A roundup of the latest ICT/technology news from across the Caribbean region for the period Monday 3 April to Sunday 9 April 2023.
Monday, 3 April 2023
Front Porch: What’s going on at BTC?
Bahamas – … more
Online Customs declarations to be mandatory from June 12
Bahamas – ALL returning Bahamians and residents must fill out their Customs declarations electronically, and pay associated fees online, before they land in this country as of June 12, 2023, it was revealed yesterday… more
The computer goes clackety-clack
Caribbean – A return to mechanical keyboards was an incidental decision after I put my laptop on a riser… more
Tuesday, 4 April 2023
BTC to URCA: Reliable electricity biggest challenge facing telecoms
Bahamas – The Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) is concerned about what it claims is the Utilities Regulation and Competition Authority’s (URCA) lack of monitoring and improvement of the electricity sector in The Bahamas, especially on the Family Islands… more
Cable: URCA’s 23% budget rise ‘assault on our finances’
Bahamas – Cable Bahamas has blasted the 23 percent hike in the Utilities Regulation and Competition Authority’s (URCA) 2023 budget as “an assault on the finances” of itself and other communications operators who will pay for it… more
URCA under scrutiny over “significant” budget increase
Bahamas – The country’s utilities regulator has come under scrutiny from its licensees over what they describe as “significant” increases forecasted in its 2023 budget, with one major communications provider stating that the days of telcos being a “cash cow” are over… more
Digicel strikes debt restructuring deal
Caribbean – As part of its debt-cutting plan, Digicel Group announced three-quarters of bondholders are set to take shares in the company to resolve its debts and reduce founder Denis O’Brien’s stake from 99.9% to 10% to have US$1.8 billion written off, reported the Irish Times… more
Use AI to improve productivity
Caribbean – Artificial Intelligence (AI) has emerged as one of the most transformative technologies of the 21st century and the current fourth industrial revolution… more
AG Joseph: Changes to Data Protection Bill unnecessary
Grenada – Senator Claudette Joseph, Attorney General and Legal Affairs minister, said that changes made to the Data Protection Bill during the Committee stage of the Lower House of Parliament on 14 March 2023 “was not necessary” but were made so Government “might show transparency.”… more
Digital Agriculture and innovation for improved sector
Grenada – The Ministry of Agriculture and Lands, Fisheries and Cooperative, in partnership with the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), has launched 2 projects to promote digital agriculture and resilient agri-food systems in Grenada… more
Inspiring future tech leaders
Jamaica – Flow recently joined the Jessie Ripoll Primary School to inspire the next generation of technology engineers at the school’s Boys’ Day activity on Thursday, March 30… more
Lynk to launch LynkBiz to allow MSMEs to accept digital payments seamlessly
Jamaica – Digital payment wallet – Lynk – will this month launch a new line to its suite of business client services, known as LynkBiz and has issued a call for businesses to sign up… more
Huawei promises to keep local workers employed
Trinidad and Tobago – Thoughts of retrenchment are not on the minds of Huawei Technologies T&T Limited, as the company is seeing stability and growth in this country… more
Mastercard’s Girls4Tech reaches 38 in TT, Jamaica
Trinidad and Tobago – Mastercard’s Girls4Tech, an educational program that seeks to inspire girls aged 8 – 16 to acquire skills in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM), returned to the Caribbean with the participation of 38 girls from Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago… more
Wednesday, 5 April 2023
Cable’s pay-TV status ‘screaming for removal’
Bahamas – Cable Bahamas is arguing its ‘significant market power’ designation in the pay-TV market is “screaming for removal” with competition from streaming services having caused an 11 percent plunge in subscriber numbers in 2021… more
Government loading previously signed contracts into new e-procurement system
Bahamas – The government is loading previously signed contracts into its new Bonfire e-procurement system, so that contracts already awarded since the Davis administration took office almost two years ago, will be available to the public, Financial Secretary Simon Wilson told members of the media yesterday… more
Digital revolution key to public sector upgrade
Barbados – Government is reaffirming its commitment to improving the way it does business, saying it is pressing ahead with the digital transformation of the public service as a major part of its plan… more
CARPHA launches online course on Regional Food Security and Nutrition Surveillance
Caribbean – Food security and nutrition surveillance systems (FNSS) are critical to public health as they provide information for immediate and medium to long-term decision-making relating to the nutritional risk factors, nutritional status and nutrition-related diseases and disorders in a country’s population… more
Digicel debt talks extended
Caribbean – DIGICEL now has until the end of this month to formalise a restructuring agreement with creditors, which would “recapitalise the business and place it on a firm and sustainable footing for the future”… more
Affording compliance with the Data Protection Act
Jamaica – While small businesses, due to their size, may not need to appoint a data protection officer when the Data Protection Act (DPA) comes into effect on December 1 this year, Information Commissioner Celia Barclay is encouraging them to begin investing now to ensure compliance… more
The Visionaries’ Summit to pull global business leaders to Kingston
Jamaica – Kirk-Anthony Hamilton-led Infiniti Partnership will again enlist global and local business leaders to explore investment opportunities in the island at The Visionaries’ Summit, which returns after a four year-hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic… more
Thursday, 6 April 2023
‘Barely scratching surface’ on Sand Dollar’s adoption
Bahamas – The Bahamas is “barely scratching the surface” of the Sand Dollar’s potential, payment providers asserted yesterday, with the digital currency needing more “high traffic” merchants to accept it to drive adoption… more
Sudden rise of false coaches, faux experts
Caribbean – The digital age has given rise to many new industries, skillsets, and platforms for people to get their message out and when used correctly, this has been powerful in helping to grow the wider population… more
NTRC Makes Donation Of Computers
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines – The NTRC presented a total of twenty (20) Lenovo Desktop computers to the National Centre Of Technological Innovation(NCTI) on March 28, 2023… more
Friday, 7 April 2023
Flow: Notice of upgrade activity
Grenada – As part of our announced programme to boost our leading network, Flow advises customers of scheduled upgrade activity resulting in service interruptions in the following areas as follows:… more
Saturday, 8 April 2023
Digicel in Easter connections with communities
Guyana – Digicel Guyana says it continues to connect Communities throughout Guyana and more so during Easter Celebrations… more
GTT announces support for Rupununi Rodeo 2023
Guyana – GTT Inc, Guyana’s leading telecommunications company, last Friday announced its support for the upcoming Rupununi Rodeo 2023. The company’s Chief Operating Officer (COO)- Business Solutions, Orson Ferguson, donated GY$ 500,000 to Director of the Rupununi Livestock Association, Christina Edwards… more
GTT partners with Bartica Committee for Regatta 2023
Guyana – GTT has signed on as partners for Bartica Regatta 2023. The event which commenced last Saturday with a sashing ceremony for the Miss Bartica Regatta pageant, will conclude on April 10 with grass track races and the pageant finals… more
Digicel points to bush fire as cause of service outage
Trinidad and Tobago – Digicel has confirmed that a bush fire near Bamboo Village was the root cause of the Good Friday disruption in services experienced by its customers… more
Sunday, 9 April 2023
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Images credit: the blowup (Unsplash); The Bahamas Weekly; Jamaica Information Service; Wikimedia Commons; Bahamas Sand Dollar (Twitter); Guyana Chronicle
