{"id":160025,"date":"2021-08-23T06:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-08-23T11:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ict-pulse.com\/?p=160025"},"modified":"2021-08-22T17:02:09","modified_gmt":"2021-08-22T22:02:09","slug":"roundup-for-the-week-ending-22-august-2021","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ict-pulse.com\/2021\/08\/roundup-for-the-week-ending-22-august-2021\/","title":{"rendered":"Roundup: for the week ending 22 August 2021"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A roundup of the latest ICT\/technology news from across the Caribbean region for the period Monday 16 August to Sunday 22 August 2021.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Monday, 16 August 2021<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Public Library receives technological donation<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Antigua and Barbuda \u2013<\/em> The Antigua Public Library is the beneficiary of a donation of six fully functional tablets facilitated by the local organisation Redonda Robots… more<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

NEW INVESTMENT OPPORTNITIES: Two int\u2019l companies to soon launch on ArawakX crowdfunding platform<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Bahamas \u2013<\/em> Beginning next week, Bahamians will have a chance to have ownership in two international companies that will launch on the ArawakX crowdfunding platform on Monday, August 23… more<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The World Leading Sand Dollar<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Bahamas <\/em>\u2013 LAST year The Bahamas became a global leader in e-money, after launching its own Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC), the Sand Dollar, ranked number one in the PwC Global CBDC Index\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

#BTColumn \u2013 Crowdfunding to finance healthcare<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Barbados <\/em>\u2013 This week I watched a very moving interview on Mornin\u2019 Barbados with Jaelle Goddard, discussing her journey as she navigates from diagnosis of cervical cancer to commencing her treatment in the United Kingdom… more<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

BUSINESS MONDAY: DIGITAL PUSH<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Caribbean <\/em>\u2013 WHILE the digital revolution in at least one leading Caribbean business enterprise did not start with COVID-19, the pandemic has more or less accelerated the process\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

IICA director examines barriers to digitalisation of agriculture in rural areas<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Caribbean<\/em> \u2013 The Director General of the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), Manuel Otero, says while potential benefits offered by the digitalisation of agriculture are enormous, its expansion in Latin America and the Caribbean is still in its infancy due to six barriers… more<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Boss Revolution to provide no-fee money transfers to Haiti after earthquake<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Haiti <\/em>\u2013 IDT said its flagship consumer brand will be providing no-fee money transfers and reduced calling rates to Haiti after the earthquake that struck this pass weekend… more<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Freelancers getting a boost from The Hive<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Jamaica <\/em>\u2013 Having successfully launched last year, Ingenuity Technologies is reporting that its freelancing website, The Hive, has already grown beyond expectations creating a community of more than 10,000 across the Caribbean, India and the United States… more<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Work to start soon on GovNet platform<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Jamaica<\/em> \u2013 GovNet is the platform that will provide a secure network for all ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs)… m<\/a>o<\/a>re<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Coding and Robotics Rock!<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Jamaica<\/em> \u2013 The innovative virtual summer programme, the IGT Coding and Robotics Rock Camp for Caribbean students, got underway last week… more<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Engineering a remote work reality<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Trinidad and Tobago <\/em>\u2013 It takes a human resources professional to rephrase the glamour of Work From Home and its trendy acronym, WFH, into proper HR terms\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Tuesday, 17 August 2021<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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2,000 homes in Abaco to be connected to BTC\u2019s fiber network<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Bahamas<\/em> \u2013 Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) is expanding its fiber to the home network by 2,000 families in Abaco, representing a \u201cmassive overhaul\u201d of the island\u2019s network\u2026 more<\/a> \u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

BTC conducts massive fiber upgrade on Abaco<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Bahamas<\/em> \u2013 Approximately 2,000 families on Abaco will have access to BTC\u2019s expanding fiber to the home network… more<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

NTI STARR HUNT LAUNCHED<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Barbados \u2013<\/em> Barbadians not only have a chance to enhance their skillset through the online courses on the National Transforma-tion Initiative (NTI) website, but now they can win prizes through the NTI STARR Hunt with BiP… more<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

NTUCB President Says GOB\u2019s Switch to Smart was Ridiculous<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Belize \u2013<\/em> And while the United Democratic Party hit the government on one side, the National Trade Union Congress of Belize hit the government on the other\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Altice and Claro lodge bids for Dominican 5G spectrum auction<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Dominican Republic <\/em>\u2013 Altice Dominicana and Claro Dominicana have submitted technical and economic offers to The Dominican Telecommunications Institute (Indotel) as the regulator prepares to auction 5G spectrum… more<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Growth & Jobs | Driva Ja aims to change the food delivery market<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Jamaica<\/em> \u2013 THE RISE of food delivery service has become a major trend in Jamaica over the past year due to the coronavirus pandemic, and positioned to take advantage of the increasing demand for effective and time-sensitive delivery is the new Jamaican tech start-up, Driva Ja… more<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Keniel looking to use AI to transform Jamaica’s health sector<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Jamaica<\/em> \u2013 IF 25-year-old software developer Keniel Peart has his way upon returning from the United Kingdom with a prestigious master’s degree, then artificial intelligence (AI) will play a major role in revolutionising the Jamaican health sector… more<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Flow aids in the fight against COVID-19<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Saint Kitts and Nevis <\/em>\u2013 Regional Communications provider Flow implemented a few initiatives in St Kitts and Nevis to aid in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic\u2026 m<\/a>o<\/a>re<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Wednesday, 18 August 2021<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Cable In Revenue Increase Pass Expectations<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Bahamas<\/em> \u2013 Cable Bahamas Ltd (CBL) \u201csurpassed expectations\u201d for the 2021 fiscal year with revenue increasing by four percent in the final quarter… more<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Island Luck Teams Up on Sports Betting Technology<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Bahamas \u2013<\/em> Kambi Group Plc, a provider in sports betting technology, has teamed up with local gaming house, Island Luck, to provide the latter with premium sports betting technology… more<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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PM Briceno Elaborates on GOB\u2019s Move to SMART<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Belize<\/em> \u2013 Telecommunications company, Speednet SMART this morning responded to recent reports of government ministries switching telephone services to privately owned company Smart from government control company, Belize Telemedia Limited… more<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Taiwanese University Students\u2019 Volunteer Group donates laptops to 9 schools<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Belize <\/em>\u2013 This week, nine schools received a donation of laptops through the student volunteer group from Taiwan\u2019s National Tsing-Hua University \u2013 Belize Educational Service Group (BESG)… more<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bluedot founder and CEO said to be in breach of deal with SSL Venture Capital<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Jamaica<\/em> \u2013 Founder of data insights company Bluedot, Larren Peart, has seeminly reneged on a deal with investment outfit SSL Venture Capital in which he would reacquire majority share ownership of his company\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cybersecurity Road Map for Business \u2013 The Conclusion<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Jamaica<\/em> \u2013 AS we conclude with article twelve of our Cybersecurity Road Map for Business series, let’s summarise all of the information we have provided to you\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Consumers increasingly going online for bill payments<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Jamaica<\/em> \u2013 JAMAICANS worried about the novel coronavirus pandemic are logging on to the Internet in droves to make bill payments… more<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jamaica\u2019s Central Bank Says It Would Need Court Order to Track CBDC Transactions<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Jamaica <\/em>\u2013 The Bank of Jamaica (BOJ), the country\u2019s central bank, said customer protection policies prevent it from being able to trace digital dollar transactions, though it has the technology to do that… more<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

NCB and Scotiabank’s rivalry transitions to the digital network<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Jamaica <\/em>\u2013 Jamaica’s two leading banking groups, National Commercial Bank (NCB) and Scotiabank, have transitioned their rivalry to the digital network with the formation of more digital branches across the island\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Police dispatch system being upgraded<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Jamaica<\/em> \u2013 The Jamaica Constabulary Force\u2019s (JCF) Computer Aided Dispatch System is being upgraded as part of efforts to improve the efficiency of police service delivery… more<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Uber Rent Launches in Puerto Rico<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Puerto Rico<\/em> \u2013 Uber has launched Uber Rent on its app in Puerto Rico, according to a report by Newsismybusiness.com (NimB)… more<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Thursday, 19 August 2021<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Aliv In Covid-Inspired Demand For Fibre Services<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Bahamas \u2013 A senior Aliv executive says the COVID-19 pandemic has increased demand for fibre services, transitioning away from lower bandwidth standard modem services\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

ArawakX sees 100% month-on-month jump in investor sign-ups<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Bahamas <\/em>\u2013 ArawakX is seeing 150 potential investors sign on to its platform per day, representing a 100 percent increase month-on-month\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Procedure for returning VI digital textbooks<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

British Virgin Islands<\/em> \u2013\u00a0 Parents of students in the public school system who utilise the Virgin Islands Digital eBook\/Textbook (VIDE) are asked to note the following procedures for returning the devices to the Ministry of Education\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Caribbean – Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband – Statistics and Analyses<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Caribbean<\/em> \u2013 Just released, this edition of BuddeComm report outlines the latest developments and key trends in the telecoms markets… more<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Cuba Places Tighter Controls on Social Media Sites<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Cuba <\/em>\u2013 Cuba introduced tighter controls on the use of social media this week, including a ban on publications that might damage \u201cthe country\u2019s prestige,\u201d angering many citizens and international rights activists\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dominican Republic \u2013 Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband \u2013 Statistics and Analyses<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Dominican Republic <\/em>\u2013 A show of stability in the face of widespread disruption is a sure sign of strength in the sector, yet the Dominican Republic remains behind most of its counterparts in the Latin American region, especially in terms of fixed-line network coverage\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

E-Networks to extend fibre optic submarine cable to Suriname<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Guyana<\/em> \u2013 E-Networks has been granted permission by the Guyana Government to connect its fibre optic submarine cable to Suriname to provide for redundancy here… more<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Huawei opens call for students for Seeds for the Future programme<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Trinidad and Tobago <\/em>\u2013 Huawei will soon open the call for the sixth annual staging of its Seeds for the Future programme, the company\u2019s flagship global corporate social responsibility initiative\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Friday, 20 August 2021<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

TVET COUNCIL, WORLDSKILLS RUSSIA TO HOST FUTURE SKILLS CAMP<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Barbados <\/em>\u2013 Fourteen- to 18-year-olds in this country will have an opportunity to learn and hone their skills in five areas as WorldSkills Russia and the TVET Council (TVETC) host the upcoming Future Skills Camp… more<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Avaya Engage 2021 registration opens for Latin American and Caribbean registrants<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Caribbean<\/em> \u2013 Avaya, a world leader in solutions to improve and simplify communications and collaboration, announced the 2021 edition of its Avaya ENGAGE Latin America event, to be held on August 25 and August 26 from 11:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. (EST), for the second consecutive year on a digital platform\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

DCash- Making Payments Easier<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Caribbean<\/em> \u2013 Timothy Antoine, the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank\u2019s Governor is keen on seeing workers getting their wages more speedily. And the best way of ensuring this is embracing the use of DCash payments\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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WiPay Caribbean moving headquarters to Jamaica<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Caribbean<\/em> \u2013 Payment facility WiPay Caribbean is expanding its footprint in Jamaica\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Guydrones \u2013 changing the face of agriculture in Guyana with drone technology<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Guyana<\/em> \u2013 Having already established itself in North America, Guydrones \u2013 a company headed by a U.S based Guyanese couple \u2013 is looking to change the face of agriculture in Guyana with the use of drone technology\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

IICA, SBB to roll out Amazon-type e-commerce platform next month<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Guyana <\/em>\u2013 With local entrepreneurial growth, particularly in the agri-foods sector having long been hampered by chronic weaknesses in mechanisms to allow for businesses to access regional, extra-regional and even local markets, the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), through its Regional Economic Project Initiative, is seeking to help remove that constraint by working with the state-run Small Business Bureau (SBB) to introduce an e-commerce regime designed to create a new opening for local products to benefit from significantly enhanced market access\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Companies urged to get sensitised on new Data Protection Act<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Jamaica <\/em>\u2013 Companies who fail to adequately protect customers’ data could be fined up to four per cent of their revenue in the next two years\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

WiPay to drive regional expansion from new base in Ja<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Jamaica <\/em>\u2013 With three years of operation under its belt, and an estimated US$210 million in annual transactions, payment facilitator WiPay Caribbean is expanding its footprint in Jamaica, with an eye on further market penetration, regionally, including retailing central bank-backed digital currencies, or CBDCs, here and in the Eastern Caribbean\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Saturday, 21 August 2021<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

UDP, BCWU condemn switch to SMART<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Belize <\/em>\u2013 At a press conference held by the United Democratic Party on Tuesday of this week, area representative for the Albert Division, Tracy Panton, who sat at the UDP head table with UDP leader, Hon. Patrick Faber, and Orange Walk East area representative, Elodio Aragon, Jr., commented on the decision made by several government ministries to procure the telecommunications services of the privately owned Speednet Communications Limited (SMART) \u2014 thus replacing the nationally owned Belize Telemedia Limited as their telecom provider… more<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Sunday, 22 August 2021<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

BBS Student receives computer for successful finish in Blockchain Studies<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Bahamas<\/em> \u2013 In 2020, the BBS team in The Bahamas presented Anderson with a data-enabled device that she and her sister used to learn remotely during COVID-19 lockdowns– more<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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CTU To Discuss Internet Governance Priorities in Post-COVID-19 Era<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Caribbean<\/em> \u2013 The CIGF will address various work streams of Internet governance necessary to seize this opportunity for accelerated digital transformation in a trusted and secure manner, and position the Caribbean for sustainable, ICT-driven post-COVID recovery… more<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jamaica’s digital currency ‘more secure than Bitcoin’<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Jamaica <\/em>\u2013 Founder and chief executive officer (CEO) of eCurrency, Jonathan Dharmapalan, has given the assurance that Jamaica’s digital currency will not be a security headache\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Using citizen power for the improvement of early warning systems<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Jamaica<\/em> \u2013 It was interesting to see and hear the discussion surrounding warnings related to Tropical Storm Grace. The official position is that adequate information was available yet citizens stated that they were not adequately warned\u2026 more<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Image credits: Andrys Stienstra (Pixabay<\/a>); Twitter<\/a>; The Eleutheran<\/a>; Wikipedia<\/a>; Wikipedia<\/a>; Trinidad and Tobago Newsday<\/a>; Facebook<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

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