A roundup of the latest ICT/technology news from across the Caribbean region for the period Monday 11 January to Sunday 17 January 2021.
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Monday, 11 January 2021
Barbados hopes digital ID card rollout helps COVID-19 contact tracing, Belgium restarts issuance
Barbados – The Prime Minister of Barbados, Mia Mottley, has said she believes fast-tracking the introduction of a new multipurpose digital ID card could help the country in its strategy against the spread of the coronavirus pandemic… more
REGULATE SOCIAL MEDIA, URGES TECH EXPERT
Barbados – TECHNOLOGY expert Melissa Williams believes that with the increase in COVID-19 cases in Barbados, social media is going to be flooded with all kinds of reports, some of them untruths surrounding the virus in the country… more
Software architect Shannon Clarke cautions WhatsApp users
Regional – Software architect and Director at Webstart Studios, Shannon Clarke believes people who use WhatsApp have more than enough cause for concern as it relates to the impending new policy… more
UWI to host first virtual graduation
Trinidad and Tobago – UWI will host its first ever virtual graduation as a result of the covid19 pandemic… more
Tuesday, 12 January 2021
Chamber’s Digital Transformation Committee to release digital economy position paper today
Bahamas – The Bahamas Chamber of Commerce and Employers’ Confederation’s (BCCEC) Digital Transformation Committee will release its position statement for the country’s digital economy today… more
Bajan and Cayman company join hands for digital currency deal
Barbados – RF Holdings Limited, parent company to a group of investment banks in The Bahamas, Barbados, and The Cayman Islands, has entered into a partnership with Barbadian financial technology company, Bitt, to facilitate the acceptance of digital currency transactions across its Caribbean network… more
How TechBeach Retreat Is Building the Most Powerful Technology Ecosystem?
Regional – With almost every vertical market being transformed by digital technologies, the nature of businesses is changing. With the swift and rampant adoption of automation and technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT), the world is a dynamic and thriving startup ecosystem. According to Bloomberg Businessweek, in the years 2016 – 2019, the Jamaican Stock market has produced the best returns on the planet for its investors… more
Plans For Digital Transformation
Saint Kitts and Nevis – The government has begun taking steps towards the digital transformation of its systems with the buildout of an IT strategy… more
Digicel+ in growth mode
Trinidad and Tobago – DIGICEL Play, which is now Digicel+, has reached 100,000 customers in Trinidad and Tobago in just five years and it is meeting its profit target year on year… more
Flow opens South centre
Trinidad and Tobago – Internet access is no longer a luxury or an idle pursuit to follow mediocre social media content,” says Kurleigh Prescod, country manager, Flow Trinidad… more
TSTT brings ‘cloud’ home
Trinidad and Tobago – MAJORITY State-owned TSTT’s data centre is located in a deliberately nondescript building just behind the PriceSmart in Mausica… more
Wednesday, 13 January 2021
Cable Names New Addition To Board
Bahamas – Cable Bahamas has named attorney Marylee L. Braynen-Symonette to its Board of Directors after a more than 20-year career in the Bahamian legal profession… more
Digital To Become ‘Dominant Part’ Of RF Group’s Plans
Bahamas – A Bahamian-headquartered investment bank’s top executive yesterday predicted digital assets will eventually become “a dominant part of our business” as it unveiled its tie-up with a technology provider… more
Huawei donates electronic tablets to Disability Organisation
Guyana – The Guyana Council of Organisations for Persons with Disabilities (GCOPD) has received a donation of 15 electronic tablets from Huawei Technologies Ltd… more
Huawei preparing to broaden footprint in Jamaica
Jamaica – THE Chinese technology giant Huawei is preparing to broaden its footprint locally despite pressure on the Jamaican Government from the United States to reduce the influence of the company in the country’s telecommunications infrastructure… more
Huawei contributing significantly to Jamaica’s economy Latin America getting its fair share
Jamaica – GLOBAL technology company Huawei is highlighting its significant contribution to the Jamaican economy in the wake of persistent criticism by outgoing American Ambassador to Jamaica Donald Tapia… more
Sheldon Powe — POWERHOUSE
Jamaica – SHELDON Powe is driven by the realisation that efforts to convert thousands of rolling fields into high-quality food crops to feed our national appetites could be compared to the urgent requirement to transform our national landscape into a technology oasis… more
Small businesses to benefit from virtual entrepreneurship expo
Jamaica – Small and micro operators are set to receive advice and guidance on best practices to grow and strengthen their businesses this year through a virtual entrepreneurship expo to take place later this month… more
SMEs get fully digital with all-in-one Digicel Business Hub tech
Jamaica – The result of an extensive Digicel Business market research has shown that now, more than ever before, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are looking for ways to integrate more digital technology into their business as they continue to adjust to new ways of remaining competitive… more
Data protection in an era of global change
Regional – As we enter 2021, the preceding 365 days has without a doubt forced may organisations all around the world to shift the way they do business and, in most instances, accelerated digital adoption… more
Enterprise: Digital change management approaches
Regional – One of the most challenging and complex undertakings that any organisation must pursue as part of its digital transformation journey is change management… more
Minister Cox presents on Digital Transformation at XII Ministerial Forum for Development in Latin America and the Caribbean
Trinidad and Tobago – Minister of Social Development and Family Services, Senator the Honourable Donna Cox, presented on Day 2 of the XII Virtual Ministerial Forum for Development in Latin America and the Caribbean, which is jointly being hosted by the UNDP, ECLAC and the Government of Colombia over the period January 12th-14th, 2021… more
Thursday, 14 January 2021
Data, Innovation Protection Critical For Digital Economy
Bahamas – Enhanced data and intellectual property rights protection will be “critical” to expanding The Bahamas’ digital economy, a senior Chamber of Commerce executive advocated yesterday… more
Guyana’s oil revenue potential for telecom infrastructure upgrades
Guyana – The only English-speaking nation in South America, Guyana has a small population which traditionally had one of the lowest GDP rates in the region. Although GDP growth had been steady in recent years, the sale of oil from offshore reserves which started in February 2020 promises to completely transform the economy… more
100 Jamaicans to be trained in coding through Amber HEART Academy
Jamaica – One hundred Jamaicans will be trained in coding over the next few months following Thursday’s launch of the country’s first coding academy… more
Amber HEART Academy To Launch Today
Jamaica – The HEART NSTA/Trust and the Amber Group Limited will launch a new school for coding on Thursday (January 14) in response to the growing demand for the skill set among information and communications technology (ICT) professionals… more
Amber HEART Academy to train youth in coding, software development
Jamaica – As the demand for skills in coding and software development continues to grow worldwide, Jamaica is set to prepare thousands of youths to transform the country into a technological hub of the Caribbean, through the Amber HEART Coding Academy… more
Digicel Jamaica Announces New CEO
Jamaica – Digicel Jamaica today announced Jabbor Kayumov as its new head… more
FTC completes assessment of competition in mobile telecommunications market
Jamaica – The Fair Trading Commission (FTC) has completed its assessment of competition in the mobile telecommunication market… more
September Targeted To Commence NIDS Enrolments
Jamaica – Enrolments under the National Identification System (NIDS) are being targeted for commencement within eight months… more
Tech for Youth donates tablets to Westmoreland students
Jamaica – The Westmoreland-based Tech for Youth last month distributed 59 tablets to students across the parish… more
Digicel Trinidad and Tobago hits 100,000 FTTH customers
Trinidad and Tobago – Digicel has reached the milestone of 100,000 fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) customers in Trinidad and Tobago around 5 years after activating the service went live, reports The Trinidad Express, citing the operator’s general manager of home and entertainment Navin Balkissoon. Digicel has invested over USD 300 million to roll out the fibre service, which was rebranded as Digicel+ last November… more
Locals create laptop for school children
Trinidad and Tobago – Trinidad and Tobago has made history, having produced the first Caribbean-branded laptop through the San Fernando-based company, Mobile One Ltd… more
Friday, 15 January 2021
Antigua – Barbuda Tourism Authority partners to develop ‘Explore Antigua’ Mobile App and Tourist Map
Antigua and Barbuda – Hashtag Communications, with the endorsement of the Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority, has announced the release of a new and interactive tourist map through technology… more
Greater use of digital currency expected
Barbados – The use of digital currencies across the Caribbean, including the Barbados-based mMoney, is set to increase in coming months… more
Classroom cameras to be installed to assist with hybrid learning
British Virgin Islands – Cameras in physical classrooms could soon become a new addition in public schools across the territory… more
Both St. Kitts and Nevis to benefit from Government’s digital transformation efforts
Saint Kitts and Nevis – Minister of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), the Honourable Akilah Byron-Nisbett, said that both islands of St. Kitts and Nevis will benefit from the digital transformation efforts of the government because it is a federal undertaking… more
Saturday, 16 January 2021
Flow, CBC TV8 raise the bar
Barbados – Flow Evo customers are now enjoying programming from the Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) in high-definition… more
Biometric data for NIDS database will be encrypted
Jamaica – PROGRAMME director for the National Identification System (NIDS) Warren Vernon says that biometric data for the national identification database will be encrypted to prevent unauthorised access… more
Sunday, 17 January 2021
5,000 laptops for secondary students on PATH arrive
Jamaica – The Ministry of Education, Youth and Information has received the first shipment of 5,000 laptops to be distributed to secondary students in grades 10 to 13, on the Programme of Advancement Through Health and Education (PATH)… more
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