A roundup of the latest ICT/technology news from across the Caribbean region for the period Monday 27 January to Sunday 2 February 2020.
Monday, 27 January 2020
Bahamas In Fintech ‘First For Caribbean’
Bahamas – Corporate loan rejection rates in The Bahamas are double those in other Caribbean countries, it has been revealed, resulting in financial technology (Fintech) being deployed to boost capital access… more
Better Hope NDC initiates ICT, literacy and other programmes for residents
Guyana – The Better Hope Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) is playing a significant role in fostering educational development in its community… more
Jamaica soon to debate Data Protection Bill in Parliament
Jamaica – Science, Energy and Technology Minister, Hon. Fayval Williams, says the Data Protection Bill, now before a Joint Select Committee of Parliament, is expected to go before the House shortly… more
St Kitts & Nevis Virtual Assets Bill to facilitate cashless society
Saint Kitts and Nevis – St Kitts and Nevis has passed a Virtual Assets Bill which, according to Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Dr Timothy Harris, will allow the Federation to play a more responsible role in the global marketplace… more
Tuesday, 28 January 2020
BTC extends voluntary separation program into 2020
Bahamas – The Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) has extended its voluntary separation program (VSEP) into 2020, continuing to work toward streamlining the company and aligning it for the rapidly changing telecoms industry, the company stated in a press statement sent to Guardian Business… more
RAFAEL to provide cyber defense for Dominican Republic Central Bank
Dominican Republic – RAFAEL to provide cyber defense for Dominican Republic Central Bank… more
Advanced technology kits presented to 14 primary schools – aimed at boosting digital learning
Guyana – Hundreds of Region 6, East Berbice-Corentyne, students now have access to digital learning programmes… more
Digicel blames gov’t for “dark ages” telecoms sector, as GTT celebrates 29 years
Guyana – A day after the Minister of Public Telecommunications, Cathy Hughes, boasted of improved Internet access, Digicel Guyana used results of a petition to lampoon the administration for foot-dragging on liberalising the telecoms sector to coincide with the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company’s (GTT) 29-year-old monopoly… more
Usain Bolt Foundation Donates Computers To Schools In Trelawny
Jamaica – Usain St.Leo Bolt is widely known for his sprinting abilities and his savvy business practices. However, Jamaica’s most decorated athlete also likes to sport his massive philanthropic hat, and that’s exactly what he did yesterday… more
Government to combat cyber crime
Saint Lucia – Minister for Education, Hon. Dr. Gale Rigobert, met recently with heads of security, and telecommunications providers and regulators, to discuss to country’s response to cybercrime… more
Wednesday, 29 January 2020
Flow moving flagship store to Romasco Plaza
British Virgin Islands – Effective Friday, January 31, telecommunications provider, Flow, will no longer occupy its current location on Flemming Street in Road Town, Tortola… more
Mobile emergency response app in works
Cayman Islands – Work is continuing on the creation of a mobile notification app to assist in sending out critical information to the public in times of emergencies… more
Digicel supports Guyana #LiberalisationNOW petition
Guyana – According to a press release from Digicel, the people of Guyana are tired of poor, unreliable broadband services and remote communities not being able to realise the dream of modern communications in their homes and are fed up of limited choice and not having the benefits of true competition… more
Digital learning now available to Region Six schools
Guyana – Hundreds of students from 14 primary schools in East Berbice Corentyne (Region Six) now have access to digital learning. The digital learning initiative is part of the ‘ProFuturo’ project, funded by the Organization of American States (OAS)… more
E-Networks lands fibre optic cable
Guyana – There is a major development now for Guyana with news yesterday that cable television operator, E-Networks, has landed its own submarine fibre optic cable… more
E-Networks’ West Dem. branch robbed by ‘customers’
Guyana – Three young women are left traumatized after two gun-toting bandits who posed as customers stormed their place of employment on Tuesday in broad daylight and made good their escape with cash and cellphones… more
Digicel Financial Services Waiving Transfers Fees and Giving Free Minutes to Jamaica
Jamaica – On January 28, a magnitude 7.7 earthquake 80 miles from Jamaica and its aftershocks shook our beloved island… more
Digital content being developed to train JCF members remotely
Jamaica – COMMISSIONER of Police Major General Antony Anderson says digital content is being developed to enable members of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) to train remotely… more
Taxi operators to go cashless with new Zypps platform
Jamaica – Jamaicans will soon begin to see a significant change in taxi services, primarily in the way rides are scheduled and paid for by passengers and taxi operators… more
Tech minister urges companies to digitise paper files
Jamaica – Minister of Energy, Science and Technology Fayval Williams is encouraging companies to digitise their paper files ahead of the data protection Bill, which is expected to be brought to Parliament within the next month… more
Thursday, 30 January 2020
PM turns down US$40 million deal with Huawei to appease US
Antigua and Barbuda – Prime Minster Gaston Browne is suggesting that “out of an abundance of caution” – and in deference to ongoing tensions between the US and China – that he has passed on a deal with Chinese multinational technology giant Huawei… more
FUTURE OF Cayman Islands Telecommunications MARKET: TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCEMENTS, EVOLVING INDUSTRY TRENDS AND INSIGHTS 2020– 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
HAITI TELECOMMUNICATIONS MARKET REVENUE STATUS AND OUTLOOK (2020-2025)
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
Flow/UTS appoints a country manager
Regional – Experienced telecoms executive Danny Macaya has been appointed to the position of Country Manager for the Dutch Caribbean and will now lead the integration of Flow and United Telecommunication Services (UTS) in Curaçao, Bonaire, Dutch St. Maarten, French St. Martin, St. Barths, St. Eustatius and Saba… more
E-Government and the private sector a Chamber encounter
Saint Lucia – The St. Lucia Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture announces the first Encounter in its 2020 Chamber Encounter Series… more
Invest Saint Lucia and Itelbpo Smart Solutions sign MOU
Saint Lucia – Itelbpo Smart Solutions was founded in 2012 in Jamaica. Nearly eight years later, it is now a global business, and the region’s largest home-grown business process outsourcer… more
AMCHAM T&T: Tech will turn economy around
Trinidad and Tobago – Can Trinidad and Tobago become a technology hub? … more
Friday, 31 January 2020
Persistence pays off . . . Digicel Shake to Win contest winner announced
Barbados – A young mother is now $10,000 richer after winning Digicel’s inaugural Shake to Win competition… more
STUDENTS RECEIVE TABLETS
Barbados – Students from three St. Joseph Primary school received a much needed assistance to their educational development on Wednesday, after these class 3 pupils were given tablets for their personal use… more
TECHNOLOGY PUSH
Barbados – The Aron & Christina Foundation Tablet Project continues to grow from strength to strength thanks to generous donors like Ryan and Ursula Pannell… more
Wise up to online dangers . . . Making Caribbean children cyber safe
Barbados – A regional initiative aimed at helping Caribbean children navigate cyberspace safely was recently launched in two islands… more
Finance Minister given tour of E-Networks subsea station
Guyana – E-Networks on Wednesday granted Minister of Finance Winston Jordan, a tour of its subsea station, even as questions remain unanswered regarding what laws governed the granting of the permit for the project and the National Telecommunications Agency (NATA) continues to dodge answering… more
Sale of Govt. 20% shares in GTT… High Court orders seizure of US$3.2M from GTT bank account
Guyana – Under the guidance of the PPP regime, the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL) sold the State’s 20 percent holdings in the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph (GTT) to Hong Kong Golden Telecom Limited (HKGT) in April 2012… more
Online Access To Stock Market Growing – But Is It Growing The Market?
Jamaica – The number of accounts hosted at the Jamaica Central Securities Depository, JCSD, for stock market investors jumped by more than 48,000 or 30 per cent, largely driven by new market entrants… more
RJRGLEANER Honour Awards 2019 | An Ordinary Man Doing Extraordinary Things
Jamaica – Many have titled him as a fast-rising businessman with multiple awards in Jamaica’s Business Process Outsourcing (BPO), but Johann ‘Yoni’ Epstein, the founder of itel-BPO Solutions, just wants to be remembered as an ordinary man who can ‘roll’ with any level of the cultural classes… more
New technologies bring governments closer to the people
Regional – Roughly one third of Caribbean small island developing States (SIDS) and territories can be described as multi-island jurisdictions, most of which encounter challenges which are less severe in single-island Caribbean countries… more
Itelbpo Smart Solutions begins operations in St. Lucia
Saint Lucia – St. Lucia has become the fifth location for Jamaican business process outsourcing company, Itelbpo Smart Solutions… more
UK funds Digital Media workshops for Media Professionals in St Kitts and Nevis
Saint Kitts and Nevis – ‘Change Your Story’ That was the theme for a comprehensive Digital Media Training workshop for media personnel in St Kitts and Nevis… more
Public Wi-Fi, LED lights for PoS
Trinidad and Tobago – The capital city is well on its way to becoming a “smart city”, with the recent launch of WI-FI connectivity and the retrofitting of LED light… more
Saturday, 1 February 2020
Deltec Bank, Bahamas says – Banks are moving from talking about Blockchain to deploying it
Bahamas – Deltec Bank, Bahamas ‘The ability to improve trust and transparency of transactions whilst reducing costs is very appealing to retail banks and others are starting to join the bandwagon… more
2020 FUTURE OF DOMINICA TELECOMMUNICATIONS MARKET-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
GTT has to pay its fair share of outstanding taxes – GRA Boss
Guyana – Commissioner-General of the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA), Godfrey Statia, is insisting that the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GTT) has to pay its fair share of taxes which are outstanding since 1991… more
GTT pays money to Court Registry
Guyana – Kaieteur News published yesterday, an article with the headline, “Sale of Govt. 20% shares in GTT… High Court orders seizure of US$3.2M from GTT bank account… more
Sunday, 2 February 2020
Despite enjoying decades of massive profits… GTT’s parent company now complains about potential loss of revenues ahead of telecoms liberalisation
Guyana – Over the years, Kaieteur News has exposed the modus operandi of foreign companies—their Executives enter these shores and cut deals, which allow them to walk away with the lion’s share of the nation’s resources. This trend often contributes to the underdevelopment of country’s industries.. more
GTT’s BLAZE customers to get rebate if service sucks
Guyana – The Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company Limited (GTT) has committed to a new and improved level of service delivery to its Blaze residential customers within a clearly defined customer service promise, says the telephone company… more
Sale of Govt.’s 20% shares … NICIL to draw down US$7.5M more from GTT
Guyana – On March 15, 2019, Justice Franklin Holder issued a judgment against Hong Kong Golden Telecom Limited (HKGT) to pay up US$10.7 with interest at the rate of 12% until paid, as a result of HKGT’s failure to pay moneys that were owed for the purchase of the State’s 20 percent shares in the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph (GTT)… more
Image credits: Free-Photos (Pixabay); The Eleutheran; Brands of the World; Wikipedia; Wikipedia; Guyana Chronicle
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