A roundup of the latest ICT/technology news from across the Caribbean region for the period Monday 23 January to Sunday 29 January 2023.
Monday, 23 January 2023
AI-generated art a concern for local artists who say there’s still a need for human creativity
Antigua and Barbuda – Two local artists have shared their opinion of recent technological advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) generated art, arguing that while there are concerns over its usage, human creativity cannot be taken over by technology… more
BTC launches scholarship program
Bahamas – The Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) has launched its scholarship program, creating opportunities for the next generation. Six students are the recipients of the company’s $120,000 four-year scholarship program which will support tuition or any other educational expenses while pursuing undergraduate studies in their desired field… more
Digital future planned for the public service
Bahamas – THE Ministry of Public Service announced on Friday that it is aiming to revamp and digitalise the public service in an effort to improve operational efficiency… more
Ministry of Economic Development: ’28 BPO’s employ 8,000 employees countrywide’
Belize – Today, the Ministry of Economic Development launched the Plan Belize medium-term development strategy… more
Local businesses to benefit from launch of Flow Business in Dominica
Dominica – Transparency, simplicity and greater connectivity are now being delivered to the local small and medium-sized business (SMB) sector… more
Sonover Inc. partners with ECCB to implement DCash in Grenada
Grenada – Grenada’s leading software development company, Sonover Inc., has announced a partnership with the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB) to support the implementation of DCash in Grenada… more
Internet access for Aishalton soon
Guyana – As government continues to strengthen hinterland communities, residents of Aishalton will soon be receiving internet access for the first time, as a means of providing greater access to information, education, and communication tools, to upskill themselves and bridge the digital divide between the coastal and hinterland regions… more
Online ‘Ferry Pass’ to be launched for Leguan, Wakenaam passengers
Guyana – Starting today residents from the Essequibo islands of Leguan and Wakernaam will be able to book a spot on the ferries plying the Supenaam to Parika route online, as the Ministry of Public Works through the Transport and Harbours Department (T&HD), in collaboration with Mobile Money Guyana (MMG+), launches its online ferry booking service (‘Ferry Pass’)… more
Digital Switchover to advance country’s broadcasting infrastructure – BCJ
Jamaica – KINGSTON, Jamaica – Broadcasting Commission of Jamaica (BCJ) says the island’s impending Digital Switchover (DSO) will see significant advancements in the capacity of the country’s public broadcasting infrastructure… more
Jamaica’s digitized traffic ticketing system is being implemented
Jamaica – According to the Jamaica Gleaner, the JCF says the system, which is designed to be a more efficient and an accurate alternative to traditional written tickets, provides cops with the ability to issue a printed ticket on the spot with information of the offence, fine, court date and other information… more
Broadband falling from the skies
Trinidad and Tobago – FOR MORE than a decade, there’s been talk of another player in local telecommunications, despite a saturated market with three major players… more
Tuesday, 24 January 2023
Cable Bahamas’s Group’s family island fiber expansion a key priority
Bahamas – The Cable Bahamas Group invested more that $22 million in infrastructure enhancements on the Family Islands over the past three years, 25 percent of which went to rebuilding infrastructure after Category 5 Hurricane Dorian hit Abaco and Grand Bahama, Cable Bahamas’ Vice President of Consumer Sales and Marketing Amber Carey said last week… more
Priority repairs to highways and secondary roads are made using a software system
Barbados – A scientific method is being used for selecting the order of roads to be rehabilitated in Barbados… more
Gladys Bailey Learning Centre gets digital boost
Jamaica – The Gladys Bailey Learning Centre is reopening its doors to children in Tivoli Gardens and has plans to better integrate the internet in its future literary development programmes… more
Flow announces availability of services in Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago – Flow has officially launched its operations in the sister isle of Tobago… more
Wednesday, 25 January 2023
BTC contractors seek better working terms
Bahamas – Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) contractors yesterday asserted they have been without valid employment contracts since June 2022 as they demanded improved working terms and conditions… more
Technicians want renewed, extended BTC contracts
Bahamas – Bahamas Telecommunications Company’s (BTC) contracted technicians met with the media yesterday to express their disappointment that they continue to work despite having expired contracts, and have not been able to meet with the company’s new Chief Executive Officer Sameer Bhatti to discuss new contracts, spokesperson for the technicians Martin Clarke said yesterday… more
Parliament paves way for data transfer to foreign jurisdictions
Barbados – Barbados is continually improving legislation governing the international business sector in an effort to meet international standards… more
High-income digital skills to consider learning in 2023
Caribbean – GROWING up, our parents and schools placed pressure on us figuring out what we wanted to be when we got older. In many cases, our parents kind of forced us to go down the route of being doctors, lawyers, engineers or working for the Government. Anything other than those roles were considered a failure in their eyes… more
Top-of-mind cyber solutions to consider in 2023 — Part 1
Caribbean – The threat landscape continues to evolve and 2023 is predicted to bring forth both old and new threat tactics… more
Guyana: Satellites will spot oil spills, not on-ship experts
Guyana – Guyana’s Environmental Protection Agency says it can now use satellites to monitor any oil spills in the South American nation’s waters. The agency’s former leader criticized the technology as ineffective, saying the only proper way of minimizing oil spills is to put spill-prevention experts onboard drilling ships and platforms… more
Elizabeth Morgan | Importance of reliable and trustworthy financial and digital services
Jamaica – The media is full of the multibillion-dollar fraud of clients at Jamaica’s Stocks and Securities Limited (SSL). There have also been reports of fraud at two local banks… more
UWI student ready to revolutionise Jamaica through engineering
Jamaica – Nile Anderson plans to be a transformative figure in Jamaica’s information and communications technology (ICT) landscape, harbouring thoughts of using innovation to help the country achieve the ambitious targets set out in its 2030 plan… more
VOG online application platform is processing VOG applications swiftly.
Sint Maarten – Following the launch of the online application platform for the Declaration of Conduct (VOG) on January 9, 2023, the Ministry of Justice reports a significant improvement in the overall handling of VOG requests with increased visibility and monitoring and quicker delivery times… more
TTIGF begins tomorrow!
Trinidad and Tobago – The TT Internet Governance Forum will host two days of online discussions beginning on January 26th and will feature discussions with experts from a range of stakeholder groups. The event is being convened to explore the theme “Creating a Stronger, More Resilient Internet for Trinidad and Tobago’s Shared, Sustainable Future.” … more
Thursday, 26 January 2023
ArawakX urges greater emphasis on FPI to supplement foreign direct investment
Bahamas – ArawakX executives say that more emphasis needs to be placed on foreign portfolio investment (FPI) which allows foreigners to invest in local companies… more
Crowdfunding platform raising money for CARIFTA Games
Bahamas – Crowdfunding platform ArawakX is helping to raise money for the 50th CARIFTA Games being held in The Bahamas in April, the Local Organizing Committee explained during a press conference yesterday… more
FTX US chief moves to ratify Bahamas co-operation deal
Bahamas – FTX’s US chief last night moved to ratify the co-operation agreement thrashed out with the crypto exchange’s Bahamian joint provisional liquidators to end two months of bitter public clashes… more
Female Police Recruit Charged for Cyber Offense
Belize – Twenty-three-year-old Shania Dominguez, a recruit with the Belize Police Department, has been charged under the Cyber Crime Act… more
Digicel tops Ookla broadband-speeds ranking
Trinidad and Tobago – Digicel topped the Ookla Speedtest rankings for the fourth quarter of 2022 for broadband speeds, with the telecommunications company taking the top spot for both mobile and fixed-line download speeds… more
Friday, 27 January 2023
FTX’s Bahamas creditors say minimal sums owed
Bahamas – Multiple Bahamian companies identified as FTX creditors yesterday asserted that the purported sums owed to them were minimal to non-existent… more
Local bank, hotels, law firms, government agencies among thousands of FTX creditors
Bahamas – Some 100 Bahamian companies including a local bank, two Bahamian law firms, and several security firms are listed among the myriad of creditors wrapped up in the collapse of crypto exchange giant FTX, court documents filed in a US Bankruptcy court have revealed… more
Digicel invests US$4.3 million for home entertainment service in Mandeville
Jamaica – Even as residents here await the completion of a highway project expected to drive commerce and more housing developments, telecommunications company Digicel has expanded its services… more
Saturday, 28 January 2023
– Nil –
Sunday, 29 January 2023
Yaneek Page | ChatGPT: New rival or valuable resource
Caribbean – Still in its testing phase, the new artificial intelligence tool, ChatGPT, wrote an article about business growth for 2023 in just over one minute, a task that would take the typical human being several hours to complete. In just over five minutes… more
Images credit: Ono Kosuki (Pexels); Wikipedia; Bahamas Local; Wikipedia; ArawakX; Wikimedia Commons
