A roundup of the latest ICT/technology news from across the Caribbean region for the period Monday 9 December to Sunday 15 December 2019.
Monday, 9 December 2019
Cable Bahamas ordered to pay up over channel changes
Bahamas – The Utilities Regulation and Competition Authority (URCA) has ordered Cable Bahamas to pay a fine and compensate customers after it replaced eight channels in its line-up without proper notice to subscribers… more
GTT paper bills
Guyana – Dear Editor, A Notice to Landline customers in Sunday’s newspapers from GTT stated that detailed landline paper bills can be received by visiting its retail stores or through the online process… more
Digicel expands LTE service to eastern parishes
Jamaica – Digicel customers in St Mary, St Thomas and Portland now have superfast LTE mobile internet service to do more streaming, uploading and downloading up to 10 times faster than ever before… more
Technology Ministry Pushing Initiatives To Streamline ICT Infrastructure
Jamaica – Minister of Science, Energy and Technology, Hon. Fayval Williams, says the Ministry is currently executing several initiatives, aimed at streamlining the Government’s information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure… more
TSTT introduces fixed wireless 5G
Trinidad and Tobago – bmobile, in partnership with technology giant, Huawei, has brought Trinidad and Tobago one step closer to achieving developed nation status with the launch of the country’s first ever 5G network… more
Tuesday, 10 December 2019
Passport Renewals Can Now Be Done Online
Bahamas – THE Passport Office yesterday launched the first phase of its electronic services allowing for the renewal of adult e-passports to be done online… more
EDITORIAL: PUT SOCIAL MEDIA TO GOOD USE
Barbados – Young business owners were recently encouraged to put social media to good use, to market and promote their products and services… more
Lands and Surveys Commission faces cyber attacks… Police called in
Guyana – The Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission (GLSC) revealed that it has been on the receiving end of many cyber attacks throughout the year… more
Waiting three months for GTT to fix my landline
Guyana – Dear Editor, It is interesting to read in the news that GTT has seen a “ballooning of the demand for internet bandwidth – 500 per cent in two years… more
Digicel Foundation appoints new CEO
Jamaica – Digicel Foundation has wrapped up its 15th Anniversary celebrations and is looking to the New Year and to new leadership… more
Saint Lucia among three CARICOM countries to benefit from e-mobility programme
Regional – Three Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries are to benefit from a new Global Environment Facility (GEF) global e-mobility programme that has been launched at the ongoing United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP25)… more
Regulator fires back at TSTT
Trinidad and Tobago – TENSIONS between the Telecommunications Authority of Trinidad and Tobago (TATT) and the Telecommunications Services of Trinidad and Tobago Ltd (TSTT) heightened last week with TATT countering statements made by TSTT’s chief executive officer over the way it manages its business… more
Wednesday, 11 December 2019
Spatial Innovision donates drone to CDEMA for hurricane response
Bahamas – Given the region’s high vulnerability to natural and technological hazards, the need for smart tools and technologies to support regional preparedness and response for disasters remains a key priority for the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) and its partners… more
Growing interest in sandbox
Barbados – The Financial Services Commission (FSC) is reporting continued interest in its regulatory sandbox… more
BVI Continues Fintech Push With Proposed Digital Currency, BVI~LIFE
British Virgin Islands – The British Virgin Islands is continuing its push into the financial technology (Fintech) space as a means of ensuring that it is not left behind as technology moves forward… more
Major cryptocurrency moves! Gov’t reportedly to develop a national digital currency for BVI
British Virgin Islands – Government has indicated that it has a vested interest in pursuing cryptocurrency in the British Virgin Islands and has reportedly entered into an agreement to develop a digital currency for the territory… more
Future Of Dominica Telecommunications Market 2019-2025: Trends, Outlook and Growth Opportunities of Mobile, Fixed Landline and Broadband Markets
Dominica – The Dominica Telecommunications report – 8th series from OGAnalysis provides a complete view of the Dominica telecom ecosystem along with trends and growth factors shaping the future of the market… more
No sensitive data accessed in Lands and Surveys cyberattacks
Guyana – No sensitive information was accessed during the cyberattacks that targetted the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission (GLSC), Commissioner Trevor Benn said on Monday, while noting that his account was under attack on a daily basis… more
Is Amazon subject to our Data Protection Act?
Jamaica – Coming out of the first round of consultations initiated by the joint select committee appointed by Parliament to review the Data Protection Bill, @Digicel and the @JamaicaComputerSociety raised issues about the limited application of the Bill to local data controllers found in our section 3… more
Technology In Focus | ‘Tis The Season To Be Cyberaware – IT Experts Warn Consumers To Remain Alert For Scammers During Christmas Season
Jamaica – We are just a few weeks away from Christmas, and bustling holiday shopping has already begun. But information technology experts are warning Jamaicans to exercise caution as cybercriminals are also looking for opportunities to scam holiday shoppers… more
Puerto Rico No. 1 in Latin America and the Caribbean in Online Purchases by Smartphones
Puerto Rico – The use of e-commerce has been rapidly expanding across the world and for many consumers, this method is becoming the “standard” for shopping… more
All OECS schools to benefit from improved internet connectivity
Regional – The OECS-UNICEF initiative ‘ProjectConnect’ was successfully launched as part of a workshop held from 26-29 November, 2019 in Antigua and Barbuda… more
Historic cyber workshop for the Caribbean
Regional – The United States Department of State said on Friday that the US and co-host Jamaica have completed an historic three-day cyber capacity-building workshop with participation from 12 countries in the Caribbean and Latin America… more
WiPay eyes junior stock market for 2020
Trinidad and Tobago – At the fourth staging of the Tech Beach Retreat held in Montego Bay at Iberostar Hotel last week WiPay Jamaica, a Trinidad-based e-commerce platform launched earlier this year, announced they are in discussions to have the company listed on the Junior Stock Exchange (JSE) in year 2020… more
Thursday, 12 December 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. It also provides imperatives for gaining market share in highly competitive telecom industry… more
Cybersecurity Speech by Minister J Kwasi Thompson at ID Cybersecurity Conference
Bahamas – It is predicted that 38.6 billion devices will be connected by 2025, and 50 billion by 2030. In 2019, the number of devices connected is more than twice the size of the world population. Let this sink in… more
National cybersecurity plan within next nine months
Bahamas – The Bahamas will have a national strategy plan on cybersecurity within the next nine months, as it prepares to implement a full computer emergency response team (CERT) by early next year… 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. It also provides imperatives for gaining market share in highly competitive telecom industry… more
British Virgin Islands to launch its own digital currency
British Virgin Islands – The British Virgin Islands is rolling out a national digital currency dubbed BVI~LIFE in partnership with blockchain startup LIFElabs… more
It’s official! Gov’t signs agreement with Airbnb for Hotel Accommodation Tax
British Virgin Islands – Government and Airbnb have signed a voluntary collection agreement for Hotel Accommodation Tax on transient occupancy… more
Cayman Islands Telecommunications Market Research, Development, Trends, Industry Analysis, Growth and Forecast 2025
Cayman Islands – The Cayman Islands Telecommunications report – 8th series from OGAnalysis provides a complete view of the Cayman Islands telecom ecosystem along with trends and growth factors shaping the future of the market… more
Dominican Republic gets new broadband choices from start-up
Dominican Republic – Start-up firm CHT Holdings Dominicana is planning to use infrastructure from Dominican electricity firm ETED (Empresa de Transmision Electrica Dominicana) to increase the country’s options for broadband connectivity… more
Haiti Telecommunications Market Industry Size & Share, Development Trends, Demands & Forecast 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
New SportsMax streaming app hits target with schoolboy football season
Jamaica – Oraine Godfrey, SportsMax’s h ead of digital media, thought their schoolboy football SportsMax app was a resounding success with soaring viewership… more
The Caribbean Digital Transformation Programme
Regional – The National Competitiveness and Productivity Council (NCPC) engaged key stakeholders from the education and business sectors, ICT Association, the Employers Federation, government and investment agencies, to discuss the various ways St. Lucia could position itself to benefit from a project dubbed the Caribbean Digital Transformation, Digital Skills and Entrepreneurship Programme… more
About that new 5G network…
Trinidad and Tobago – GIVE Hassel Bacchus his jacket. The TSTT chief technical officer doesn’t waste words… more
Digicel CEO takes aim at TSTT on 5G launch
Trinidad and Tobago – DigicelTT is coming out swinging against rival TSTT and its claim of having the capacity to upgrade to 5G technology… more
Friday, 13 December 2019
Customs dept. stands by Click2Clear despite criticism
Bahamas – The Department of Customs yesterday stood by its newly implemented Click2Clear Bahamas Electronic Single Window System (BESW), insisting that the issues certain businesses had with the new platform have less to do with an error of the customs department and more to do with how those businesses use the interfacing system… more
Broadcasting authority finds rise in infractions
Guyana – Despite its continued engagements with broadcasters, the Guyana National Broadcasting Authority (GNBA) has reported an overall increase in infractions, including the broadcast of graphic videos, unbalanced political commentaries and lewd music… more
Gov’t adding 17 closed circuit security cameras to key locations
Guyana – Government is boosting the Close Circuit Television (CCTV) high technology security camera system to support crime prevention efforts by the Joint Services by adding 17 camera locations including more in the highly congested Stabroek Market area, at the Berbice River Bridge and the Lusignan Prisons on the lower East Coast among other areas… more
STARR Computer introduces AI software to assist in combating crime
Guyana – Starr Computer in collaboration with Digifort Inc yesterday held an event at its Brickdam location, on Surveillance Video Analytics, with the aim of using Artificial Intelligence (AI) to assist in combating crime in Guyana… more
STARR partners with US firm to provide modern security technology options
Guyana – Recognising that the advent of the oil and gas sector will pose new security challenges, STARR Computers is partnering with a US-based software development company, DIGIFORT, to offer access to modern surveillance technology… more
International Summit of Digital Women
Haiti – The Montana Hotel (Port-au-Prince) welcomes this Friday, December 13, the 3rd Edition of the International Women’s Digital Summit (SIFNU), the largest technological event ever held in Haiti, which brings together speakers from Europe, Latin America, Africa and the Caribbean in the presence of women passionate about technology… more
Avaya and C&W Business showcase at Tech Beach
Jamaica – Avaya Holdings Corp (AVYA) showcased its cutting-edge Internet of Things (IoT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) communications technologies at the recent Tech Beach Retreat in Montego Bay last weekend. The company partnered with C&W Business to make the innovation available at the event… more
Fiber is best, says Digicel
Trinidad and Tobago – “I was disappointed with the product I saw launched,” DigicelTT’s CEO Jabbor Kayumov said… more
Saturday, 14 December 2019
5G is here
Trinidad and Tobago – bmobile, in partnership with technology giant Huawei, has brought Trinidad and Tobago one step closer to achieving developed nation status with the launch of the country’s first-ever 5G network… more
TSTT makes a turnaround
Trinidad and Tobago – After sending home over 500 employees last year in a restructuring exercise, TSTT has returned to growth and it’s CEO Dr Ronald Walcott says the company is profitable once again… more
Sunday, 15 December 2019
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Image credits: Free Photos (Pixabay); Wikipedia; Wikipedia; Wikipedia; Wikipedia; Wikipedia
