A roundup of the latest ICT/technology news from across the Caribbean region for the period Monday 14 March to Sunday 20 March 2022.
Monday, 14 March 2022
Crypto Exchange: Hotel To ‘Immerse’ Visitors At Its HQ
Bahamas – THE world’s second largest crypto currency exchange has included a boutique hotel in plans for its $60m Bahamas headquarters so it can better host visiting clients and business partners… more
ISOC launches an ICT funding program, call for projects
Haiti – “The Internet Society” Haiti Chapter (ISOC-Haiti) continues to advocate for high-speed Internet service, essential to access vital services such as education and employment while expanding economic and entrepreneurial opportunities for all… more
Tuesday, 15 March 2022
Cable Bahamas Group of Companies is serious about women in leadership
Bahamas – As Cable Bahamas Ltd. maintains the position as the leader in diversity, equality and inclusion, the group of companies is excited to feature the women in leadership that occupy more than half of key executives within the group. These women hold senior executive roles including vice presidents of the major business divisions… more
Digital Financing in Belize
Belize – “Fair Digital Finance”, it’s the theme for this year’s World Consumer Rights Day which is observed annually on March fifteenth… more
Have you seen my Samsung Galaxy Ear Buds2? I miss them
Caribbean – Disclaimer: As I typed this article, I thought about the old Children’s Own mini-stories that always (coincidentally, or not *wink*) ended with the refrain “and that was the end of me” – the millennials know… more
GTT, STEMGuyana roll out top-notch Graphogame literacy app
Guyana – The Graphogame literacy app touted as one of the best in the world is now available for Guyana’s school children who are four to nine years old, the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph (GTT) and STEMGuyana said Tuesday… more
Full speed ahead with Jam-Dex
Jamaica – THE Bank of Jamaica (BOJ) has said that its digital currency, Jamaica Digital Exchange (Jam-Dex), is to be fully launched as soon as some key outputs and regulatory processes are finalised… more
Wednesday, 16 March 2022
BTC’s JA Company wins product of the year competition
Bahamas – Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) has bragging rights for a third consecutive year as its Junior Achievement company, BTC Vibe, has once again captured first place at the annual Product of the Year Competition… more
ALYSSA MOOYOUNG — App to the world
Jamaica – Alyssa MooYoung, general manager for Hugo app in Jamaica and Trinidad, has always been thrilled by opportunities to learn more and gain new experiences, underscored by her innate drive to succeed. MooYoung is also undaunted by challenges and uses the wisdom from her past experiences to inform her current decisions and perspectives… more
E-payment market doubles
Jamaica – THE e-payment market more than doubled over the last two years, according to data from the Bank of Jamaica (BOJ)… more
Fast food loses out to BPO
Jamaica – FAST food companies are finding it increasingly harder to recruit and retain talent, losing out for the most part to competition from entities in the business process outsourcing (BPO) sector… more
Itel expands Kingston campus
Jamaica – EPPLEY Caribbean Property Fund Limited SCC – Value Fund (ECPF) has acquired a 99,000-square-foot, purpose built facility for a business process outsourcing (BPO) operation off of Molynes Road in St Andrew, Jamaica… more
JFP, EduFocal rocket on first trading day
Jamaica – JFP Limited and EduFocal Limited both saw their stock prices rally by double digits to be among the best-performing stocks for each day, triggering the circuit breaker minutes after their respective listings on the Jamaica Stock Exchange’s (JSE’s) Junior Market… more
Tackling crime with AI
Jamaica – As we enter into one of the worst economic times in recent history, I started to think about the most considerable risk to our nation achieving a successful economic recovery. The answer was crime, and as the economy deteriorates, crime is expected to increase… more
FLOW and NWU Conclude Negotiations
Saint Lucia – The Management of FLOW and officials from the National Workers Union (NWU) have concluded yet another industrial agreement… more
Padarath: TSTT estate police to be replaced by private security firm
Trinidad and Tobago – Member of Parliament for Princes Town, Barry Padarath MP, is alleging that the TSTT Estate Police Division will be replaced by a private security firm, and says he has paperwork that can back up his claims… more
TSTT to axe 30 estate cops
Trinidad and Tobago – Thirty Telecommunications Services of Trinidad and Tobago (TSTT) Estate Police Division officers will lose their jobs when the company completes its proposed restructuring process… more
Turks and Caicos Islands Regulator Successfully Launches Its TEPRP Supported by Industry Specialist, Cenerva
Turks and Caicos Islands – The 2017 hurricane season is unlikely to be forgotten for those living in the Caribbean, featuring 17 named storms, ten hurricanes, and six major hurricanes… more
Thursday, 17 March 2022
Bahamian software company develops custom COVID-19 testing portal for Doctors Hospital
Bahamas – On March 3, Doctors Hospital launched their new COVID-19 Testing Portal, a custom app designed by Bahamian software development firm Plato Alpha… more
BTC: Tax ‘Disruptors’ Like Netflix And Hulu
Bahamas – The Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) has demanded that industry regulators tax “disruptive” providers of over-the-top (OTT) services to counter their “onslaught” on local carriers… more
New AI-powered app to make scanning for Russian affiliates easier for The Bahamas
Bahamas – California-based Bluestone Technologies through its Bahamas affiliate, Bluestone Labs, has released a new app to streamline customer on-boarding and AML/CFT verifications for regional financial institutions and insurance companies… more
IT specialist: Cyber security a serious matter
Barbados – Companies in Barbados and the rest of the region are being cautioned to take the issue of cyber security seriously and invest in systems and processes that help to mitigate cyber threats. This caution has come from IT security professional Ricardo Martinez, Chief Revenue Officer with security consulting and solutions firm DigitalEra Group… more
Digital Currency Hit by Expired Certificate — Root Cause for Prolonged Outage
Caribbean – DCash is a central bank digital currency (CBDC) commissioned by the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB), which is the monetary authority for a group of island economies including Antigua and Barbuda, Grenada, St Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, and St Vincent and the Grenadines… more
PM reiterates Caricom’s commitment to harmonised regulatory framework
Caribbean – Grenada’s Prime Minister Dr the Right Honourable Keith Mitchell has reiterated Caricom’s commitment to achieving full elimination of roaming charges and establishing a harmonised regional regulatory framework… more
LOWER ROAMING CHARGES ON THE HORIZON SAYS TELECOMMUNICATIONS MINISTER
Dominica – The signing of the Declaration of St George’s towards the Reduction of intra CARICON roaming Charges took place recently. In speaking to local media, Minister with responsibility for Telecommunications Senator Oscar George indicated that, ‘this is indeed very significant for the sector… more
Forestry Department launches mobile app to track trees planted
Jamaica – The Forestry Department has launched the 876Trees mobile app to track the number of seedlings being planted as Jamaica advances towards its National Tree Planting Initiative target of three million trees… more
TSTT’s online payment systems still down
Trinidad and Tobago – TSTT continues to experience a failure of its customer facing systems. In a notice issued on its social media platforms on March 16, the company stated that, “Our technology team is working around the clock to fix the technical issue we encountered earlier this week… more
Friday, 18 March 2022
Cable Bahamas Group represents Bahamas at Mobile Communications Conference
Bahamas – Last week, Cable Bahamas and Aliv executive leaders including Group Chief Executive Officer Franklyn Butler and Aliv Chief Executive Officer John Gomez attended Groupe Speciale Mobile Association’s (GSMA) Mobile World Congress 2022 (MWC) in Barcelona, Spain. MWC is the largest international mobile communication trade show and conference for leading connectivity companies to share thought leadership… more
Caribbean Platform Developed for Maritime Jobs
Caribbean – A new platform, ACMF-CAREX, has just hit the jobs market in the Caribbean, which could change how maritime jobs are pursued and acquired in the region… more
New kids on the block: EduFocal lists on JSE
Jamaica – Education technology company, EduFocal has officially listed on the junior market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange (JSE)… more
Symptai urges data protection compliance
Jamaica – Regional information technology consultancy firm Symptai Limited has called on companies to step up the pace of becoming data privacy compliant especially now when breaches of the Data Protection Act are set to take full effect… more
Flow assures no one to lose their jobs
Trinidad and Tobago – Unlike TSTT, telecommunications provider Flow has no intention of retrenching any of its employees… more
Flow promises no job layoffs
Trinidad and Tobago – Telecommunications company Flow TT has assured its workers their jobs remain secure… more
Saturday, 19 March 2022
‘Cryptopia’ separates the hype from the future of the internet
Cayman Islands – The 2020 documentary CRYPTOPIA, one of the feature films at the Cayman Documentary Festival on 19 and 20 March, talks to the big brains and big egos of the crypto and blockchain world… more
TSTT issues legally circumspect, information-starved statement on retrenchment status
Trinidad and Tobago – On the 1st February 2022, TSTT submitted to its representative majority Unions (RMUs) as well as its management staff, a proposal to restructure the Company, given the current realities of the global and local telecommunications industry, and this proposal is the subject of ongoing consultations with the RMUs and management staff… more
Sunday, 20 March 2022
Jamaica can be a Technology Hub – PM
Jamaica – Jamaica is to be positioned as the technology and innovation hub of the Caribbean, says Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness… more
NWA gets bus to boost broadband rollout
Jamaica – The Ministry of Science, Energy and Technology has procured a Toyota Hiace bus for the purpose of aiding the execution of services related to the National Broadband Initiative [NBI]… more
Let’s go digital with your Sint Maarten Library.
Sint Maarten – The Philipsburg Jubilee Library (PJL) presents its March–April’s digitization program, The PJL –AUC community action day at the Belvedere Satellite, and the return of the senior’s cyber training… more
Central Bank governor tells JSC: Benefits in fintech
Trinidad and Tobago – CENTRAL Bank Governor Dr Alvin Hilaire said Trinidad and Tobago could benefit from the development and use of financial technology or fintech. He also said there needed to be greater public education about what fintech is and the benefits to be gained from it… more
TSTT looks to fund severance costs
Trinidad and Tobago – State majority-owned Telecommunications Services of Trinidad and Tobago (TSTT) yesterday confirmed it has started the process to secure funding from international markets to cover severance costs for employees of the beleaguered telecoms company… more
Images credit: Suzy Hazelwood (Pexels); Guyana Chronicle; Wikimedia Commons; Central Banking; Facebook; Wikipedia;
