A roundup of the latest ICT/technology news from across the Caribbean region for the period Monday 18 August to Sunday 24 August 2025.
Monday, 18 August 2025
CXC to roll out fully electronic multiple-choice exams from next January
Caribbean – The Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) has announced that as of January 2026, all multiple-choice components of its examinations will be conducted electronically, marking a significant step in the council’s ongoing digital transformation… more
How USB-C failed us
Caribbean – Consider the longevity of the humble Universal Serial Bus (USB) port. Consider too all the ways it has failed to live up to its promise despite that… more
ANSA launches new banking app
Trinidad and Tobago – ANSA Bank Ltd is changing how customers interact with financial services, with the launch of a new mobile banking app that executives say will make transactions faster, simpler, and more intuitive without compromising security… more
Tuesday, 19 August 2025
A&E wait times slashed with digital kiosks, faster triage — QEH
Barbados – Patients arriving at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital’s Accident and Emergency Department are now being registered in as little as three minutes, the hospital said Monday, with overall triage waiting times cut by 40 per cent, following sweeping efficiency reforms… more
GECOM bans cellphone use in polling stations
Guyana – The Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) on Tuesday announced that it has banned cell phone use in polling stations for the September 1, 2025 General and Regional Elections in an effort to curb the chance of vote-selling… more
Wednesday, 20 August 2025
BTC launches 2025-26 Phone Book
Bahamas – JUNKANOO is being celebrated with the new BTC telephone directories this year… more
CJ pledges faster relief for mums as courts go digital
Barbados – Mothers waiting months for overdue child maintenance could soon see quicker payouts, after Chief Justice Leslie Haynes vowed to make speeding up those cases one of his top priorities under a new digital reform of the Magistrates’ Courts… more
Petrol dealer spokesman to PSVs: Go cashless
Barbados – Petrol station operators have flatly rejected calls from the public service vehicle (PSV) industry for secure, dedicated spaces to count cash, insisting the suggestion is both impractical and makes little business or security sense… more
From AI to zinc: Scientists race to save reefs amid bleaching crisis
Caribbean – As record coral bleaching swept across the Caribbean over the past two years, scientists rushed to save the reefs using tools like multivitamins, artificial intelligence and underwater speakers… more
How Caribbean businesses can show up in AI search
Caribbean – For years, Caribbean businesses were told to focus on search engine optimisation (SEO). The logic was simple: If you ranked well on Google, customers would find you, click on your site, and eventually reach out… more
SALCC, Orbtronics Forge Innovative Partnership
Saint Lucia – Innovation comes full circle this week as the Sir Arthur Lewis Community College (SALCC) joins forces with Orbtronics, a tech company founded by proud SALCC alumni… more
Thursday, 21 August 2025
Ministry of Agriculture launches digital farmer information system
Antigua and Barbuda – The Ministry of Agriculture, Lands, Fisheries and the Blue Economy formally launched the Antigua and Barbuda Farmer Information System on Tuesday, marking the culmination of an eight-year partnership with the Commonwealth of Learning under the L3F (Lifelong Learning for Farmers) initiative… more
Central Bank reports rise in digital banking charges
Bahamas – The Central Bank of The Bahamas, in its recently published semi-annual assessment of banking charges, said that surcharges for digital services rose compared to last year… more
More space, more riddim at Flow Dome Mall
Barbados – Flow Barbados has a brand-new retail store at Dome Mall, Warrens, St Michael. It’s a modern, more spacious location designed to deliver an enhanced customer experience… more
Optimising your digital presence
Caribbean – The customer journey has changed. For years, Caribbean businesses were told to focus on search engine optimisation (SEO)… more
How technology is changing business and industry
Caribbean – The way we make, buy, heal, and bank has been transformed by technological breakthroughs. From connected machines on the factory floor to virtual doctor visits and blockchain-enabled finance, traditional sectors are moving beyond manual processes and rigid models… more
Milestone Appointment Strengthens Saint Kitts And Nevis’ Role In Global Telecommunications Leadership
Saint Kitts and Nevis –The Federal Ministry of Information, Communications, and Technology and Posts in Saint Kitts and Nevis proudly announces that its Permanent Secretary, Cheryleann Pemberton, has been appointed as the Second Vice Chair of the Executive Committee of the Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation (CTO)… more
School discipline, AI textbooks discussed at minister’s principals meeting
Trinidad and Tobago – OVER 100 principals of government and government-assisted secondary schools met with Education Minister Dr Michael Dowlath to discuss the ministry’s initiatives for indiscipline management, curriculum reform and the introduction of digitally enhanced, AI-generated textbooks… more
Friday, 22 August 2025
BTC donates 110 push-to-talk radios and 60 cameras to Immigration Dept
Bahamas – THE Department of Immigration has received 110 push-to-talk radios and 60 body cameras from the Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC)… more
Data protection law to ‘modernise’ privacy
Bahamas – Public consultation has been launched for the draft Data Protection Bill, which is intended to replace the existing Data Protection (Privacy of Personal Information) Act, 2003… more
New Data Protection Bill released for consultation
Bahamas – The Office of The Data Protection Commissioner (DPC) has launched public consultation on the draft Data Protection Bill 2025, which will replace the Data Protection (Privacy of Personal Information) Act of 2003, and will improve the protection of personal data in the country by affixing rules to the collection of data and penalties for contravening them… more
SSB Unveils Digital Upgrades and Strategic Plan
Belize – The Social Security Board opened its annual public forum today in Belize City and there was plenty to talk about. From financial updates to digital upgrades, SSB laid out its plans for the future… more
Boosting Trade in the World’s Least Developed Countries – The power of Technology
Caribbean – Artificial intelligence and the use of frontier technologies are already transforming trade and boosting prosperity, particularly for developed, and some developing countries… more
Students to be allowed to use AI in CXC assessments from next year
Caribbean – Students will be allowed to use artificial intelligence in their school assessments from next year, but will need to follow specific guidelines when doing so… more
New Emcoms Radio Operators Trained
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines – On Friday, August 15, 2025, another eleven persons successfully completed a Novice/Technician Class amateur radio course here… more
NTRC Robotics Finalists Selected
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines – The second round of judging for the National Telecommunications Regulatory Commission’s (NTRC) 2025 iCode784 Competition in the Robotics Category got underway August 19, 2025, featuring seven secondary school teams in Zone 2… more
A cautious approach to AI
Trinidad and Tobago – THE EDITOR:Artificial intelligence (AI) is not only becoming the driving force of technological advances globally, but it has also become a centrepiece of our domestic digitisation thrust, with a ministry dedicated to AI… more
TATT awards $10k bursaries to 12 tertiary students
Trinidad and Tobago – TWELVE students from UWI, UTT and COSTAATT have been awarded $10,000 bursaries by the Telecommunications Authority of TT (TATT) for pursuits in ICT-related studies… more
Saturday, 23 August 2025
Police launch online recruitment portal amid shortage
Bahamas – The Royal Bahamas Police Force is turning to a new online application system in a bid to tackle manpower shortages that have left officers overextended across the country… more
Flow commits over $125 000 to connect CARIFESTA XV
Barbados – Telecoms provider Flow has reaffirmed its deep commitment to Caribbean culture and regional development by providing over $125 000 in connectivity support to CARIFESTA XV, the region’s largest and most celebrated festival of arts and culture… more
Jamaica Warned: Online Shopping Brings Cybercrime Risk.
Jamaica – Deputy Prime Minister and National Security Minister, Dr. Horace Chang, says Jamaicans’ growing use of online shopping brings bigger risks of cyberattacks… more
TAJ issues over 65,000 eMVRCs since July
Jamaica – Since its July launch rollout, Tax Administration Jamaica (TAJ) says it has issued over 65,000 Electronic Motor Vehicle Registration Certificates (eMVRC) island-wide as at August 19, in a resounding success… more
Trump calls on Jamaicans not to vote for ‘Andrew Holiness’?: Jamaican politicians must guard against AI-generated misinformation and smear tactics
Jamaica – With the general election in Jamaica just two weeks away and campaigning by the two main political parties in fever-pitch mode, there is plenty at stake… more
Sunday, 24 August 2025
Caribbean risks becoming ‘pawns’ without collective action and digital sovereignty
Caribbean – Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley yesterday warned that nations in the Caribbean that are overly driven by personal satisfaction, social media distraction, and shallow consumption of information could easily lose sight of a greater collective mission and run the risk of becoming pawns of another civilisation which may be seeking to dominate… more
Dear AI: I’m good, thanks
Caribbean – The world is free to argue back, forth and sideways about the use of AI for everything from how to cook noodles to how to write novels… more
For Guyana’s Private Sector AI success is a data, workflow, and people game
Guyana – Lately the global headlines screamed that “95% of generative AI pilots are failing.” These headlines are based on a recent MIT study that interviewed 150 executives, surveyed 350 employees, and looked at 300 individual AI projects. It found that 95% of AI pilot projects failed to deliver any discernible financial savings or uplift in profits.” Some blame the technology, others dismiss AI as hype… more
Invernisoft Inc – Coding Quality, Building Trust
Guyana – What if your payroll software could do more than calculate numbers? What if it could build trust, reflect local expertise, and carry the national symbol of quality? … more
The Jam-Dex dilemma
Jamaica – IF you’ve heard about Jamaica’s digital currency, Jam-Dex, but still can’t figure out where to spend it, you’re not alone… more
Images credit: rawpixel.ccom (freepik)); Wikipedia; Wikipeda; Wikipedia; Wikipedia; Wikipedia; Wikimedia Commons
