, 21 June 2019

Police Cracking Down On Cyber-Bullying

Bahamas – THE Royal Bahamas Police Force is cracking down on incidents of cyber-bullying, particularly against juveniles, Superintendent Mark Barrett confirmed this on Friday, as he also called for stronger legislation against cyber-bullying… more

Big Win For PUC At Court of Appeal

Belize – The Court of Appeal’s 2-week session for June ended today, and as the judges always do, they handed down decisions for appeal cases that they’ve already deliberated on… more

Judgment in Favor of P.U.C.; SMART Ordered to Pay Overdue Spectrum Fees

Belize – The Public Utilities Commission won its legal battle against Speednet Telecommunication Limited, the parent company of SMART… more

Centre for Excellence in IT formally launched

Guyana – The Centre for Excellence in Information Technology (CEIT), which will facilitate advanced level classroom training for public sector Information and communications technology (ICT) professionals, was yesterday commissioned at the University of Guyana’s Turkeyen Campus… more

Saturday, 22 June 2019

– Nil –

Sunday, 23 June 2019