A roundup of the latest ICT/technology news from across the Caribbean region for the period Monday 25 January to Sunday 31 January 2021.
Monday, 25 January 2021
Antigua and Barbuda releases a “tourist friendly app” for travelers
Antigua and Barbuda – Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority have revealed a new interactive tourist app that will allow guests to travel the island in a safe and culturally distanced way… more
BTC claims North Eleuthera service blackouts due to equipment sabotage
Bahamas – Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) alleged on Friday that service blackouts in North Eleuthera were due to equipment sabotage on property where the company is experiencing “challenges” over use of the land… more
BTC ‘Entertaining’ Offers For JFK HQ
Bahamas – The Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) is “entertaining offers” to lease or acquire its iconic JFK Drive headquarters as it reexamines its real estate portfolio following COVID-19’s impact… more
BTC Hit By Sabotage In North Eleuthera
Bahamas – The Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) has blamed sabotage for causing its mobile and fixed-line subscribers in North Eleuthera to lose communications services for two days last week… more
96 Tablets Stolen from Sadie Vernon High School
Belize – Thieves targeted another school in the Saint Martin De Porres area. Last Friday morning, the criminals broke into Sadie Vernon High School and stole ninety-six tablets… more
e-Governance is the Way to Go!
Belize – Going digital is the new direction that the Government of Belize plans on taking. It is expected that this administration will introduce significant changes during their five-year mandate… more
Making the Change to e-Governance
Belize – As for CITO, government’s Central Information Technology Office, it will be the digital hub for delivering those internet-based services… more
Community Center initiative part of Government’s overall digital initiative
Saint Kitts and Nevis – THE joint project between The Cable St. Kitts and the Government to provide 16 Community Centers around the island with free Wi-Fi is part of a larger initiative to ensure easy access to internet service and moving the island into a digital space… more
The Cable partners with government to provide FREE WiFi to Community Centers in St Kitts
Saint Kitts and Nevis – The Cable stepped up its corporate citizenship several notches with the roll out of Free WiFi at the St. Johnston Community Center on Friday 22 January… more
A case of in-person vs online classes
Trinidad and Tobago – AS a Form 5 pupil writing CSEC examinations this year, I’ve been following the recent news surrounding the issue of reopening schools… more
Haynes: Come clean with TT on virtual learning
Trinidad and Tobago – Opposition MP for Tabaquite Anita Haynes has called on Education Minister Dr Nyan Gadsby-Dolly to come clean with TT and give accurate data about virtual learning in the country… more
Tuesday, 26 January 2021
BTC’s Great Pains’ To Protect Pension Fund
Bahamas – The Bahamas Telecommunications Company’s (BTC) chief executive has pledged it “went to great pains” to ensure its latest voluntary retirement offer does not further strain an already-troubled pension fund… more
Wednesday, 27 January 2021
ICT execs boost investment prospects
Barbados – Barbados is an attractive jurisdiction of choice for investment in information and communication technology (ICT), an online forum was told on Tuesday… more
Enterprise: Disruptive technology enablers
Jamaica – THIS week we begin discussing the components of the final pillar on our digital transformation road map — technology and capabilities… more
HubSpot partners with TechBeach
Jamaica – GLOBAL software giant HubSpot is partnering with TechBeach Jamaica to provide Caribbean start-ups with the opportunity to tap into invaluable content and masterclasses from a worldclass go-to-market platform… more
ibex Opens Fifth Jamaican Site in Portmore Adding 1,200 Production Seats
Jamaica – ibex (NASDAQ:IBEX), a leading global provider of advanced outsourced CX solutions, has opened a new site in Portmore, Jamaica. The new, standalone building is located in the Gtech office park and is the second site for ibex in Portmore… more
tTech urges small businesses to get ready for the new data protection laws
Jamaica – Managed IT services provider tTech Limited is urging small businesses to prioritise data protection and IT compliance for their operations as quickly as possible, in preparation for the soon-to-be enacted Data Protection Act… more
Wayde Marr — tech educator
Jamaica – The stepped-up embrace of technology owes much to several Jamaicans’ pioneering work in encouraging and forging partnerships across the entire industry at home and across the region… more
itelBPO expanding operations in St Lucia
Saint Lucia – One of Jamaica’s leading business process outsourcing (BPO) companies itelBPO Smart Solutions is currently in expansion and growth mode amid uncertainties caused by the novel coronavirus pandemic… more
bmobile and RAMPS Logistics Collaborate to help Bridge the Digital Gap
Trinidad and Tobago – Continuing in the same capacity as several digital device distributions in 2020, bmobile partnered with one of its valued clients, RAMPS Logistics, to help bridge the digital gap for students in T&T who will now benefit from devices and connectivity for their online classes… more
Thursday, 28 January 2021
The Dominican Republic will create a “technological border” with Haiti
Dominican Republic – According to Dominican Foreign Minister Roberto Alvarez, an Israeli company is working on a pilot project to establish a sort of “technological perimeter” on the border between the Dominican Republic and Haiti… more
$3.4M West Watooka Community Centre/ ICT Hub abandoned
Guyana – It has been revealed by the Minister of Labour, Joseph Hamilton, that the $3.4 million West Watooka Pavillion/Community Centre and Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Hub located in Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice) has been left abandoned despite money already being injected into the project… more
Education Minister welcomes opening of STEAM Lab at JC
Jamaica – Minister of Education, Youth and Information Fayval Williams has welcomed the launch of the Dr Joseph Tait STEAM Infusion project at Jamaica College… more
Lack of digital skills among workforce concerns of HR expert
Jamaica – At least one stakeholder in the island’s human resource sector is concerned that the lack of adequate digital literacy in the workforce will result in persons being left behind as the COVID-19 pandemic prolongs… more
Phased rollout of digital switchover
Jamaica – Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Fayval Williams, says the country will be embarking on a phased rollout of digital broadcasting technology, with initial focus on the main urban centres, beginning in January 2022… more
Building a soca party in pixels
Trinidad and Tobago – Shawn De Frietas, co-founder and CEO of Dingole answered questions posed by Mark Lyndersay about the production of the virtual worlds of Antillea… more
Caesar’s Army hosts a digital bashment
Trinidad and Tobago – The team at Caesar’s Army might not have intended it, but the surreal transition from the tidy beige office on Gallus Street in Woodbrook into the rendered world of Antillea was everything that a sci-fi buff might have hoped for… more
Friday, 29 January 2021
Online teaching to continue
Barbados – Over the next two weeks, online teaching will continue across Barbados’ primary and secondary school system… more
Enterprise Cayman offering internships
Cayman Islands – Enterprise Cayman has opened applications for its internship programme, which offers students and recent graduates the opportunity to intern with global businesses established within Cayman Enterprise City’s special economic zones… more
Bruce Bowen prepping Rock Mobile for market entry
Jamaica – A new telecommunications outfit owned by the former head of Scotiabank Jamaica, Bruce Bowen, and his wife Suzanne Fernando-Bowen, is finalising plans to enter the Jamaican market, though the full scope of the business is yet to be disclosed… more
Jamaica Public Service reports benefits from smart grid technology
Jamaica – Jamaica Public Service reports improvements in power reliability as well as streetlighting energy efficiency… more
Riding the tech wave
Jamaica – Prime Minister Andrew Holness’ tech dream is for Jamaica to become the Silicon Valley of the Caribbean, and sees the pandemic-induced movement towards life and business online as an opportunity for small businesses to innovate… more
‘Rock Mobile’ preparing to enter Jamaica mobile market
Jamaica – A new mobile operator called Rock Mobile is preparing to challenge the existing Digicel-Flow duopoly in Jamaica, reports the Jamaica Gleaner… more
Keep healthy through technology
Regional – Even before COVID lockdowns, apps and devices that track steps, monitor heart rates and assist with relaxation techniques were big sellers in the market… more
TelEm Group Fiber teams working in Cul-de-Sac, Cay Hill areas Sunday
Sint Maarten – TelEm Group’s team of Outside Plant technicians and contractors will be carrying out Fiber maintenance works in the Cul de Sac and Cay Hill areas during the morning hours Sunday, January 31, with some interruptions in telecommunication services in these expected… more
Caribbean film, TV streaming service begins February
Trinidad and Tobago – ON February 21 the very first Caribbean film and television streaming service, Filmco2Go, will go live… more
Caribbean streaming service launched for regional films
Trinidad and Tobago – Caribbean films and television shows will now be accessible to the world through a new Caribbean streaming platform, FILMCO2Go… more
Digicel keeps Carnival spirit roaming through campaign
Trinidad and Tobago – WITH Digicel, Carnival lives on. The digital operator is ensuring that this happens with its 2021 campaign of the same name… more
Saturday, 30 January 2021
Using technology to our advantage in a pandemic
Trinidad and Tobago – The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, has perhaps made life more challenging for many of us from athletes to officials, those in the business world to the average man and lady in the street, not to mention students in schools… more
Sunday, 31 January 2021
Actor Sheryl Lee Ralph donates 15 tablets to Manchester school
Jamaica – Legendary Jamaican actress, singer, producer and activist Sheryl Lee Ralph along with WALKGOODLA donated 15 tablets to the Chantilly Primary School in Manchester last Wednesday… more
Huawei not marketing 5G in Jamaica
Jamaica – International technology company Huawei is clearing the air regarding its Fifth Generation (5G) mobile technology pursuits in Jamaica… more
Problem with Flow solved
Jamaica – Dear Claudienne: My company is having a problem with the Flow/C&W Business Unit… more
Wi-Fi prep excites Falmouth Mayor
Jamaica – Mayor of Falmouth, Councillor C Junior Gager, is elated over advanced preparation by the Government to roll out free secured Wi-Fi hot spots to cover sections of the town of Falmouth, including in the historic Water Square where a statue of iconic sprinter Usain Bolt is to be mounted soon… more
PwC survey finds high level of ambition for digital transformation in Caribbean
Regional – Caribbean businesses have set bold ambitions for digitisation, but PricewaterhouseCoopers’ (PwC) Caribbean Digital Readiness Survey 2021 reveals a wide gap between organisations out in front and those struggling to make headway… more
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