A roundup of the latest ICT/technology news from across the Caribbean region for the period Monday 18 April to Sunday 24 April 2022.
Monday, 18 April 2022
GraceKennedy invests in data analytics firm
Jamaica – JAMAICAN conglomerate GraceKennedy announced last week that it has made a private equity investment in a full-service research and data intelligence consultancy called Bluedot… more
Tuesday, 19 April 2022
Bill, Tony And Tom To Elevate Digital ‘Front Runner’ Bahamas
Bahamas – A former US president and ex-UK prime minister, plus a record-breaking Super Bowl winner, are heading the speaker line-up at a conference that will next week seek to elevate The Bahamas’ position as a digital assets “front runner”… more
AI needs you
Caribbean – Artificial intelligence (AI), as sci-fi as aliens, is now a fundamental part of our daily lives. It is a field that leverages computer systems, statistics, and mathematics to mimic how animals, mainly humans, solve problems and make decisions… more
Caribbean Telecommunication delegation to visit French islands under CaribIX initiative
Caribbean – The Secretary-General of the Trinidad-based Caribbean Telecommunications Union (CTU), Rodney Taylor, will lead a delegation to the French islands of Guadeloupe, St. Barthélemy, and St. Martin later this week to further discuss the recently launched CaribIX initiative that will result in the establishment of Internet exchange points on the three islands… more
DIGITAL MARKETING ON A DIME FOR SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS
Caribbean – Having a great product or service is important, but so is promoting it with the correct marketing strategy… more
‘Roaming cuts will boost regional trade’
Caribbean – The Director of Telecommunications in Dominica, Bennet Thomas says a reduction in roaming charges will greatly enhance trade within the member countries of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS)… more
Wednesday, 20 April 2022
BTC recognizes top account managers
Bahamas – Hard work never goes unnoticed at Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC), as several account managers were recently recognized at the Business-to-Business (B2B) annual kick-off session on March 23rd at Fusion Superplex… more
Nokia lands Cable Bahamas XGS-PON upgrade deal
Bahamas – The Cable Bahamas group has signed a contract with Nokia to upgrade its fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) network with the latest XGS-PON equipment, reports the Nassau Guardian, citing Cable Bahamas CTO Stephen Curran… more
Barbados National ID Will Be on Mobile Phones
Barbados – When the Caribbean island of Barbados issues its new national ID, citizens will have the option to download it and present it via an app on their smartphones, reports Barbados Today… more
Spotify advertising now available to local businesses, artists
Guyana – Artistes and businesses in Guyana can now advertise on Spotify. According to an announcement by the audio streaming subscription service on March 31, its self-serve ad channel ‘Spotify Ad Studio’ is now available to Guyana… more
First things first…
Jamaica – There has been a lot of buzz over the last two months about central bank digital currency (CBDC)… more
No roaming without LTE
Jamaica – JAMAICANS with older smartphones and other devices which utilise 3G technology are being told they will have to upgrade if they want to continue roaming while in the USA… more
tTech capitalising on digital opportunities
Jamaica – Managed information technology (IT) services firm tTech Limited said it has been moving to take advantage of new opportunities in the digital landscape as more companies engage technology for business continuity amid the changing economic environment… more
Trinidad & Tobago considering fintech legal framework
Trinidad and Tobago – The Government of Trinidad and Tobago, via the Joint Select Committee on Finance and Legal Affairs is seeking feedback on the implementation of a regulatory framework for the development of Fintech and e-payments… more
Thursday, 21 April 2022
Antigua looks at Digital Nomad Program as an alternative to CBI
Antigua and Barbuda – Antigua and Barbuda will be looking at its Digital Nomad Programme as an alternative to the Citizenship by Investment Program (CBI) as the European Union (EU) and Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) move to penalise states that it claims assist tax dodgers and pose a security risk… more
Bahamas aims to become a regional leader blockchain technology
Bahamas – The Bahamas is looking to carve out a slice in the growing blockchain technology sector as the government has tabled a white paper to chart the country’s future in the sector… more
Bahamas to Allow Citizens to Pay Taxes With Digital Assets
Bahamas – The Bahamas government will allow Bahamians to pay taxes using digital assets, according to a white paper that outlines the nation’s digital asset strategy until 2026… more
‘Reclaiming Lost Ground’: Gov’ts Digital Asset Plan
Bahamas – The Bahamas has “an incredible opportunity to reclaim lost ground and be part of finance’s new frontier”, digital asset specialists argued yesterday, as they hailed the Government’s release of its “vision” for the $3trn industry… more
REGIONAL LEADER: PM says Government aiming to make The Bahamas leading digital assets hub
Bahamas – The government is aiming to “substantially” grow the digital assets sector in The Bahamas within the next three years, according to a White Paper tabled yesterday… more
Development of Guyana digital infrastructure key in LCDS 2030 draft
Guyana – The Government in its draft Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) for the next decade places special emphasis on modernization of the digital infrastructure in Guyana through the advancement of information Communication Technology (ICT)… more
NAGICO Donates Computers To Primary Schools
Saint Kitts and Nevis – Nagico Insurances donated 10 desktop computers to both the St. Paul’s and the Dr. William Connor Primary Schools on Wednesday, April 20, 2022. The brief ceremony was held at Nagico’s Conference Room… more
St Maarten and “The Digital Revolution”, a Reflection (“Crypto Currency”)
Sint Maarten – It wasn’t long ago that participation in the crypto markets was limited to individual early adopters. Today, Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies can be found everywhere, and the crypto-economy is expanding and becoming a truly global financial system… more
Data inconsistency delays launch of Electronic Vaccine cards
Trinidad and Tobago – Minister of Digital Transformation Hassel Bacchus says the “unacceptable level of  inconsistency in the database, which remains to be queried” is the biggest delay in the implementation of electronic vaccination certificates… more
How a YouTube channel can help your business
Trinidad and Tobago – Should I start a YouTube channel for my business? … more
Jamaican-born entrepreneur: Next generation ready to take on business world
Trinidad and Tobago – Since he was a teenager, John Paul Anderson has been an entrepreneur, starting a magazine at the age of 16… more
Friday, 22 April 2022
AG: ‘We Cannot Be Left Out On Digital Assets ‘Revolution’
Bahamas – The Bahamas cannot afford to be “on the outside of this digital assets revolution looking in”, the attorney general asserted yesterday, adding that the Government’s just-released policy paper positions the country to be “a leader”… more
Govt wants flexible framework for local participation in cryptocurrency sector
Bahamas – Noting the existing exchange control impediments to Bahamians wanting to invest in digital assets, Attorney General Ryan Pinder said the government is committed to working with the Central Bank to produce a more flexible framework for Bahamians to participate in cryptocurrency trading and investing… more
The Future Of Digital Assets In The Bahamas
Bahamas – This White Paper sets out a vision and a framework to guide Bahamian digital asset policy between now and 2026… more
Online communication should be prioritised as the most urgent of reinvention for the NIS
Guyana – Dear Editor, The National Insurance Scheme was established 1969, a forerunner to comparable schemes in the Caribbean which a Guyana leadership team helped to build… more
Digital Water Meters To Be Installed In Several Portmore Communities
Jamaica – A total of 20,000 new state-of-the-art digital meters are to be installed in several communities in Portmore, St. Catherine, as the Government seeks to improve service delivery and reduce losses from non-revenue water in the area… more
Jamaica ranks fourth in push towards digital money – report
Jamaica – Jam-Dex, Jamaica’s newly minted central bank digital currency, or CBDC, ranked fourth among a group of 10 leading countries that are issuing CBDCs in retail form for use as money, according to a new report by PricewaterhouseCoopers… more
NCB changes fully digital Junction branch to ‘phygital’ model
Jamaica – Six months after converting its Junction, St Elizabeth branch to a fully digital location, National Commercial Bank Jamaica Limited (NCB) has revised this model and relaunched it as a ‘phygital’ location… more
St. Kitts Nevis Amateur Radio Society Telecommunications Field Day Event
Saint Kitts and Nevis – The St. Kitts Nevis Amateur Radio Society (SKNARS) as part of its 49th Anniversary celebrations, will be having a Telecommunications Field Day Event on Sunday 24th April 2022, from 11:00a.m to 9:00p.m at the Frigate Bay Lawn, opposite the Golf Course… more
Completely untrue’: PM denies use of spyware
Trinidad and Tobago – Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley rubbished claims by Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar that intelligence agencies, including the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service, have ever possessed or used Pegasus spyware… more
Saturday, 23 April 2022
Ja ranks 4th among top 10 countries that embraced digital currency
Jamaica – Jamaica sits at number four among the top ten countries that have embraced Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC). This is according to PriceWaterhouseCooper’s (PwC) CBDC Global Index Report, the second edition of which was released earlier this month… more
Sunday, 24 April 2022
77 percent of GTT customers’ bills delivered digitally
Guyana – In its bid to provide 21-st Century innovative solutions to all customers, GTT embarked on a digital billing initiative in 2021, which aimed to revolutionise the way customers receive and pay bills in Guyana… more
Images credit: Yon Garin (flickr); Facebook; tTech; Wikipedia; Wikipedia; Bank of Jamaica
