A roundup of the latest ICT/technology news from across the Caribbean region for the period Monday 21 October to Sunday 27 October 2019.
Monday, 21 October 2019
Tech entrepreneur secures funding through SBDC
Bahamas – Accessing capital was next to impossible in the past for entrepreneur James Woodside, who recently received $112,500 in investment loans from the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) thanks to the assistance of the Access Accelerator / Small Business Development Centre (SBDC)… more
Using ROV technology
Barbados – Barbados is being encouraged to employ the use of Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs) underwater to make it easier to inspect boats and marine life… more
Digicel awards scholarships to tech-savvy university students
Jamaica – Ten members of Jamaica’s next generation of innovators are now pursuing another year of tertiary-level studies, having received scholarships valued at $145,000 each from Digicel… more
‘Low skills, low wages don’t generate prosperity’
Jamaica – At Jampro’s ‘Future of Work’ conference at AC Marriott last Wednesday, Utah-based venture capitalist Paul Ahlstrom (the founder of venture capital firm Altaventures) renewed his ambitious promise to train 1000 “full-stack” Jamaican software engineers per year made at the June Development Bank of Jamaica conference on ‘Private equity, Infrastructure, Entrepreneurship and Innovation’… more
Commonwealth finance ministers urge progress on taxing digital commerce
Regional – Caribbean Community (CARICOM) finance ministers have joined their Commonwealth colleagues in urging progress on taxing digital commerce to tackle debt… more
Samsung Galaxy S7 now receiving October 2019 security patch
Trinidad and Tobago – Despite being over three years old at this point, the Samsung Galaxy S7 is now receiving the October 2019 security patch… more
Trinidad: Lawsuit filed against Facebook user who named man a “bandit”
Trinidad and Tobago – The Ministry of Health employee whose image was plastered over social media earlier this month and labelled as a “bandit”, has instructed his attorneys to issue a pre-action protocol letter to the woman who made the original post seeking a public apology and “significant” monetary compensation for defamation of character… more
Tuesday, 22 October 2019
Fisherfolk Sharpen ICT Skills to Ensure Safety at Sea
Saint Lucia – A group of over fifteen fishers, staff of the Fisheries Division and fisheries organization representatives participated in the two day Information and Communication Technology (ICT) training workshop… more
Finalists named for NTRC icode784 competition
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines – The names of the schools and groups that have made it to the finals of the National Telecommunications Regulatory Commission’s (NTRC)… more
Julien: eTeck case was a nuisance
Trinidad and Tobago – It was a nusaince. That’s how Emeritus Professor Kenneth Julien described the legal battle he’s been engaged in with the State for the past eight years… more
Telecommunications Services of Trinidad and Tobago’s $400 Million Bond Offering
Trinidad and Tobago – Morgan Lewis represented Telecommunications Services of Trinidad and Tobago (TSTT) in the transaction… more
Wednesday, 23 October 2019
Bahamas Tech Institute Launches CDB Funded Project
Bahamas – The Bahamas Technical and Vocational Institute (BTVI) yesterday launched its enhancement project funded by the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) and the government to upgrade its facilities… more
Inefficiency at best, incompetence at worst
Jamaica – Dear Editor, I write in my capacity as director of Health Plus Associates. We are a multidisciplinary medical centre located in the Boulevard Supercentre… more
itelbpo nears completion of specialised AI platform
Jamaica – Jamaican homegrown Business Process Outsourcing (BPO), itelbpo, is nearing completion of its implementation of specialised artificial intelligence (AI) platform, Observe AI, to transform learning and development across the global organisation… more
Jamaican technology firm enters US market
Jamaica – Jamaican-founded digital transformation firm Ingenuity Technologies Limited says it has entered the US market and secured its first US customers… more
Social media and your staff
Jamaica – A few weeks ago a staff member of a well-known company posted quite a deplorable tweet, with regards to some actions he planned to take… more
Tablets in Schools project hits another big snag
Jamaica – It appears that the Tablets in Schools (TIS) initiative has hit another hurdle, as reports are now emerging that e-Learning Jamaica has terminated its contract with GeoTechVision, a contractor that was selected to provide the equipment in educational institutions across the country… more
We are not cutting out BPO jobs – Gloria Henry
Jamaica – President of the Business Process Industry Association of Jamaica (BPIAJ) Gloria Henry has said that despite all the talk of the 4th Industrial Revolution and the changing nature of work, the Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) sector for many years to come will continue to be a viable entity. This will be ensured by retooling and preparing segments of the sector to upscale… more
Thursday, 24 October 2019
UB Agrees Deal For Digital Survey
Bahamas – A CONTRACT was signed yesterday by a government official and the University of the Bahamas to allow UB to conduct a survey to gather information that the government will use to measure the progress and success of digitisation in the public service… more
#BTEditorial – High internet prices limit access and retard growth
Barbados – We again find ourselves compelled to address yet another aspect of the high cost of doing business in Barbados that is retarding needed efforts to revitalise a long-ailing domestic economy through home-grown investment… more
Digital cash on the horizon
Barbados – Local officials believe digital currencies will replace hard cash in the future, insisting that it will create an opportunity for more people to have access to financial systems and services… more
Innovation is key
Barbados – Policymakers in Barbados are being called on to urgently attend to outstanding issues impacting on the ease of doing business here in order to attract more investment and to grow the international business sector… more
Thieves burning cable for copper
Barbados – Cable thieves are back on the prowl, and Barbadians are being urged to report any suspicious activity to the Royal Barbados Police Force (RBPF)… more
Digital markets, funding and payment services in British Virgin Islands
British Virgin Islands – i Crowdfunding The recent amendments to the FMSA appear designed to cover crowdfunding, and a Class F licence under FMSA would be required to the extent that the activity constitutes P2P, P2B or B2B lending or finance… more
Can GTT explain?
Guyana – Dear Editor, About three weeks ago I received a phone call from a relative in the US… more
How Mobile Money Is Increasing Financial Stability
Haiti – According to a 2014 survey of Latin American countries, 80 percent of Haitians don’t have a bank account… more
GeoTech Vision, E-Learning Jamaica In Dispute Over Tablets In Schools Project
Jamaica – Officials at of information technology company GeoTech Vision are livid as it stands to lose some $30 million dollars as a result of the state-owned e-Learning Jamaica Company Limited terminating its contract to supply devices under the Tablets in Schools Project… more
Not true
Jamaica – GeoTech Vision Enterprises has rejected a claim that the devices it has produced, under a US$16-million deal for the Tablets in Schools project, do not meet the contract requirement, and that this is the basis on which the company’s services are being terminated… more
Flow Head Office Temporarily Closed — Employees Health and Safety is Company’s First Priority
Saint Lucia – FLOW Saint Lucia confirms that its Head Office located at Corinth was closed on Friday, October 18th due to air quality concerns… more
Friday, 25 October 2019
Businesses may shift to digital following Dorian
Bahamas – Catastrophic events like Hurricane Dorian may cause some small business owners to reformat their business models to be more digital-based, Bahamas Chamber of Commerce and Employers Confederation (BCCEC) CEO Jeffrey Beckles asserted… more
Telecom Tax Matters Still Piled High
Belize – We also asked the Financial Secretary about the pending matter with a sales tax department audit which alleges that BTL failed to pay 25 million dollars in sales tax… more
Innovative Business Lab to be established in BVI by 2020
British Virgin Islands – Government will be establishing an Innovative Business Lab in the British Virgin Islands next year… more
Arium Health announces agenda of the 1st Latin American Digital Health Congress
Dominican Republic – This event will have experts and health and technology authorities that will analyze the challenges of the sector to promote a digital transformation in health… more
SEBI students touted to be practical leaders–GTT CEO
Guyana – Chief Executive Officer at GTT, Justin Nedd, has encouraged students of the School of Entrepreneurship and Business Innovation (SEBI) to exercise practical leadership styles as they prepare for the world of business… more
BPO Job Boom – $3.5b Portmore Investment To Generate Work For 4,500
Jamaica – A J$3.5-billion business process outsourcing (BPO) development funded by local investor Gordon Tewani is expected to grow the fastest-emerging sector by more than 12 per cent and provide 4,500 new jobs… more
GeoTechVision requests PM’s intervention in Tablet in Schools contract dispute
Jamaica – Local ICT company, GeoTechVision, has written to Prime Minister Andrew Holness requesting his intervention following the decision by e-Learning Jamaica to terminate the contract to provide tablet computers under the tablets in schools programme… more
Telecoms players encouraged to expand Internet reach
Jamaica – MINISTER of Science, Energy and Technology Fayval Williams has called on players in the telecommunications industry to expand their Internet reach so that services can be readily accessed by more Jamaicans in the rural area… more
Southern Caribbean Fiber Wins Multi-Million Dollar Contract to Connect Montserrat By Summer 2020
Montserrat – The Government of Montserrat through the Capital Investment Programme for Resilient Economic Growth (CIPREG) today signed a landmark multi-million-dollar deal with Southern Caribbean Fiber (SCF), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Digicel Group, for the installation of a new subsea fibre optic cable system… more
UWI And FLOW Launch Partnership
Regional – Vice-Chancellor of The University of the West Indies (The UWI), Professor Sir Hilary Beckles and Country Manager (Barbados), Flow, Jenson Sylvester have signed an agreement, formally launching the partnership which has led to UWItv being accessible on Flow channels across the Caribbean… more
Saturday, 26 October 2019
Bahamas’ central bank to experiment with CBDCs on Abaco islands
Bahamas – At Counsellors Limited’s Exuma Business Outlook event on October 25, Governor of the Central Bank of The Bahamas, John Rolle, announced that it would be considering early experimentation with Project Sand Dollar, the Bahamas’ CBDC project, in the Abaco islands… more
Bahamas to Release Fiat Digital Currency to Counter Cash
Bahamas – The Central Bank of the Bahamas (CBOB) is planning to release its own fiat digital currency in order to ensure economies’ resilience in the event of a natural disaster… more
Flow introduces new digital facility
Barbados – Flow, Barbados leading telecommunications provider, in keeping with its commitment to providing improved customer experience has introduced a new way for customers to schedule installations for its new fixed service bundles… more
GPL submarine cable back in operation
Guyana – The Guyana Power and Light Incorporated (GPL) on Saturday announced that its 69,000 volt (69kV) submarine cable is back in operation following the successful completion of remedial works… more
Sunday, 27 October 2019
YOUTH WARNED TO BE CYBER SMART
Barbados – Students of the Combermere School recently were brought up to scratch on how they could be cyber smart, by engaging in strategic practices to ensure that they remain safe, while using the Internet… more
E-commerce gurus take stage at CONNECTECOMM 2019
Jamaica – CoolMarket, Jamaica’s largest and most trusted digital marketplace, hosted CONNECTECOMM 2019, the premier ecommerce conference in Jamaica, last Wednesday… more
FLOW SMARTPHONE PROBLEM
Jamaica – Dear Claudienne, On September 3, 2018, I purchased a smartphone from a FLOW dealer in Red Hills Mall on Red Hills Road… more
The social media challenge
Trinidad and Tobago – As in much of the rest of the world, the experience and opportunities of social media have captivated the widening population of users here… more
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