A roundup of the latest ICT/technology news from across the Caribbean region for the period Monday 19 August to Sunday 25 August 2019.
Monday, 19 August 2019
Cable Hails $333m Sale As Capital Market Record
Bahamas – Cable Bahamas chief executive yesterday hailed the $332.5m sale of the company’s US interests as “the biggest single transaction” by any Bahamian publicly traded company… more
CBL to sell Summit Broadband to Grain Management LLC for $332.5 million
Bahamas – CBL Group announced yesterday that it has entered into a definitive agreement to sell its Florida-based operation, Summit Broadband, to Grain Management LLC, in a carve-out transaction for $332.5 million… more
Free-speech groups slam cybercrime bill
British Virgin Islands – During an Aug. 1 House of Assembly meeting, legislators touted a bill that they said would help deter cyberbullying, character assassination, electronic blackmail and other nefarious online behaviour… more
TRC cant intervene in BVIEC/Cable TV dispute; no authority over electricity company
British Virgin Islands – Notwithstanding its oversight of telecoms providers in the BVI, the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (TRC) might not be getting involved in the ongoing dispute between the BVI Electricity Corporation (BVI) and BVI Cable TV… more
50 years ago: Cayman on Telex
Cayman Islands – In the 21 Aug. 1969 edition of the Caymanian Weekly, a precursor of the Cayman Compass, the front page carried a report on a new speedy communication device – the telex… more
Cayman Islands Telecommunications Market Comprehensive Analysis 2019
Cayman Islands – The future value proposition for telecommunications market in Cayman Islands to 2025 is detailed in the report… more
Consider St. Mary for BPO investments, businessman urges
Jamaica – Potential investors – particularly those in the Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) sector – are being urged to seriously consider St. Mary as their next investment location… more
CANADIAN HIGH COMMISSION TO COLLECT BIO-METRIC INFORMATION IN ST. KITTS & NEVIS
Saint Kitts and Nevis – St Kitts & Nevis’ Ministry of Foreign Affairs is pleased to announce Canadian officials will be in the Federation during the week of the 26th of August to carry out biometric processing for persons wishing to obtain visas to travel to Canada… more
Trinidad and Tobago Telecommunications Market Comprehensive Analysis 2019
Trinidad and Tobago – The report presents detailed insights into Trinidad and Tobago mobile communication, fixed telephone and fixed broadband markets… more
Tuesday, 20 August 2019
BTC adjusting operating model in light of significant revenue loss
Bahamas – Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) Chief Executive Officer Garfield Sinclair said yesterday the company intends to adjust its operating model in light of a significant loss in revenue… more
BTC And Unions ‘In Much Better Situation Today’
Bahamas – The Bahamas Telecommunications Company’s (BTC) relationship with its two trade unions is “in a much more progressive place today” than it was a fortnight ago, its chief executive asserted yesterday… more
BTC Chief: VSEP Offer ‘Compelling’
Bahamas – THE Bahamas Telecommunications Company’s (BTC) chief executive yesterday said it has put a “compelling” voluntary separation offer on the table for staff wishing to exit the company… more
BTC VSEPs will set company up for “rapid growth”
Bahamas – While he was unable to provide the number of employees Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) envisions disengaging through voluntary separation packages, BTC CEO Garfield Sinclair said yesterday that the latest exercise set up the company, which has been guarding its marketing share, for “real rapid growth”… more
Cable ‘Faced Dark Future’ Without $333m Us Sale
Bahamas – Cable Bahamas was “staring a very dark future in the face” until it stunned the capital markets by revealing its $332.5m US exit, a prominent businessman said yesterday… more
Sinclair: BTC still controls 70% of mobile market
Bahamas – The Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) is still the biggest mobile provider in The Bahamas, the company’s Chief Executive Officer Garfield Sinclair said yesterday, explaining that BTC still controls nearly 70 percent of the country’s mobile market… more
Grenada Telecommunications Market overview by 2025 explored in latest research
Grenada – The future value proposition for telecommunications market in Grenada to 2025 is detailed in the report… more
Digitisation, data protection feature at major telecoms meeting in Trinidad
Guyana – The Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GTT) recently focused on the digital transformation of the Caribbean region – and its own role – when several of its personnel attended the 35th Annual CANTO Conference held in Trinidad… more
GTT fields delegation to CANTO conference
Guyana – A Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GTT) delegation attended the recently held 35th Annual Caribbean Association of National Telecommunications Organisations (CANTO) Conference and Trade Exhibition, in Trinidad… more
IDB Official Says Digital Economy Will Enhance Public Service Delivery
Jamaica – Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) Caribbean Country Manager, Therese Turner-Jones, believes Jamaica’s proposed transformation to a fully digital economy will enhance public service delivery and, by extension, the lives of persons accessing attendant provisions… more
Jamaica Sets Aside US$480,000 For Helping Smaller BPOs Scale up Operations
Jamaica – Jamaica has unveiled a US$480,000 plan to help small BPO providers scale up operations and create higher-skilled jobs for young graduates in the country… more
Digicel raises prices for some of its products
Trinidad and Tobago– Digicel has raised its prices on some of its offerings effective August 15, 2019. In a response to questions by Guardian Media, the company said: “…due to higher programming costs, it became necessary to adjust the prices on some of the packages, which only directly affects around five per cent of our customer base… more
Huawei looking to boost T&T’s ICT
Trinidad and Tobago– IN the last four years Chinese tech firm, Huawei, has invested $272 million (US$40 million) in Trinidad and Tobago… more
Wednesday, 21 August 2019
BTC To Shrink Retail Network To 11 Sites
Bahamas – THE Bahamas Telecommunications Company’s (BTC) chief executive yesterday said it will likely reduce its retail footprint on New Providence to 11 locations in a bid to “optimise” its network… more
Barbados Telecommunications Market Size, Share, Growth, Shares, Opportunities and Forecast 2019-2025
Barbados – Barbados Telecom outlook report is a comprehensive analytical research on the Barbados’s cellular, fixed telephone and fixed broadband segments… more
Belize Telecommunications Market Size, Share, Growth, Shares, Opportunities and Forecast 2019-2025
Belize – Belize Telecom outlook report is a comprehensive analytical research on the Belize’s cellular, fixed telephone and fixed broadband segments… more
Government endorses Business Process Outsourcing sector
Jamaica– A US$480,000-project aimed at strengthening the local outsourcing industry by enabling small operations to move up the value chain is being endorsed by the Government… more
GWest venturing into telemedicine with Digicel
Jamaica – Western Jamaica medical outfit, GWest Corporation is teaming up with Digicel to venture into telemedicine in Jamaica… more
Jamaica Telecommunications Market forecast 2019 – 2025 made available by top research firm
Jamaica – The future value proposition for telecommunications market in Jamaica to 2025 is detailed in the report… more
ICT Stakeholders Connect To Develop A Broadband Strategy For St Kitts-Nevis
Saint Kitts and Nevis – The way forward for broadband and connectivity issues in St. Kitts and Nevis will be discussed over the next four days by industry leaders and other stakeholders at a Broadband Strategy Consultation… more
Julien: Training, research crucial for technology
Trinidad and Tobago– Chairman of the board of governors of the University of TT, Prof Emeritus Kenneth Julien, says while countries can exist without universities that pursue both training and research, these countries end up either being left completely behind or paying substantial sums for the acquisition of technology… more
Thursday, 22 August 2019
BTC Invests $3m To Boost Smart Schools
Bahamas – The Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) has presented 2,500 tablets to the Ministry of Education to support its smart schools’ initiative… more
BTC VSEP Offer ‘Better, But Not What We Wanted’
Bahamas – THE Bahamas Telecommunications Company’s (BTC) management union president yesterday said the carrier’s voluntary separation offer was “better but not what we were seeking”… more
Cable Bahamas sells Summit Broadband to Grain Management for USD 332 mln
Bahamas – Cable Bahamas Limited (CBL) has reached an agreement to sell its majority interest in Florida-based ISP Summit Vista (Summit Broadband) to US private equity firm Grain Management… more
GTT to reimburse customers after outage results in data loss
Guyana – Some Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GTT) customers are due to be reimbursed by the company after the unexpected loss of mobile data from their cellular plans… more
Haiti Telecommunications Market Revenue Status and Outlook (2019-2025)
Haiti – The Haiti Telecommunications report – 8th series from OGAnalysis provides a complete view of the Haiti telecom ecosystem along with trends and growth factors shaping the future of the market… more
Technology minister says youth are getting crucial skills
Jamaica – Minister of Science, Energy and Technology, Fayval Williams, says Jamaica’s youth are getting crucial skills, evidenced with over 600 participants in the 2019 Technology Advancement Programme (TAP)… more
Caribbean Telecom Markets Report 2019: Netherlands Antilles to US Virgin Islands – ResearchAndMarkets.com
Regional – This report provides an overview of the telecom markets in Netherlands Antilles, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad & Tobago, Turks and Caicos, and the US Virgin Islands. It includes information about fixed-line and mobile operators, internet providers, the regulatory background and market liberalisation… more
The St. Kitts-Nevis Broadband Strategy Will Advance The Socio-Economic Development Of The Federation
Saint Kitts and Nevis– As a way to further advance society, the Government of St. Kitts and Nevis has recognized that the way forward is through the development of the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector by increasing people’s involvement in technology… more
bmobile fosters ICT Innovation with Business Technology Award
Trinidad and Tobago – Communications solutions provider, bmobile, is again sponsoring the Business Technology Award for this year’s Champions of Business in an ongoing drive to encourage ICT innovation by local companies that wish to become globally competitive… more
Guyana: street corner spyware?
Trinidad and Tobago – IT’S all happening in Guyana. Oil boom. Constitutional crisis. Impending elections. And now, the Big Brother Is Watching You stuff… more
Friday, 23 August 2019
2019 Future Of Anguilla Telecommunications Market Trends, Outlook and Growth Opportunities 2025
Anguilla – The future value proposition for telecommunications market in Anguilla to 2025 is detailed in the report… more
Antigua Public Utilities Authority will host CaribNOG regional meeting in September
Antigua and Barbuda – The Caribbean Network Operators Group (CaribNOG) will hold its eighteenth regional meeting from September 25 to 27, hosted by the Antigua Public Utilities Authority… more
BTC delivers on its commitment to MoE
Bahamas – Bahamas Telecommunications (BTC) proudly delivered on its promise, presenting 2,500 tablets to the Ministry of Education (MoE) to support its “smart schools” initiative… more
BTC Donates 2,500 Tablets To Schools
Bahamas – THE Bahamas Telecommunications Company donated 2,500 tablets in support of the Ministry of Education’s digital transition for public-school systems… more
2019 Future Of Belize Telecommunications Market- Trends, Outlook and Growth Opportunities of Mobile, Fixed Landline and Broadband Markets
Belize – The future value proposition for telecommunications market in Belize to 2025 is detailed in the report… more
CSEC E-testing successful for Dominican students
Dominica – Dominican students who sat the 2019 Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) exams, have for the first time, completed the paper one portion of their assessment online… more
NCCU launches online services
Dominica – Customers of the National Cooperative Credit Union Ltd. (NCCU) can now access their accounts and perform transactions at their own convenience with the launch online services at the institution… more
Dominican Republic mobile lines stay at 8.9 mln in H1, Claro consolidates lead
Dominican Republic – The Dominican Republic reached 8.9 million mobile lines at the end of June 2019, up around 1 percent year on year and flat compared to the H2 2018 figure, according to the latest update from the country’s telecommunications watchdog Indotel… more
Starr Computers CEO wants Innovation Centre to be an incubator for shaping IT careers
Guyana – Almost thirty years ago he turned the lights out on what he says was a professionally rewarding job as a Financial Analyst with Citi Bank in New York to build, over time, what, arguably, is the country’s most successful information technology business enterprises, Starr Computers… more
BOJ Studying How To Map Mobile Remittances
Jamaica – The pace at which remittances have been flowing to Jamaica continues to slow, a trend the Bank of Jamaica (BOJ) says is linked, in part, to the tightening of Know Your Customer rules, which are affecting remittance companies that are required to police against scams and other illicit money transfers… more
Digicel Launches Digital Engagement Platform
Jamaica – With a simple tap on their Facebook Messenger app, telecommunications firm Digicel says it customers can now have instant access to information about their prepaid and postpaid services, with the power to make changes as they like… more
Digicel launches Facebook Messenger platform to make account access easier
Jamaica – Telecommunications firm Digicel has launched a digital platform that allows customers to enjoy instant access to information about their prepaid and post-paid services and make changes with a simple tap on their Facebook Messenger app… more
Digicel warns public of fake ‘win an iPhone’ promotion
Jamaica – Communications and entertainment provider, Digicel is warning members of the public of a new scam that claims to offer a high-end phone as part of a promotional campaign by the company… more
Odayne pushing Jamaica’s digital revolution
Jamaica – BORN and raised in one of the most volatile communities in Montego Bay, St James, Odayne Haughton learned some of life’s most important lessons from a tender age — a few through irreplaceable losses… more
Scammers Go XXX – Crooks Turn To Porn As Elderly Men Overseas Splash Cash For Virtual Satisfaction
Jamaica – Some players in the multibillion-dollar lottery scam have latched on to an emerging industry in which they solicit large sums of cash from mainly elderly men overseas for cybersex services with local women via video link… more
ECCB Facilitates Easier Access To Gov’t Information
Regional – The Eastern Caribbean Central Bank has officially launched a portal that offers financial information about ECCU member states… more
Innovate to compete or die
Trinidad and Tobago – Ansa McAl chairman, Norman Sabga, in the context of the $1 million loss by Guardian Media Ltd., said Facebook, Twitter and other international companies were able to sell media (and other services) in T&T without paying taxes, have no employees on the ground—a huge advantage to them—and when paid, they receive foreign exchange. This undermines the local media houses… more
Trinidad & Tobago split over whether services like Facebook should pay local taxes
Trinidad and Tobago – In mid-August 2019, the head of one of Trinidad and Tobago’s largest conglomerates spoke out against online services like Facebook earning revenue in the country without being made to pay local taxes… more
Saturday, 24 August 2019
Antigua and Barbuda Telecommunications Market is expected to witness rapid growth over 2019 – 2025
Antigua and Barbuda – The future value proposition for telecommunications market in Antigua and Barbuda to 2025 is detailed in the report… more
Cyber crime watch
Barbados – Police are becoming increasingly worried about an alarming number of domestic disputes between intimate partners over smartphone and Internet activity… more
Guyana does not have comprehensive cybersecurity strategy which includes workforce skills development
Guyana – Dear Editor, The United Kingdom Chevening scholarship programme is an excellent investment in the human capital of Guyana… more
US Experts Help Jamaica Health Sector Go Digital Imaging
Jamaica – In KEEPING with of its commitment to improving Jamaica’s health sector, the Issa Trust Foundation recently sponsored a two-day seminar aimed at helping the sector convert from film to digital medical imaging… more
Flow Staff Receive Long Service Awards
Saint Lucia – THE island’s leading telecommunications company, Flow, has once again paid tribute to the hard work and dedication of team members… more
Dangers to using too much smart technology
Trinidad and Tobago – Smart technology can actually be dangerous to the health of adults and children if it is not used properly or as recommended…more
Sunday, 25 August 2019
$84M Security Command Centre for police – ranks to carry broadband handsets
Guyana– The Ministry of Public Telecommunications is collaborating with the Guyana Police Force (GPF) to curb crime in Guyana through the intervention of an Intelligent Surveillance System… more
Rights to privacy
Guyana– Despite publicly expressed concerns about the use of facial recognition technology in Guyana, and the publication of data on its deployment in other countries, Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan remains quite unmoved…more
Smart resigns from tTech
Jamaica – Information technology services provider tTech Limited is advising that Marcelle Smart, consulting services manager, has resigned effective September 12, 2019… more
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