Roundup: for the week ending 30 August 2026

A roundup of the latest ICT/technology news from across the Caribbean region for the period Monday, 24 August to Sunday, 30 August 2026.

Monday, 24 August 2026

Analysis: Who Is Shaping Curaçao’s Digital Future — and Where Is the National Telecom Vision?

Curaçao – Curaçao is approaching an important crossroads in telecommunications. The planned connection to the CELIA submarine cable and the possible arrival of Starlink could significantly strengthen the island’s digital resilience… more

Tuesday, 25 August 2026

DIR: One Tax Bahamas portal will officially launch on Sept. 1

Bahamas – The Department of Inland Revenue has announced that its One Tax Bahamas (OTB) portal – which is expected to improve the payment of taxes and fees to the DIR – will officially launch on September 1… more

Simplified Tech launches robots in The Bahamas

Bahamas – Simplified Lending’s sister company Simplified Tech will launched a range of humanoid and quadruped robots for sale in The Bahamas and Caribbean in the next two weeks, the company revealed during a press conference at Margaritaville Beach Resort yesterday… more

VI repped at fintech event in Canada

British Virgin Islands – A Virgin Islands delegation recently promoted the territory at a major fintech event in Canada… more

CANTO 41st Annual Conference and Trade Exhibition Concludes in Punta Cana

Caribbean – CANTO, the leading trade association for the Caribbean ICT sector, concluded its 41st Annual Conference and Trade Exhibition this August, hosted at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic… more

Why the Caribbean may be better positioned for the AI era

Caribbean – The Caribbean is not behind in the artificial intelligence (AI) race… more

RAC Warns Starlink Sales and Use Remain Prohibited in Curaçao Without Concession

Curaçao – The Regulatory Authority of Curaçao (RAC) has warned that the sale and use of Starlink equipment and services are currently prohibited in Curaçao because the satellite internet provider has not yet been granted a telecommunications concession… more

Wednesday, 26 August 2026

BTL formally withdraws proposed acquisition of Speednet

Belize – Belize Telemedia Limited (BTL) has formally withdrawn its submissions to the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) regarding its proposed acquisition of Speednet Communications Limited… more

BTL Withdraws Speednet Acquisition Bid

Belize – Belize Telemedia Limited (BTL) has formally withdrawn its proposal to purchase Speednet Communications Limited (the parent company of SMART)… more

“Changed Circumstances” Kill BTL-Speednet Acquisition

Belize – One of the biggest potential shake-ups in Belize’s telecommunications industry is officially off the table… more

Caribbean Urged to Go Beyond Connectivity

Caribbean – The Caribbean has made significant progress in expanding digital connectivity, but the region must now focus on building on that foundation to unlock greater economic and social opportunities… more

Corporate communications is not digital marketing

Caribbean – Over the last few years, I have received an increasing number of calls from companies asking me to train their marketing teams… more

Region still a high roaming area

Caribbean – The Secretary-General of the Trinidad-based Caribbean Telecommunications Union (CTU) Rodney Taylor Tuesday said despite the Declaration of St George’s being signed four years ago, mobile users in the region continue to face high mobile charges… more

Phones and devices banned in CIG schools

Cayman Islands – Personal electronic devices, including mobile phones and any device that can be used for communication or online connections, have been officially banned across all Cayman Islands Government schools… more

Grenada’s digital push accelerates

Grenada – Grenada is advancing its digital transformation agenda as government and regional technology officials push for stronger digital infrastructure and greater connectivity… more

Govt to digitise land systems and services

Trinidad and Tobago – The Ministry of Land and Legal Affairs (MLLA) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to accelerate the digital transformation of Trinidad and Tobago’s land-related systems and services… more

Thursday, 27 August 2026

BTC continues investment in its people, recognising 38 Top Performers for Q2

Bahamas – BTC has recognised 38 employees in New Providence and the Family Islands as its top performers for the second quarter, bringing to 79 the number of workers honoured under the company’s recognition programme so far this year… more

Government pushes back on One Tax concerns, says platform will simplify tax compliance

Bahamas – The Government has moved to ease mounting concerns over One Tax Bahamas, insisting the initiative is not a new tax or a pathway to higher rates but a modernised digital platform intended to simplify how individuals and businesses meet their existing tax obligations… more

ECCB Generative AI and Python Summer Camp

Caribbean – The Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB), with support from the Taiwan International Cooperation and Development Fund, is equipping young people across the region with the technical and professional skills needed to compete in a rapidly changing digital economy through its Generative AI and Python Summer Camp… more

Curaçao Court Rules Employee’s WhatsApp Messages Amounted to Valid Resignation

Curaçao – A Curaçao security employee who resigned through WhatsApp following a dispute over unpaid wages cannot return to her job, after the Joint Court of Justice ruled that her messages could reasonably be regarded by her employer as a valid resignation… more

Curaçao Innovation Hub Takes Second Place Worldwide at AI Film Festival

Curaçao – Curaçao Innovation Hub has secured second place worldwide at the SparkVision AI Film Festival 2026, an international competition for short films created entirely using artificial intelligence… more

911 and COE strengthen coordination to improve emergency response

Dominican Republic – The executive director of the National Emergency and Security System 911, Colonel Randolfo Rijo Gómez, ERD, received the new director of the Emergency Operations Center (COE), Colonel Erdwin Robert Olivares Luciano, during a working meeting held Tuesday at the 911 facilities… more

Friday, 28 August 2026

Mother builds digital platform to help families with autism

Bahamas – A GRAND Bahama mother who could not afford specialised programmes for her autistic son taught herself how to support him and is now building a digital platform aimed at helping Bahamian families facing the same gaps in special education services… more

E-Invoicing Set to Change How Belize Does Business

Belize – Belize’s business community is getting ready for a major shift in how it bills customers and reports transactions. Hundreds of business owners packed today’s demonstration for their first hands-on look at the country’s new electronic invoicing system… more

Galen University, Transparent BPO and Corazon Creek Technical High School open new pathways to college and careers

Belize – Galen University, Transparent BPO and Corazon Creek Technical High School (CCTHS) have joined forces to create greater educational and employment opportunities for students… more

NTUCB Warns: Remove Lizarraga, or BTL Faces Trouble

Belize – The NTUCB says its demand to remove Markhelm Lizarraga as chairman of BTL’s Board is not an empty threat… more

CANTO and ITU Sign Joint Declaration to Advance Digital Cooperation Across the Caribbean

Caribbean – CANTO, the leading trade association for the Caribbean ICT sector, and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the United Nations specialized agency for information and communication technologies, have signed a Joint Declaration of Intent formalizing cooperation on digital development across the Caribbean region… more

CANTO summarises 2026 conference discussions

Effectively incorporate AI into your business

Caribbean – Business owners can use artificial intelligence to improve everyday operations by automating repetitive work, supporting faster decisions, and helping employees handle information more efficiently. The challenge is choosing useful applications rather than adopting AI simply because it is new… more

Your free AI now has advertisers — what that changes, and what your business should actually be paying for

Caribbean – Earlier this year OpenAI said ChatGPT had passed 900 million weekly users, and that more than 50 million people paid for a consumer subscription. The distance between those two numbers is the whole story of the past few weeks… m o re

Police partner with Cayman cryptocurrency broker

Cayman Islands – A partnership with a cryptocurrency broker will allow the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service to hold and exchange digital assets under investigation… more

Curaçao and Kingdom Partners Still Divided on Personal Data Protection Rules

Curaçao – Curaçao, Aruba, Sint Maarten and the Netherlands continue to have different standards for protecting personal data, despite ongoing efforts to harmonize privacy legislation throughout the Kingdom… more

De Weever: BTP must fix existing problems before taking on GEBE

Sint Maarten – Party for Progress (PFP) Member of Parliament (MP) Ludmila de Weever has warned that giving the Bureau Telecommunication and Post (BTP) St Maarten responsibility for regulating NV GEBE would be like “building castles on clouds” because she believes the bureau is not currently handling its existing responsibilities adequately… more

AI agency launches with global ambitions

Trinidad and Tobago – For “less than the cost of an employee” IntelliCo AI Agency Limited has vowed to change the business landscape of the country… more

Intellico introduces AI agency service with 150 agents

Trinidad and Tobago – “AI should not sit outside the business. It should work within it,” said Tracy Fernandez, Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer of Intellico AI Agency Limited… more

Saturday, 29 August 2026

Belize Tax Service phasing into E-Invoicing for businesses

Belize – The Belize Tax Service (BTS) on Friday, August 28, hosted an E-Invoicing Solutions Expo in Belize City, drawing a large crowd of business owners, entrepreneurs and service providers seeking information on the new electronic invoicing system… more

Sunday, 30 August 2026

Francis Wade The ‘Wait-and-See’ AI strategy

Jamaica – You have some doubts about your company’s approach to AI. The leadership team has decided to wait and see rather than move too fast. However, it’s been almost a year in which nothing has happened. Was that the right call? … more

One-quarter million square feet of BPO-outsourcing space hits market

Jamaica – More than 245,000 square feet of office space sits vacant, reflecting higher-than-usual inventory amid a downturn in the outsourcing sector… more

Images credit: Ashni (Unsplash); Wikipedia; Caribbean Telecommunications Union (Facebook); ECCB; United Nations; Wikipedia