A roundup of the latest ICT/technology news from across the Caribbean region for the period Monday 20 March to Sunday 26 March 2023.
Monday, 20 March 2023
Digicel to roll out eSIM for post-paid users in coming weeks
Antigua and Barbuda – As phone companies look to new technologies to stay ahead of the competition, Digicel earlier this month began the rollout of its eSIM for its prepaid customers with a view to post-paid customers receiving a similar upgrade in the coming weeks… more
Regional entrepreneurs launch modern payment solution in Antigua & Barbuda
Antigua and Barbuda – CaribPay, a leading financial technology company, is proud to announce the launch of its secure and convenient payment solutions in Antigua. The innovative platform provides a reliable and efficient alternative to traditional banking systems, making transactions faster and easier for individuals, employers, and businesses… more
US tightening Guyana’s cybersecurity; recommends signing of international convention
Guyana – Even as the United States’ Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) prepares to teach the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) how to stave off cyber attacks, the American government has recommended that this South American nation signs one of two conventions on cybersecurity, the US Embassy here said Monday… more
Tuesday, 21 March 2023
FTX Bahamas subsidiary branded a ‘front’ for fraudulent transfers in court filings
Bahamas – Lawyers for FTX have filed a complaint in a US bankruptcy court claiming that the company’s Bahamian subsidiary FTX Digital Markets is a legal and economic ‘nullity,’ which had been merely created as a ‘front’ to facilitate fraudulent transfers… more
FTX US chief bids to cut-off Bahamas
Bahamas – FTX’s US chief yesterday shattered the temporary ceasefire with the Bahamian provisional liquidators by launching a legal bid to deny them access to any assets caught in the crypto exchange’s multi-billion dollar collapse… more
FTX: US interfering with $45m Bahamas recovery
Bahamas – FTX’s Bahamian liquidators are accusing their US counterparts of interfering with a $45m stablecoin recovery and failing to preserve the value of the collapsed crypto exchange’s $241m local real estate empire… more
FTX US on the attack
Bahamas – The United States (US) debtors for FTX, The Bahamas-based cryptocurrency exchange that imploded last year, have asked a Delaware judge to rule that FTX Digital Markets (DM), the Bahamian arm of the company, has no ownership in FTX’s cryptocurrency, intellectual property or customer information… more
FTX wind-up faces stall absent ‘claw back’ rule
Bahamas – FTX’s Bahamian liquidators say they need the Supreme Court to determine who the local subsidiary’s customers truly are so they can “claw back” preferential payments and prevent the winding-up from “stalling”… more
Former Ambassador says e-ID cards can be sourced for half of US$34M
Guyana – As questions continue to linger over the Government of Guyana (GoG) decision to sole-source a German-based company to produce an integrated electronic national identification system and cards that will be costing taxpayers US$34 million, former Ambassador Dr. Shamir Ally has called on President Irfaan Ali to terminate the contract… more
Fisherfolk receive VHF radios
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines – A number of fishers have been supplied with VHF radios, made possible through the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO)… more
TSTT, Amplia appeal of $26.4m lawsuit goes to Privy Council
Trinidad and Tobago – A COMPLAINT by the Telecommunications Authority (TATT) against the Telecommunications Services (TSTT) and its internet-service provider subsidiary, Amplia, over their failure to pay $26.4 million to a national fund to develop internet connectivity in rural communities, will not proceed in the High Court until the Privy Council rules on an appeal… more
Wednesday, 22 March 2023
Commission seeks FTX $426m asset resolution
Bahamas – The Securities Commission is anxious to resolve the ownership of $426m in FTX digital assets under its control due to the ongoing costs it is incurring to secure them, it has been revealed… more
New Digital Connect Center opened in Cayo
Belize – On March 21, 2023, The Ministry of Public Utilities, Energy, Logistics and E-Governance launched the Teodoso Ochoa Digital Connect Center… more
ECTEL appoints first female Chairperson to Board of Directors
Caribbean – The Eastern Caribbean Telecommunications Authority (ECTEL) is shining the spotlight on its first female Chairperson of the Board of Directors, Ms Shaniqua Carey-Brown of St. Kitts and Nevis… more
New FinTech partnership launched
Caribbean – The Caribbean FinTech Sprint for Financial Inclusion has been launched… more
Your brand should not be relying on social media
Caribbean – This year is a very strange place for all social media platforms. There is a wide assortment of issues affecting almost every single platform today, and the fallout with everything happening is that many of the businesses that rely on social media to conduct their business will become casualties… more
Bar Association: Sections of Data Protection Bill overbroad
Grenada – Grenada Bar Association (GBA) members believe that sections of the 2023 Data Protection Bill need to be amended because they are “overbroad” and can result in “constitutional breaches” if it was to become the law of the land… more
Call for Grenada and RSS members to update cybercrime laws
Grenada – Linda S Taglialatela, the current USA ambassador to Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean, recommends that Grenada and all others members of the Regional Security Systems update their cybercrime law… more
SpaceX Starlink available in Haiti
Haiti – SpaceX officially announced the availability of Starlink internet service in Haiti… more
HUGO APP TO LEAVE JAMAICA
Jamaica – On April 30, the service delivery app Hugo will cease its operations in Jamaica… more
Brison says he will never solicit anyone on social media that’s not his
Sint Maarten – It was a shocking moment for me,” United People’s (UP) party Member of Parliament (MP) Rolando Brison said on Wednesday as he addressed his recent detention on charges of bribery and subsequent release, for which he remains a suspect… more
Thursday, 23 March 2023
FTX chief’s $460m deal with Bahamas fund firm
Bahamas – FTX’s US chief yesterday unveiled a $460m settlement with a Bahamas-based fund manager that received hundreds of millions of dollars in the months leading up to the crypto currency exchange’s collapse… more
Cyber threats seen as emerging risks to port security – local shippers told
Guyana – Security threats posed to shipping and port facilities came into focus when the Shipping Association of Guyana (SAG) in collaboration with MATPAL Marine Institute hosted a one-day Port Facility and Shipping Security Awareness training programme for members of the SAG last Tuesday at the Institute’s Training Centre in Lamaha Gardens, Georgetown… more
EduFocal partners with Design Privacy for data protection courses
Jamaica – Listed education technology firm EduFocal has partnered with data privacy consultancy services provider Design Privacy Limited to help local companies comply with the data protection regulations… more
Friday, 24 March 2023
Cybersecurity experts warn against increasing risks
Barbados – The risks of cyber attacks are real and can cause significant damage to business operations. As cybersecurity risks continue to grow, businesses, institutions, and governments in the Caribbean are taking steps to mitigate the risks and protect themselves from cyber attacks… more
AI comes of age
Caribbean – For decades, artificial intelligence, or AI for short, had languished in the halls of academia and punting software engineers. But now with the explosion in usage of easily accessible programs, AI has hit the big time… more
Mastercard, Curacao firm partner on digital payments
Caribbean – Dutch-Caribbean fintech company, Girasol Payments, and global technology giant Mastercard, have announced a six-year partnership to build the digital payment infrastructure for the region… more
Artificial intelligence identifies Cayman’s challenges
Cayman Islands – An artificial intelligence chatbot has highlighted six major issues that the Cayman Islands is struggling with today – responding in detail within seconds of a Compass query… more
Entrepreneurs to pitch ideas in Cayman’s version of ‘Shark Tank’
Cayman Islands – Eight burgeoning companies are taking part in the 2023 Cayman Islands Business Design Competition, which is described by organisers as Cayman’s ‘Shark Tank’… more
New ‘Tech City’ PAD poses significant flood risk
Cayman Islands – An application by Cayman Enterprise City to expand and modify its Planned Area Development on a 75.5-acre site in the South Sound mangrove basin has raised “grave concerns” about further seasonal flooding of homes and existing developments in the area. The Department of Environment has said the revised plan is likely to make a bad situation even worse… more
Drones to help detect T&T’s illegal quarries
Trinidad and Tobago – Drones will soon be used to help detect illegal quarries, as the Ministry of Energy and Energy Industries (MEEI) awarded a contract for aerial surveying yesterday… more
Saturday, 25 March 2023
Legislation coming to govern online gaming
Barbados – Minister in the Ministry of Finance Ryan Straughn announced on Friday that legislation to govern the online gaming industry is coming soon… more
Commonwealth and Intel launch AI learning platform for public sector leaders
Caribbean – The Commonwealth Secretariat and Intel have jointly launched a digital learning platform to enable public sector officials in 56 countries to understand and harness emerging technologies to achieve development goals… more
BPO company sends home 100 workers
Jamaica – More than 100 employees of the business process outsourcing (BPO) organisation, Vista Print (Jamaica Limited), were placed on the unemployment line on Tuesday, 24 hours after a staff meeting with their bosses who flew into the island from overseas… more
Sunday, 26 March 2023
Network payment resolved
Jamaica – Dear Claudienne, I am a Dekal Wireless Network site owner. This means that I had an agreement with the company that allowed them to place their equipment on my roof for a monthly fee… more
Online child and revenge porn a growing concern
Jamaica – Increased internet access by students because of the COVID-19 pandemic has led to an unfortunate byproduct – an uptick in underage sexual content being shared on social media and online platforms… more
Images credit: Stanley Ng (Pexels); Wikimedia Commons; Wikipedia; ECTEL; Wikipedia; Wikipedia; Wikipedia
