A roundup of the latest ICT/technology news from across the Caribbean region for the period Monday 22 March to Sunday 28 March 2021.
Monday, 22 March 2021
Cabinet approves $1.3 million for digitized registrar general’s office
Bahamas – Cabinet has approved $1.3 million for the digitization of the registrar general’s office, according to Attorney General Carl Bethel, who said the new digital registry would allow The Bahamas to compete with the digital services offered by other countries throughout the region… more
No ‘Worthwhile’ Return: Cable In TV Shake-Up
Bahamas – Cable Bahamas is not earning a “worthwhile” rate of return on its REVTV product, sector regulators have agreed, with subscriber numbers set to further decrease unless its channel line-up is restructured… more
REVTV reports subscription decline as viewers prefer streaming over traditional TV
Bahamas – Cable Bahamas has told its regulator that an increasing number of its subscribers prefer to stream television services to watch content instead of watching the traditional TV services it offers, contributing to a reduction in subscriptions and viewing hours… more
Ready Call employment opportunities continue, IT support technician wanted
Belize – Ready Call center (RCC BPO) continues to offer employment opportunities to Belizeans, with its latest offering being for an Information Technology (IT) Helpdesk Support technician… more
Gov’t awards Cable & Wireless contract to install fibre network
British Virgin Islands – Amid cries for better internet connectivity across the territory, the government will be contracting Cable & Wireless (BVI) Limited to install an islandwide Fibre Network… more
Ombudsman: Jacques Scott victim of ransomware attack last year
Cayman Islands – A ransomware attack last year on liquor store company Jacques Scott Group affected the personal data of 150 people, including employees, shareholders and pension account holders, the Office of the Ombudsman stated on Monday… more
Dominican regulator to allocate USD 30 mln to DTT decoders
Dominican Republic – The Dominican Republic’s telecommunications regulator Indotel announced plans to free up USD 30 million to fund the acquisition of set-top boxes ahead of next year’s migration to digital terrestrial television (DTT), reports local portal El Caribe, citing Indotel chairman Nelson de Jesus Arroyo… more
BOJ Prepares for Central Bank Digital Currency
Jamaica – After quietly exploring the viability of a central bank digital currency (CBDC) for some time, Bank of Jamaica (BOJ) took the decision in May 2020, as a part of our ongoing retail payments reform… more
E-Commerce National Delivery System Developed
Jamaica – The Government has partnered with the private sector to develop the E-commerce National Delivery Solution (ENDS), which will enable business continuity during the coronavirus (COVID-19) curfew hours… more
Small business President Lecky welcomes Flow project
Jamaica – President of the Small Business Association of Jamaica (SBAJ) Michael Lecky has welcomed the initiative by communications and entertainment provider Flow to deliver dedicated, customised, smart ICT solutions to small businesses… more
CTU conducts workshop to promote mutual recognition of digital identity in the Caribbean
Regional – “My identity should allow me to access digital services as I move throughout the CARICOM Single ICT Space… more
Digicel Business, Microsoft host free cloud seminar
Trinidad and Tobago – Digicel Business and Microsoft have teamed up to host a free digital seminar aimed at empowering 500 businesses in Trinidad and Tobago… more
Tuesday, 23 March 2021
Bahamas flag introduces full electronic certification
Bahamas – The Bahamas Maritime Authority (BMA) reports that all of its certification is now available electronically, in line with latest IMO guidelines on the subject… more
BTC reopens Grand Bahama offices 16 months after Dorian
Bahamas – BTC proudly reopened its 5,000-plus-square-foot Settlers Way employee complex on March 19, approximately 16 months following Hurricane Dorian… more
SALT Wireless granted internet exchange point licence
Cayman Islands – Following the release of the regulatory framework for internet exchange points (IXPs) earlier this month, SALT Wireless has been awarded the first IXP licence in Cayman… more
Sean Paul, Sandals, Flow foundations donate 100 tablets to schools
Jamaica – The Sean Paul Foundation (SPF) in partnership with Flow Foundation and the Sandals Foundation brings added support to growing digital learning needs of vulnerable students in Jamaica… more
Focusing on payment reform first
Trinidad and Tobago – WHILE other Caribbean countries are moving quickly to implement Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs), the Central Bank of T&T said on Friday that it would seek to consult with members of the public to gauge acceptance of a CBDC… more
Developers wanted for Creative Tech Lab T&T funded by IDB
Trinidad and Tobago – The Caribbean Industrial Research Institute (CARIRI) has launched the Creative Tech Lab Trinidad & Tobago (CTL TT)… more
Wednesday, 24 March 2021
Adam Cummings, comes of age
Jamaica – “I’ll go as far as to say that video is the next marketing frontier,” said Adam Cummings, a young Jamaican entrepreneur enthusiastic about the evolution of digital marketing in Jamaica… more
BPOs recovering from COVID-19
Jamaica – Half of the 40,000 workers employed in the business process outsourcing (BPO) sector across the island are currently working from their homes amid government restrictions due to the coronavirus pandemic… more
Digital Life’s first webinar
Jamaica – Pioneer in digital education Ricardo Allen has stressed that training is key if we are to ensure the highest level of productivity with remote work… more
Jamaica’s major telecoms companies offer little response to Caribbean Express coming to the island
Jamaica – Jamaica’s two main telecoms providers, Flow and Digicel, are offering little response to the fact that American telecoms Ocean Networks is coming to Jamaica with its Caribbean Express, a new multi-billion-dollar submarine cable system being rolled out across Latin America and the Caribbean… more
It’s now Technology Digital Jamaica & Alliance
Jamaica – The Jamaica Computer Society is excited to announce that it has officially rebranded to become The Jamaica Technology & Digital Alliance (JTDA), as part of efforts to revamp its services and become the country’s tech centre… more
Empower kids with digital access — UN watchdog
Regional – Proper digital access is no game for children, it is a right that each and every country should guarantee, a UN watchdog said Wednesday… more
For online threats you can’t see, you need strong privacy protection you can trust
Regional – If you don’t spend much time thinking about your internet privacy, chances are you haven’t heard about the domain name system, or DNS. Here’s what you need to know right now… more
Thursday, 25 March 2021
Bahamas Digital Payment Platform (DigiPay) gains momentum with integration in all Courts
Bahamas – The Bahamas Digital Payment Platform (DigiPay) has officially been fully integrated into the Courts… more
Regional cloud services provider Cloud Carib named VCSP Impact Partner of the Year for second time
Bahamas – Nassau-based Cloud Carib is proud to announce that it has been selected as the 2020 Veeam Cloud & Service Provider (VCSP) Impact Partner of the Year in the North of Latin American (NOLA) region by Veeam Software, the leader in backup solutions that deliver Cloud Data Management… more
Bitt seeing increased digital payments
Barbados – Since the first COVID-19 lockdown in early 2020, local digital payments platform, mMoney, has seen a steady increase in adoption and use… more
Bank of Jamaica announces CBDC provider
Jamaica – Bank of Jamaica (BOJ) is pleased to announce that after an extensive procurement process, the technology provider chosen to support BOJ in testing a central bank digital currency (CBDC) solution in the Bank’s Fintech Regulatory Sandbox for a pilot in May to end December 2021 is eCurrency Mint Incorporated… more
Digicel urges public to be vigilant against online scams
Jamaica – To combat the spike in phishing scams, Digicel is stepping up its efforts to block bogus online offers to its customers… more
Caribbean tech developers lack the eco-system to thrive, says Tech Beach co-founder
Regional – Caribbean tech developers have long lacked the necessary ecosystem to ensure that their applications and platforms evolve to a more polished end product, according to Tech Beach co-founder Kyle Maloney… more
Recovering 2020: Samsung S21 series gives more for less
Regional – Samsung Electronics experienced low sale numbers in 2020 following the spread of the covid19 pandemic… more
800-TECH, support for companies to go digital
Trinidad and Tobago – IF COVID19 and 2020 taught businesses anything, it was that they had to stay flexible and agile as the world changed overnight… more
Friday, 26 March 2021
Johnson: Govt seeking to reduce revenue leakage with digital payments system
Bahamas – The government is hoping to reduce revenue leakages with its new digital payment system, DigiPay… more
Persons using The Bahamas Court System now able to conduct cashless transactions
Bahamas – The Hon. Chief Justice Sir Brian Moree explained that with the integration of The Bahamas Digital Payment Platform (DigiPay) into the court process, persons using the courts in the country will be able to conduct cashless transactions by using a credit card or debit card to pay fees for filing court documents; fines imposed by the courts and traffic tickets in the Traffic Court… more
Boy Scouts Association operating virtually
Barbados – During the past year, the Barbados Boy Scouts Association has been working towards operating in a virtual environment… more
MSMES NEED GREATER ONLINE PRESENCE
Barbados – There is a need for the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises to work on their online presence… more
Burglars cart off items from GTT’s Camp and Regent Store
Guyana – Guyana Telephone and Telegraph (GTT) says several valuable items have been stolen from its Camp and Regent Streets store during a break-and-enter… more
Smart classrooms now at Brickdam and East Ruimveldt Secondary Schools
Guyana – The Ministry of Education Thursday commissioned smart classrooms at the Brickdam Secondary School and the East Ruimveldt Secondary School in Georgetown… more
itelbpo gets contract to support implementation of Jamaica’s COVID-19 vaccination plan
Jamaica – MONTEGO-BAY based business process outsourcing (BPO) company itelbpo has been contracted by the Government to deliver customer experience management solutions to support the Administration in registering and making appointments for COVID-19 vaccines in Jamaica… more
Jamaica Plans to Pilot a Central Bank Crypto, CBDC to Work Alongside Notes and Coinage
Jamaica – While a number of countries are working on central bank digital currencies (CBDCs), on Tuesday, the Bank of Jamaica (BoJ) announced it will soon be piloting a CBDC project… more
NIDS may not protect against identity theft, says Multilink operator
Jamaica – OWNERS and operators of the Multilink network, Jamaica Electronic Transfer Services (JETS) has cautioned that while the structure of the proposed National Identification System (NIDS) seems safe, practically, it may not be able to prevent identity theft… more
Roll-out of the ECCB’s digital currency, DCash coming
Regional – Governor of the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB), Timothy Antoine has announced that the roll-out of the ECCB’s Digital Currency, DCash will take place on Wednesday 31st, March 2021… more
Flow upgrades Sion Hill Hardcourt with wireless internet
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines – Leading telecommunications provider Flow, has once again committed to another community building initiative by providing wireless internet to support online learning in the community surrounding the newly refurbished hardcourt at Sion Hill… more
Saturday, 27 March 2021
Jamaican central bank plans digital currency, but not blockchain
Jamaica – On Monday, the Bank of Jamaica announced plans for its central bank digital currency (CBDC). A decision was made in May 2020 to proceed with the CBDC issuance, and laws are being amended to legislate that the Bank is the sole issuer… more
Sunday, 28 March 2021
Digicel/Microsoft Azure supporting SMEs’ increased adoption of cloud technology
Jamaica – As the novel coronavirus pandemic continues to highlight the need for increased digitalisation, more local small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) across the manufacturing and service sectors are showing an increased level of interest in integrating digital technologies… more
Mastercard accelerates deployment of digital first solutions in Latin America and the Caribbean
Regional – Mastercard is expanding its Engage platform in Latin America and the Caribbean to offer customers easy access to a growing network of qualified technology and fintech partners that can quickly deploy Mastercard Digital First solutions… more
TelEm Group carrying out underground cable repairs in Welgelegan Road Saturday.
Sint Maarten – TelEm Group technicians and contractors return to the Cay Hill area this Saturday (March 27th, 2021) to once again carry out maintenance works – this time, they will be replacing damaged and corroded underground cables on the main road to the St. Maarten Medical Center, Welgelegen Road… more
Image credits: Mars Hill Church (flickr); REV; Brands of the World; Wikipedia; Wikimedia Commons; Twitter; Wikipedia; Wikipedia
