A roundup of the latest ICT\/technology news from across the Caribbean region for the period Monday 14 June to Sunday 20 June 2021.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Monday, 14 June 2021<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Cuba Is Making Its Own Smartphone\u2014With China\u2019s Help<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Cuba <\/em>\u2013 The Cuban government is gearing up to produce what almost every Cuban wants\u2014unless it\u2019s made in Cuba. A new smartphone… more<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jamaica, Cayman Islands mull digital ID for more government services, PhilSys scaling up<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Jamaica <\/em>\u2013 Authorities in Jamaica are considering linking the national identification number (NIN) to the taxpayer\u2019s registration number (TRN) once pending digital ID legislation has been okayed, according to the Jamaica Observer\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Tuesday, 15 June 2021<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

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Survey finds more Bahamian businesses using digital payments amid COVID-19<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Bahamas <\/em>\u2013 A survey commissioned by the Central Bank of The Bahamas has revealed that more businesses have embraced digital payments in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Technology shift needed for small business sector<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Barbados <\/em>\u2013 Concerns are being raised that there are still too many micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in Barbados and the rest of the Caribbean that are unable to process online transactions, limiting their ability to benefit more from the tourism sector\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Caribbean movies and TV shows coming soon to US video streaming service Roku<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Caribbean <\/em>\u2013 Just in time for Caribbean American Heritage Month, Caribbean movies and TV shows are now more accessible than ever to viewers in the Caribbean diaspora across the US, UK, and Canada with FILMCO\u2019s release of curated titles across its expansive catalogue and slate of original films on the newly launched PAVILION+ platform\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

ANNOUNCEMENT: NTRC meeting for radio operators consultation on draft amateur radio guidelines and standards<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Dominica <\/em>\u2013 \u201cThe National Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (NTRC) is issuing a call and reminding all Amateur Radio Operators to participate in the consultation on the draft Amateur Radio Guidelines and Standards This Thursday, June17th, 2021\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

COVID-19 Vaccination Software Launched<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Jamaica <\/em>\u2013 Public health officials now have faster and easier access to accurate data on the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in Jamaica through the full rollout of the COVID-19 Vaccination CommCare Software… more<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Uber Riding Into Kingston, Jamaica<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Jamaica <\/em>\u2013 The United States-based company had, earlier this year, announced plans to launch its services in Jamaica. The operations began on June 15th. The company says Kingston will serve as a test market… more<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

UHWI chief IT officer resigns amid multimillion-dollar scandal<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Jamaica <\/em>\u2013 The chief information technology officer at the University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI), Herman Athias, has resigned\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Local ISPs respond to FragAttacks warning<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Trinidad and Tobago<\/em> \u2013 The website fragattacks.com aggregates information about vulnerabilities, (fragmentation and aggregation attacks) which can affect WiFi devices. According to the website, every Wi-Fi product has at least one vulnerability and some have several, the result of programming errors in the hardware\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Wednesday, 16 June 2021<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

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Central Bank Digital Currency Initiative: Eastern Caribbean Central Bank<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Caribbean <\/em>\u2013 Despite the pandemic, news websites were littered with announcements of new research and pilots as the world\u2019s central banks embarked on exploring CBDC\u2019s in more detail… more<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bridging the digital literacy divide<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Jamaica <\/em>\u2013 We are in a digital literacy pandemic, one that was percolating beneath our busy schedules and distracted agendas until the actual pandemic hit… more<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr Sean Thorpe \u2014 Mentor’s touch<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Jamaica<\/em> \u2013 Dr Sean Thorpe wants to launch a technology park to give young people, not necessarily tech students, the opportunity to \u201ctouch the world\u201d\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jamaicans log onto Skills for the Future Programme<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Jamaica <\/em>\u2013 Hundreds of Jamaicans are currently being trained under the free Skills for the Future Programme by the Flow Foundation, in partnership with the Caribbean School of Data (CSOD)\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

‘Smaller companies don’t have the resources to comply with Data Protection Act’ \u2014 Chris Berry<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

\u00a0Jamaica<\/em> \u2013 Chris Berry, executive chairman of Mayberry Investments Limited, says he believes that many small enterprises may not be able to comply with the Data Protection Act, 2020 due to lack of resources… more<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Uber alarm<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Jamaica <\/em>\u2013 Ride-sharing entity Uber announced on Tuesday that it is now operational in Jamaica, sending off alarms among the thousands of taxi operators destined to collide with the Silicon Valley behemoth that has sparked conflict in transportation centres globally\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

UHWI tech project on Integrity Commission radar<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Jamaica <\/em>\u2013 The now-troubled board of the University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI) meets today amid the developing scandal over how more than $500 million was spent on an IT project at the institution that is now four years past its delivery date\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Thursday, 17 June 2021<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

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CASHLESS TREND: Acceptance and use of electronic payments increased in 2020, Central Bank survey finds.<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Bahamas <\/em>\u2013 Both acceptance and use of electronic payments increased in The Bahamas in 2020, according to a survey commissioned by the Central Bank, which also found that 64 percent of businesses surveyed believed fees charged by financial institutions require major improvements… more<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Crowdfund Platform\u2019s Launch Eyes Start-Ups Looking For $1m-$2m<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Bahamas<\/em> \u2013 A Bahamas-based crowdfunding platform will showcase \u201cfour, maybe five\u201d start-ups each seeking between $1m-$2m in financing when it launches by the second week in July, it was revealed yesterday\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Island Pay prepaid Mastercard kiosk supports Caf\u00e9 Johnny Canoe cashless restaurant concept<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Bahamas <\/em>\u2013 Island Pay Group Ltd (Island Pay) has established digital payment kiosks at high-traffic locations across New Providence, with one of its newest kiosks having been recently installed at Caf\u00e9 Johnny Canoe on Baha Mar Boulevard\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

OFFICIAL LAUNCH: Bahamian crowdfunding platform and stock exchange to go live early next month<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Bahamas <\/em>\u2013 Bahamian crowdfunding platform and stock exchange ArawakX, which is licensed and regulated by the Securities Commission of the Bahamas, is set to go live early next month\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

CYBERCRIME ON THE RISE<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Barbados<\/em> \u2013 As countries in the Caribbean continue to battle the COVID-19 pandemic, a regional security expert is warning that cybercrime is on the rise, and contends that the region must get prepared for that growing threat\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

FLOW commits to regional clientele<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Barbados<\/em> \u2013 With a very active 2021 Atlantic hurricane season predicted, Telecommunications giant Cable & Wireless, the company which operates here as Flow, is giving its corporate clients the assurance that its infrastructure is secure… more<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Keep eyes on cybercrime, warns RSS chief<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Barbados<\/em> \u2013 One of Barbados\u2019 top security officials is warning that cyber-attacks and fraud will become more prolific in Barbados and the rest of the region as countries engage in more e-commerce and online methods of doing business… more<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Online sales have transformed the market!<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Belize <\/em>\u2013 With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, businesses around the world found new and innovative ways to reach customers and potential customers\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

FLOW commits to regional clientele<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Caribbean <\/em>\u2013 With a very active 2021 Atlantic hurricane season predicted, Telecommunications giant Cable & Wireless, the company which operates here as Flow, is giving its corporate clients the assurance that its infrastructure is secure\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over US$250M at TBR Lab Demo Day<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Caribbean <\/em>\u2013 One of the primary barriers to growth for Caribbean technology startups is funding. With a very nascent early-stage investment culture, the Caribbean is a challenging place to identify angel and venture capital investors\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Cyber attacks increasing in Cayman<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Cayman Islands <\/em>\u2013 Cayman\u2019s Digital Forensic Hub has noted a spike in online attacks from cyber criminals seeking to defraud unsuspecting members of the public through scams varying from email phishing to cellphone messaging\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Latin America and the Caribbean’s digitization: Time to scale-up investments<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Haiti <\/em>\u2013 Even as the region is more connected than ever, countries in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) still face multiple digital gaps\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Banks want protection of data under Cybercrimes Act<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Jamaica \u2013 FINANCIAL institutions are concerned that they could face serious risk and liability exposure from clients if not properly protected under the Cybercrimes Act, from the authorities having access to information or data which are not relevant to their investigations of an offence… more<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Review of Parliament’s HR capabilities to be undertaken<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Jamaica <\/em>\u2013 Minister of Tourism and Leader of Government Business in the House of Representatives, Edmund Bartlett, says an organisational review of the human resource (HR) capabilities required for an efficient Parliament is being commissioned… more<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Transport minister hails Jamaican-owned Redplate Transporter app<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Jamaica<\/em> \u2013 The app, which was launched virtually on Wednesday, offers services to persons in the trucking, taxi, bus and biker businesses, providing a platform for drivers and riders to subscribe to an all-in-one application for daily transporting, delivery, shopping and mobile money needs\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Uber might require special licence to operate in Jamaica<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Jamaica <\/em>\u2013 THE Transport Authority says Uber’s \u201cvehicle with driver lease agreement\u201d is a new designation in the local public transportation landscape and may not eliminate the need for the company to engage licensed public transportation operators to provide its ride-sharing services locally\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Retailers get creative: Using simple technology to generate income<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

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Trinidad and Tobago <\/em>\u2013 Finding new, innovative and convenient ways to do things has always been a part of human nature, for example, the evolution of transportation, education and shopping\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Where are the digital transformation specifics?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Trinidad and Tobago <\/em>\u2013 IF THERE had been even one major development resulting from the Government’s plan to demonstrate digital transformation, it would have been trumpeted from the rooftops\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Friday, 18 June 2021<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Cryptocurrencies, central banks and the Caribbean<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Caribbean <\/em>\u2013 In less than three months\u2019 time, El Sal\u00advador intends becoming the first country in the world to make bitcoin its official currency alongside the US dollar… more<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

itel Introduces New Brand Celebrating International Expansion and Strategic Position in the New Economy<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Caribbean <\/em>\u2013 itel, an award-winning international customer experience partner with operations across the Caribbean, Latin America, U.S., and Canada, today announced a rebrand of the outsourcing company\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Youth Innovation lab to be launched by Trust for the Americas, CARIRI, Citi<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Caribbean <\/em>\u2013 Trust for the Americas, a non-profit organisation affiliated with the Organisation of American States, has partnered with the Caribbean Industrial Research Institute (CARIRI) and the Citi Foundation to host a new virtual event designed to support young innovators and distruptive entrepreneurs\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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DigiPlay customers in Dominica unhappy about rate increase<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Dominica<\/em> \u2013 Customers of Digicel Play are expressing concern over a recent rate increase from the company, which many say came with no prior notice… more<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

E-networks offering sign-up discounts to vaccinated customers<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Guyana <\/em>\u2013 In a statement today, the company said as an incentive to encourage more Guyanese to get vaccinated, it is offering discounts for new services to customers who have been vaccinated\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

FSC wants Cybercrimes Act to flag computer-related fraud, forgery<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Jamaica <\/em>\u2013 A key financial regulatory body in Jamaica is recommending that lawmakers expand offences under the Cybercrimes Act to tackle computer-related fraud and forgery\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

PSOJ panel bats for lower consumer tax rates to drive digital economy<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Jamaica <\/em>\u2013 A panel of digital experts brought together by the PSOJ Economic Policy Committee is pushing for a reduction in the general consumption tax, GCT, for transactions done electronically, saying it would provide an incentive for consumer migration to digital services… more<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Security expert: Region not properly prepared for cyber attacks<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Jamaica <\/em>\u2013\u00ad A regional security expert has warned Caribbean leaders to be prepared for more cyberattacks as criminals have been capitalising on the digital transformation that has been taking place due to the COVID-19 pandemic… more<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Saturday, 19 June 2021<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

PAHO\/WHO donates computer equipment to strengthen the Immunization Information Systems of the Ministry of Health and Wellness\u2019 COVID-19 Vaccine Response<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Belize <\/em>\u2013 The donated equipment will also strengthen the information system to provide fast, frequent and accurate reporting and measure the progress of COVID-19 vaccine uptake and coverage… more<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Bitt Globally Awarded As Central Bank Digital Currency Partner<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Caribbean <\/em>\u2013 For its work on the DCash pilot, global fintech company, Bitt, was awarded as the 2021 Central Bank Digital Currency Partner by the industry\u2019s leading information resource \u2013 Central Banking Publications\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jamaican-Born Engineer Leads Team Working to Improve Web Connectivity Worldwide<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Jamaica <\/em>\u2013 Jamaican-born engineer, Dr. Charles Anthony Barnett, a former student at Cornell College and a senior vice-president of Hughes Network Systems based in Maryland, is the head of a technical team that has joined with the OneWeb system to bring faster broadband internet connectivity speeds to unserved and under-served communities around the world… more<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rock Mobile confirmed as third Jamaican player<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Jamaica <\/em>\u2013 Days after confirming that Jamaica\u2019s 700MHz tender had been successful, the Minister of Science, Energy and Technology Daryl Vaz has named domestic operator Rock Mobile as the island nation\u2019s third licensee… more<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Sunday, 20 June 2021<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Hi-tech inspection<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Jamaica \u00ad<\/em>\u2013 Minister of National Security Dr Horace Chang examines a tablet attached to this police service vehicle, witnessed by Commissioner of Police Antony Anderson (centre), during the handing over of 47 \u2013 L200 Mitsubishi pickup trucks and 73 motor bikes by the ministry to the police force at the commissioner’s office, on Old Hope Road, St Andrew, on Friday… more<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Huawei to host Seeds of the Future programme<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Jamaica <\/em>\u2013 Huawei has announced its support for the fifth annual staging of Seeds of the Future programme, with students from The University of the West Indies and The University of Technology, Jamaica participating… more<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

New twists in UHWI tech system saga<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Jamaica<\/em> \u2013 AS The $500-million information technology scandal rocking the Mona Campus of The University of the West Indies (UWI) deepens, former Principal Professor Archibald McDonald has admitted that there is \u201csolid basis\u201d for the contract for the Hospital Information Management System (HIMS) software that is four years past its April 2017 delivery date be renegotiated… more<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rock Mobile quietly preparing roll-out<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Jamaica <\/em>\u2013 Rock Mobile, the newly crowned third mobile operator, continues to keep a low profile while it prepares to launch\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What to expect at a digital bank?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Jamaica <\/em>\u2013 AT the end of May, Scotiabank branches located in Christiana, Falmouth, Portmore, Port Antonio, Port Maria and St Ann’s Bay were converted to the digital model, which essentially means many day-to-day transactions, including cash transactions, will now be conducted using a digital channel… more<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Image credits: rawpixel.com (Pexels<\/a>); Wikipedia<\/a>; ECCB<\/a>; Twitter<\/a>; Wikipedia<\/a>; Wikipedia<\/a>; Wikimedia Commons<\/a>; StickPNG<\/a>; Wikimedia Commons<\/a> <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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