A roundup of the latest ICT/technology news from across the Caribbean region for the period Monday 28 July A to Sunday 3 August 2025.
Monday, 28 July 2025
Belize, US biometric data-sharing agreement called ‘digital colonialism’
Belize – The biometric data-sharing agreement signed between the governments of Belize and the U.S. has drawn a fierce response as critics claim it is a “humiliating” loss of sovereignty… more
Beware of artificial intelligence
Caribbean – ARTIFICIAL intelligence (AI) is all the rage right now, and even better, it has an acronym, AI. We love acronyms in this country… more
Digicel offering US$2b in bonds
Caribbean – DIGICEL has returned to the international bond market with a near US$2 billion offer as part of a major new effort to refinance existing debt… more
Aubyn Hill highlights agriculture, technology opportunities for J’can businesses
Jamaica – Minister of Investment and Commerce Aubyn Hill is encouraging entrepreneurs in Manchester to take advantage of business opportunities in areas such as agriculture and technology… more
Digital pathways for small business growth
Jamaica – On June 27, the world celebrated MSME Day, a timely reminder of the vital role micro, small and medium-sized enterprises play in economies everywhere, especially here in Jamaica. MSMEs make up over 90 per cent of our business landscape, generate thousands of jobs and form the backbone of communities across the island… more
Digital Transformation in Law Libraries
Jamaica – With the increased use of technology across the legal ecosystem, law libraries are being highlighted as a critical support area in which to incorporate the use of digital technology… more
AI Explorers graduates advised to use tech knowledge wisely
Trinidad and Tobago – After a five-day workshop on Artificial Intelligence (AI), young creatives produced futuristic computer games as part of their presentations for the graduation ceremony on July 18… more
AI students graduate in Couva
Trinidad and Tobago – After a five-day workshop on artificial intelligence (AI), young creatives produced futuristic computer games as part of their presentations for their graduation ceremony on July 18… more
CourtPay marks seven years, with hundreds of millions processed
Trinidad and Tobago – The Judiciary of Trinidad and Tobago marked an historic milestone this past Friday, with the seventh anniversary celebration of CourtPay, the country’s first national online payment system for court-related transactions… more
What .POST means for secure communications
Trinidad and Tobago – ACCORDING to Kevin Hernandez, digital inclusion expert at the Universal Postal Union (UPU), the union’s Connect.POST project plans to “Help bridge the digital divide by connecting all post offices to the internet and transforming them into one.” … more
Tuesday, 29 July 2025
BTC moves to set new customer-focused ‘vibe’
Bahamas – The Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) says last week’s launch of its ‘Feel the Vibes’ initiative signals the carrier’s renewed focus on the consumer through an improved network and services… more
Belizean Digital leader Alexia Peralta awarded prestigious Chevening scholarship
Belize – The British High Commission in Belize announced that Alexia Peralta of Orange Walk Town has been awarded the prestigious Chevening Scholarship and will soon head to the United Kingdom to pursue a Master of Science in Management of Information Systems and Digital Innovation at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)… more
Cybersecurity isn’t just for big business: A practical framework for MSMEs
Caribbean – Scrolling through LinkedIn recently, I came across a post criticising cybersecurity professionals for focusing too heavily on solutions designed primarily for medium and large enterprises… more
Unified Caribbean digital future requires human-centred transformation
Grenada – Grenadian Prime Minister and Caricom’s lead Head of Government on ICT the Honourable Dickon Mitchell delivered a forward-leaning keynote at the 40th Annual CANTO Conference and Trade Exhibition, calling for urgent regional alignment on spectrum, cybersecurity, cloud systems, and digital identity… more
Crack the Code to launch search for young Jamaican tech talent
Jamaica – Virginia, USA-based software developer Intellibus will launch an island-wide competition for young Jamaican tech enthusiasts on Tuesday, July 29, at the AC Hotel, Kingston, beginning at 10 am… more
7Krave introduces Autopay to university students for seamless grocery, meal shopping
Jamaica – Popular food delivery company 7Krave has expanded its business and has partnered with the University of the West Indies to offer students meal solutions tailored to not only meet their everyday needs but to do so hassle-free… more
WiBUZ honoured for pivotal role in transforming Jamaica’s educational connectivity
Jamaica – New York-based IT company WiBUZ has been named ‘Technology Partner of the Year’ at the recently held 2025 Broadband Communities Awards for delivering a vendor-agnostic Wi-Fi network in Jamaica… more
Wednesday, 30 July 2025
OPM demands news agency retract story on SpaceX deal
Bahamas – THE Office of the Prime Minister has called on Reuters, a leading international news agency, to retract a story that claimed SpaceX offered free Starlink internet terminals to the Royal Bahamas Defence Force (RBDF) as part of an agreement to land Falcon 9 rocket boosters in Bahamian waters… more
Digital levy payments to come directly from Airbnb, online bookings
Caribbean – Barbados is set to overhaul how digital accommodation taxes are collected, with Airbnb, Booking.com, and other major online platforms soon required to deduct and remit the Shared Economy Levy directly to the Barbados Revenue Authority, removing the need for small property owners to file bi-monthly tax returns according to Minister in the Ministry of Finance Ryan Straughn… more
St. Lucia and the rest of the region get Data Management Training
Caribbean – St. Lucia and the rest of the region may now be better able to deal with the issue of data management. Recently, fourteen government officials from across the Caribbean successfully completed a Regional Training of Trainers (TOT) on Data Collection, Protection, and Security, held in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago… more
Home Affairs Ministry launches ‘Secure Eye’
Guyana – The Ministry of Home Affairs yesterday unveiled Secure Eye, Guyana’s pioneering “See Something, Say Something” digital reporting and feedback system… more
JN Bank advances financial inclusion agenda with mobile wallet roll-out
Jamaica – JN Bank is moving ahead with the roll-out of JN Pay Wallet, its mobile wallet for the Bank of Jamaica’s central bank digital currency (CBDC), JAM-DEX… more
CourtPay: How Caribbean tools can solve big government problems
Trinidad and Tobago – When we talk about digital transformation in the Caribbean, we often look abroad… more
Micro Software Designs drives digital transformation in financial services sector
Trinidad and Tobago – As Micro Software Designs Ltd (MSD) celebrates its 41st anniversary on August 22, it stands as a testament to resilience, innovation and technological excellence in the Caribbean and Central American financial services sector… more
Thursday, 31 July 2025
BTP warns businesses in Sint Maarten to be cautious of rising Ransomware threats.
Sint Maarten – Bureau Telecommunications and Post St. Maarten (BTP) is issuing an urgent warning to all businesses and organizations in Sint Maarten to be increasingly vigilant about the growing threat of ransomware attacks across the Caribbean region… more
Friday, 1 August 2025
Caribbean Tales International Film Festival celebrates 20 years with global online access
Caribbean – The Caribbean Tales International Film Festival (CTFF), is celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2025. Organizers shared via press release that the festival will be held from Wednesday, September 3 to Saturday, September 13 at various venues in Toronto, with an accompanying online program accessible worldwide from September 3 through October 3, 2025… more
Digicel Group upsizes refinancing to nearly $3 billion
Caribbean – JAMAICA-BASED telecom company Digicel Group has upsized its senior secured notes offering to approximately US$1.99 billion, an increase of US$440 million from the originally planned US$1.55 billion. Alongside this, it is securing nearly US$1 billion in new loans, bringing its total refinancing package close to US$3 billion… more
Bankers warn of increase in new ATM scam attacks
Cayman Islands – The professional association for Cayman’s banks on Wednesday warned automated teller machine (ATM) users to be on the lookout for scams that could see their accounts raided after a near-50% jump in malware attacks in the region… more
Tax Payments in Curaçao Must Continue Despite Ransomware Attack, Says Tax Office
Curaçao – Despite the recent ransomware attack that disrupted the Tax Office in Curaçao, taxpayers remain obliged to make their payments on time. In a press release, the Tax Office emphasized that the payment systems are fully operational and that the Receiver’s Office is open to arrange payment plans… more
Dowlath: We’ll hire 100 more tech-voc teachers
Trinidad and Tobago – EDUCATION Minister Dr Michael Dowlath announced the government’s goal to hire 100 more assistant instructors of technical/vocational education and training (TVET) subjects, speaking at a post-Cabinet briefing on July 31 at the Diplomatic Centre, St Ann’s… more
Saturday, 2 August 2025
One on One reports best-ever quarterly performance
Jamaica – One on One Educational Services Limited has reported its best financial performance since listing on the Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange (JSE) in 2022… more
TSTT’s Future Leaders programme to benefit 600 youths
Trinidad and Tobago – TELECOMMUNICATIONS Services of Trinidad and Tobago Ltd (TSTT) on July 31 launched a $2 million internship programme that will give 600 youths the opportunity to gain hands-on work experience… more
Sunday, 3 August 2025
One electronic record for GPHC patients taking root
Guyana – The Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), Guyana’s largest public health institution, is pushing ahead with the rollout of a new electronic health record system, titled eCare… more
Why global AI integration in the workplace is slower than expected and why Guyana must still push ahead
Guyana – As a recent article in The Economist magazine recently observed, “Talk to executives and before long they will rhapsodize about all the wonderful ways in which their business is using artificial intelligence.” JP Morgan boasts over 400 AI use cases… more
Cross-border payment inefficiencies threaten growth of Jamaican SMEs, regional data suggest
Jamaica – JAMAICA’S small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) confront significant obstacles in international trade due to costly, slow, and opaque cross-border payment systems — a challenge documented in a recent Mastercard white paper focused on Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC)… more
Armed with Technology
Saint Lucia – It is absolutely wonderful that technology has placed the universe at our fingertips and the information we crave is only a few clicks away. This is a powerful tool which serves to educate our kids and literally answer our every question. But, just like a knife which is useful in the kitchen, it can be used to harm… more
Images credit: Ashni (Unsplash); Wikimedia Commons; BTC (Facebook); Wikimedia Commons; Wikipedia
