A roundup of the latest ICT/technology news from across the Caribbean region for the period Monday 31 January to Sunday 6 February 2022.
Monday, 31 January 2022
Internet sites for info and fun
Caribbean – AS A LIBRARIAN, I am always collecting a list of interesting and informative internet links, which are entertaining and educational for students and adults. The sites below can also help anyone interested in honing their research skills… more
Enterprise Cayman offering scholarships
Cayman Islands – The non-for-profit workforce development initiative, Enterprise Cayman is now accepting applications to the annual summer Internship Programme. The programme offers students and recent graduates the opportunity to intern with global businesses established within the Cayman Enterprise City (CEC) special economic zones (SEZ)… more
Upcoming tech talks event in Cayman on February 10
Cayman Islands – Atech talks event will be held on Thursday, February 10, 2022 on the second floor of Casanova Restaurant in George Town… more
Internet access needed everywhere post haste
Jamaica – Mr Harry Hanson, principal of Cambridge High School in St James, tells us that since the start of the new school term in early January, 300 of more than 1,000 registered students are unaccounted for in face-to-face and online classes… more
NCB Cap Markets launches app for customers to track their investments
Jamaica – NCB Capital Markets Limited (NCBCM) has announced the launch of its mobile application, NCBCM Wealth Connect, to enable customers to buy and sell equities on the Jamaica Stock Exchange… more
TRICKED, ROBBED & SEXUALLY ABUSED – 11 fall victim to cyber criminals who impersonated superintendent of police
Jamaica – A local information technology expert is asserting that there has been a noticeably increase in incidence of cybercrimes since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic… more
Tuesday, 1 February 2022
Crooked-Tree based gourmet food brand ‘Strictly Fi Wi’ donating laptops to primary schools
Belize – ‘Ѕtrісtlу fі Wі’, а соmраnу thаt ѕресіаlіzеѕ іn gоurmеt fооd uѕіng аll Веlіzеаn іngrеdіеntѕ grоwn frоm lосаl fаrmеrѕ, іѕ furthеrіng іtѕ mіѕѕіоn tо ѕuрроrt mаrgіnаlіzеd уоuth bу dоnаtіng lарtорѕ tо ѕеvеrаl рrіmаrу ѕсhооlѕ… more
Digicel declares February Safer Internet Month
Caribbean – Communications group Digicel aims to inspire a much bigger conversation about using internet-based technology more responsibly and safely by declaring February “Safer Internet Month”… more
Region Two communities to soon benefit from ICT connectivity – PM’s office
Guyana – Residents of several communities within Pomeroon-Supenaam (Region Two), will soon be able to access the internet through the ICT Access and eServices for Hinterland, Poor and Remote Communities Project, under the Office of the Prime Minister… more
Government Preparing A Catalogue Of Services For GOV.JM Portal
Jamaica – Government is preparing a catalogue of automated services being provided by ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs), which will be available on the GOJ.JM portal… more
Growth & Jobs | Use digital apps to keep your growth and development on track
Jamaica – IN THIS new technological age, several digital apps have proven helpful in assisting people with achieving goals, measuring growth, staying on track with decisions, or even completing daily tasks… more
JPS supporting national broadband initiative
Jamaica – The Jamaica Public Service Company Limited (JPS) is supporting the National Broadband Initiative by offering the use of its utility poles for the running of aerial fibre… more
Wednesday, 2 February 2022
ALIV Discover Maps brings The Bahamas to life through Augmented Reality
Bahamas – The ALIV Discover Maps brings The Bahamas to life through exploration, as it enables users to stay connected while sharing their personal experiences with the world… more
More than 60,000 users on government’s My Gateway platform
Bahamas – The government’s My Gateway portal has attracted more than 60,000 users to date, with the platform expected to facilitate online access to 200 government services by 2025… more
Flow turns on five additional sites
Barbados – Connectivity in Barbados has received a significant boost with the introduction of five new mobile sites in St Peter, St James, St Michael, and Christ Church… more
COMMENTARY — Call made to ‘fix the internet’
British Virgin Islands – In the age of Covid-19, countries and territories that are able to swiftly and robustly deliver digital services and products to their residents will win and prevail socially and economically… more
Choose the cloud for remote workers
Caribbean – It’s well known that the cloud is secure, flexible, and scalable. And, as the world has rapidly changed, we’ve discovered that the cloud is also crucial to doing business in an exponentially virtual environment… more
Metaverse provides new opportunity for wealth generation in the Caribbean
Caribbean – The Secretary General of the Caribbean Telecommunications Union (CTU), Rodney Taylor, is urging the region not to relinquish all technological innovations to the developed world… more
Tech trends for business in ’22
Caribbean – As the new year started, still living with COVID-19 at our heels, we grapple with the reality that local firms must, while navigating uncertain change, take an emboldened step towards strategic revenue increases, client acquisition and maintenance to steady their business’ boats… more
Worthwhile Instagram video moves
Caribbean – As 2021 drew to a close, Instagram Chief Adam Mosseri sat with Instagram users and outlined the main areas they would be focusing on: reels and control. We can already see this with reels integrated into our timelines… more
Government offers new jobs portal
Cayman Islands – The government has now announced the launch of an online recruitment portal at www.careers.gov.ky… more
Dominican Rep opens consultation on fixed internet project
Dominican Republic – Dominican Republic telecom regulator Indotel opened this week a preliminary consultation on a infrastructure deployment plan for fiber optic networks to the home to offer fixed internet services… more
Dominican Rep. prison hosted a Web crimes platform
Dominican Republic – Being confined within the walls of the prison did not prevent inmates in La Victoria from taking advantage of the freedoms of communication technologies to plan and maintain criminal networks from the lockups… more
Drones to be used in rice cultivation – Mustapha
Guyana – Allocations in the 2022 budget for the Ministry of Agriculture will see a modernisation of infrastructure in the sector and the promotion of drone technology for farming purposes, Minister Zulfikar Mustapha yesterday told the House… more
Data minimisation and doing business
Jamaica – TODAY information is being collected, stored, and transferred at an increasing rate. In some cases that data is among a business’ most- valued and treasured assets… more
Jamaica Plans to Teach Coding in Schools
Jamaica – Jamaica may soon start teaching coding in all of its schools, as the Caribbean country gears up to reform its educational system in a bid to build a digital economy… more
JPS, Flow connect with national broadband service
Jamaica – JAMAICA’S National Broadband Initiative has received a big boost with two of the island’s biggest companies as it relates to infrastructure, Jamaica Public Service (JPS) and Flow Jamaica, connecting to the programme, which seeks to provide free national broadband service… more
Rock Connect launches plan for rural Jamaica
Jamaica – New Jamaican telecom operator Rock Connect selected Nokia for the deployment of its fixed wireless access (FWA) network… more
St Vincent: Carnival in Metaverse will not replace physical Carnival
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines – Vincentians have been assured at Carnival in the Metaverse will not replace the physical enjoyment of Carnival. In fact, Minister of Culture Carlos James says it is meant to be an additional platform for creatives to earn an income… more
CWU leader rings TSTT alarm: Hundreds facing axe
Trinidad and Tobago – Head of the Communication Workers Union (CWU) Clyde Elder, after a meeting with TSTT’s management on Tuesday, is claiming that as much as 600 workers are likely to face the axe in the company’s restructuring exercise… more
Persad-Bissessar: PNM betrayed TSTT workers
Trinidad and Tobago – OPPOSITION Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar on Wednesday hit the Government over the looming retrenchment of possibly hundreds of workers from state majority-owned TSTT… more
Trinidad and Tobago a lucrative Caribbean market for Samsung
Trinidad and Tobago – Trinidad and Tobago is turning out to be one of the most lucrative markets for Samsung products in the Caribbean, Gracia Whyte, the company’s mobile experience marketing manager said Wednesday… more
Thursday, 3 February 2022
New app among efforts to help fight invasive species
Antigua and Barbuda – From lionfish to mongooses, and black rats to Giant African Snails, invasive species pose one of the greatest threats to the country’s ecosystems… more
Digital Transformation Unit celebrates one-year anniversary of mygateway.gov.bs
Bahamas – The government of The Bahamas is proud to announce that February 3, 2022 marks the one-year anniversary milestone of MyGateway.gov.bs, the centralized, secure portal to access and pay for government services… more
Call for ICT sector to support safe return to online classes
Caribbean – The Covid-19 pandemic has transformed the delivery of education, forcing educational institutions to utilise online learning platforms. While this in itself has its benefits, the commensurate challenges of online learning have had an impact on mental health… more
Fortinet releases children’s book to increase cyber awareness
Caribbean – Cybersecurity solutions company Fortinet has released a book designed to increase cyber awareness amongst children in Latin America and the Caribbean… more
Regional countries urged to take advantage of metaverse
Caribbean – Barbadians and Caribbean citizens must not be left behind as the new and emerging digital space which offers wealth-generating opportunities, the Metaverse, develops, say regional officials… more
Basil Jarrett | Make cybersecurity training mandatory
Jamaica – I FIRST set foot on the Mandeville campus of Northern Caribbean University (NCU) in January 2004, when I was recruited by the head of the university’s Communication Studies Department to teach media and communications to undergraduate students… more
Go-Digital website helps MSMEs with e-commerce
Jamaica – The Jamaica Technology and Digital Alliance (JTDA) is assisting local micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) to navigate the e-commerce space through its website, Go-Digital, as part of a digital transformation push in that grouping… more
Harry Watch Primary School To Get Smart Computer Lab
Jamaica – The Harry Watch Primary School in rural Manchester is to be outfitted with a Smart Computer Lab that will provide students with access to information and communications technology (ICT) in a structured learning environment, to better prepare them for a digital future… more
Mico alumni continue technology pivot
Jamaica – As the Mico University College Alumni Association (MOSA) celebrates 100 years, the organisation has outlined that its priority for the future is to continue the institution’s technological transition and infrastructure development… more
LABOUR MINISTER ON TSTT WORKERS
Trinidad and Tobago – Claims that over 400 employees at the Telecommunications Services of Trinidad and Tobago are to be placed on the breadline are yet to be confirmed by the Minister of Labour… more
The TSTT reboot
Trinidad and Tobago – TSTT has invited its employee representative unions to consultations on a proposed restructuring of the organisation and a refined operating model… more
What’s in a Wordle?
Trinidad and Tobago – One afternoon in 1996, I was seated upstairs in what is now known as the old public library in Port-of-Spain studying for my upcoming CXC examination when a group of boys wearing QRC school uniforms walked in… more
Friday, 4 February 2022
MoECST Receives Donation of Laptops from SIF
Belize – On Thursday, January 27, 2022, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Science and Technology (MoECST) received a donation of 99 laptops and accessories from the Social Investment Fund (SIF) at a ceremony held in Belize City… more
Digital Transformation Report Reveals Security Ranks Low on Pandemic Priorities
Caribbean – Digicel Business Launched its Digital Transformation Research Report and Guide, looking at the attitudes towards digital transformation and the impact the pandemic has had on businesses in this respect… more
ECTEL successfully launches its E-Communications Campaign
Caribbean – There was much excitement as the Eastern Caribbean Telecommunications Authority (ECTEL) virtually launched its Electronic Communications (EC) Bill Education and Public Awareness Campaign on Thursday, January 27… more
Huawei-Mexico ICT Scholarship Program, Second Edition
Caribbean – The Government of Mexico along with multinational technology company HUAWEI have launched the second edition of the scholarship program “HUAWEI-SRE 1,000 Talents for the Digital Development of Latin America and the Caribbean: Closing the digital gender gap”, for women interested in Information and Communication Technologies (ICT): students, professionals and/or academics interested… more
IDB Launches Book On Digital Transformation Of Government
Caribbean – The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) today (February 3) launched its publication, ‘Digital Transformation and Public Employment: The Future of Government Work’… more
Digicel Business helps more firms deter cyber threats
Jamaica – With more local public and private sector firms experiencing unprecedented levels of data breaches, Digicel Business has stepped up its threat intelligence and detection capabilities to address new advanced hacking methods… more
Ethical hackers face tough sanction
Jamaica – Ethical hackers who find vulnerabilities on government or private websites in Jamaica could face a $3-million fine and three-year prison sentence if a provision in the Cybercrimes Act, 2015, remains and receives the nod from Parliament… more
Harry Watch Primary School to get smart computer lab
Jamaica – THE Harry Watch Primary School in Manchester is to be outfitted with a smart computer lab that will provide students with access to information and communications technology (ICT) in a structured learning environment to better prepare them for a digital future… more
PwC Jamaica invests $2M in the Holy Trinity High School Academic Intervention Programme
Jamaica – PwC Jamaica reinforced their commitment to education and community development with a donation valued at JM$2 million inclusive of seven desktop computers, 30 tablets, and 100 access keys to literacy training software, to the Holy Trinity High School, to assist in the enhancement of the institution’s Academic Intervention Programme… more
Saint Lucia PM Addresses The Jamaica Stock Exchange on Digital Transformation
Jamaica – Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre was one of several high-profile guest speakers at the opening ceremony for the Jamaica Stock Exchange’s 17th Regional Investments and Capital Markets Conference, on January 25, 2022… more
Time to hop aboard the NFT train
Jamaica – Dear Editor, Lisa Hanna, Member of Parliament (MP) for St Ann South Eastern has made a solid point about non-fungible tokens (NFTs) as a tool to be used for concrete applications for our economic development. I would also like to add another concrete application I learnt about — real estate trading… more
Culture Minister looks towards revenue potential in the Metaverse
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines – “Serious revenue potential” awaits Vincentian creatives whose talent will be put on display through the staging of VincyMas activities in the Metaverse… more
TSTT says restructuring will be financed without taxpayers’ money
Trinidad and Tobago – The Telecommunications Services of T&T Ltd (TSTT) this week commenced the process to secure funding from the financial markets to cover the separation costs of its proposed restructuring exercise… more
TSTT to borrow to fund restructuring
Trinidad and Tobago – MAJORITY State-owned telecommunications provider TSTT said yesterday it will secure funding from financial markets to cover the separation costs of its proposed restructuring exercise… more
Union: 450 Trinidad telecoms workers to go home
Trinidad and Tobago – More than 450 workers are expected to be retrenched from majority State-owned telecommunications provider TSTT… more
Saturday, 5 February 2022
BBS learners test their blockchain projects on Ethereum to earn developer certificate
Bahamas – Four Bahamian participants from the 2021 Blockchain Business School (BBS), ages 13 to their late 20s, are earning their developer’s certificates to become blockchain developers… more
Sealy is C&W’s new Senior Director, Head of Communications
Barbados – C&W Communications has appointed Marilyn Sealy to the position of Senior Director, Head of Communications effective February 1, 2022… more
Opposition calls on Govt. to end abuse of Cybercrime Act
Guyana – The Shadow Minister of Home Affairs, Geeta Chandan-Edmond has called on the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) government to end the abuse of the Cybercrime Act, as the law is now being steered in the wrong direction, to muzzle the expressions of Guyanese, in her view… more
Facebook ad for TV ends in robbery
Trinidad and Tobago – Citizens are again being reminded to exercise caution with sales that are organised via social media platforms… more
IOM donates 70 tablets to selected schools
Trinidad and Tobago – The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) has donated 70 electronic tablets to selected schools and community residences in its continuing effort to narrow the digital divide for students and at-risk children… more
Sunday, 6 February 2022
Dr Terri-Karelle Reid: Jamaican media personality talks parenting in information age
Caribbean – The TEDx stage with its bright lights, dark background and intimate setting has become revered across the globe as a reference point from which people give and receive compelling, life-altering stories from experts in respective fields… more
Flow, pension issues solved
Jamaica – Dear Claudienne, The Community of Union Road, Hope Bay, Portland, is having a problem with Flow Jamaica. On July 29, 2021, two utility poles in my community fell due to rot… more
Guardsman launches virtual corporate university
Jamaica – In an effort to upskill over 8,000 team members, Guardsman Group has launched an online learning programme, Guardsman University… more
Safer Internet Month tips for seniors
Jamaica – On Tuesday, February 8, 2022, Jamaica will join the international community to celebrate Safer Internet Day under the theme ‘Together for a better Internet’… more
Nalis helps school libraries stay online for students
Trinidad and Tobago – When covid19 swept into Trinidad and Tobago like a scene from a sci-fi novel, the National Library and Information System Authority (Nalis) realised it was facing a new chapter that required rethinking, refocusing and re-engineering its library services… more
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