{"id":3462,"date":"2012-03-19T05:55:59","date_gmt":"2012-03-19T10:55:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.ict-pulse.com\/?p=3462"},"modified":"2012-03-21T08:45:20","modified_gmt":"2012-03-21T13:45:20","slug":"roundup-for-the-week-ending-18-march-2012","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ict-pulse.com\/2012\/03\/roundup-for-the-week-ending-18-march-2012\/","title":{"rendered":"Roundup: for the week ending 18 March 2012"},"content":{"rendered":"

This is a roundup of the ICT\/technology news from across the Caribbean region during the period Monday 12 March to Sunday 18 March 2012.<\/em><\/p>\n

\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/garyth123\/\"<\/a>Monday, 12 March 2012<\/h3>\n

CANTO’s 6th WTISD – Essay Competition<\/h4>\n

Trinidad & Tobago <\/em>\u2013 CANTO based in Trinidad & Tobago will stage its 6th annual World Telecommunication and Information Society Day- Essay Competition under the theme:\u00a0 \u201cWomen and girls in ICT\u201d\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

Tuesday, 13 March 2012<\/h3>\n

BTC, union talks at \u2018stalemate\u2019<\/h4>\n

Bahamas <\/em>\u2013 Discussions over the terms of a new industrial agreement between the union that represents line staff of the Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) and its owners have reached a \u2018stalemate\u2019, according to Bahamas Communications and Public Officers Union (BCPOU) General Secretary Denise Wilson\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

LIME and RIM to Host Black Berry App Developer Hackathon<\/h4>\n

Barbados <\/em>\u2013 LIME with support from Research In Motion (RIM), the maker of BlackBerry\u00ae smartphones and the BlackBerry\u00ae PlayBookTM tablet, is hosting the first application developer hackathon in Barbados\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

Police will provide cell phone ban warning<\/h4>\n

Cayman Islands <\/em>\u2013 Judging from the number of individuals still driving around Grand Cayman while talking on their hand-held cell phones, it\u2019s clear a government-approved ban on the use of those devices in cars hasn\u2019t yet taken effect\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

OAS assistant secretary general calls for accelerated measures to address cyber-security<\/h4>\n

Costa Rica <\/em>\u2013 The OAS assistant secretary general, Albert Ramdin, has called on the countries of the hemisphere to accelerate efforts to address threats to cyber-security, while emphasizing the importance of doing so while respecting citizens\u2019 rights and civil liberties\u2026 more<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Submarine cable to improve West Demerara’s power supply<\/h4>\n

Guyana <\/em>\u2013 The Guyana Power and Light Inc. (GPL) is laying a cable across the Demerara River which it says will boost electricity supply to residents on the western side of the waterway as part of a US$42M Chinese-funded infrastructure development project\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

LIME Fibers the City<\/h4>\n

St. Vincent & the Grenadines <\/em>\u2013 This country’s premium full service provider has embarked on a project to lay fibre optic cable around Kingstown. The entire project is expected to cost in excess of $700,000\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

Wednesday, 14 March 2012<\/h3>\n

Information Ministry Highlights Accomplishments<\/h4>\n

Antigua & Barbuda <\/em>\u2013 Minister of Information, Broadcasting, Telecommunications, Science, and Technology Dr Edmond Mansoor has reflected on his ministry’s accomplishments during the eighth anniversary of the United Progressive Party (UPP) administration\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

BTC Introduces New Features<\/h4>\n

Bahamas<\/em> \u2013 BTC announced that come July 1, it will transform Directory Assistance, introducing new features available on 916 calls, a long-standing, underused service that one executive said remained \u201ca sleeper in the array of customer products\u201d for decades\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

BTC union threatens industrial action<\/h4>\n

Bahamas <\/em>\u2013 Bahamas Communications and Public Officers Union (BCPOU) President Bernard Evans said yesterday the union is now considering industrial action because it has reached an impasse with the Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) over proposed salary increases in a new industrial agreement\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

Report: 90% of BTC line staff underpaid<\/h4>\n

Bahamas<\/em>\u00a0\u2013 Most of the line staff at the Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) are underpaid in comparison to employees at similar local and regional companies, and despite the fact that BTC has been saving and generating millions in profits, according to union chief Bernard Evans\u2026\u00a0more<\/a><\/p>\n

GPL begins laying of $5M submarine cable across Demerara River<\/h4>\n

Guyana <\/em>\u2013 Electricity supply, particularly to the West Demerara area, will be greatly improved when the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) Company completes laying its US$5M submarine along the river bed connecting the two grids\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

Thursday, 15 March 2012<\/h3>\n

Deadline for registering of cell phones extended by a couple weeks<\/h4>\n

Belize<\/em> \u2013 At both telephone companies today, customers lined up for hours in a mad rush to register prepaid cellular phones and avoid disconnection\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

OLPF head resigned over project targets tension \u2013 Luncheon<\/h4>\n

Guyana <\/em>\u2013 Concerns about achieving the targets of the government\u2019s One Laptop Per Family (OLPF) initiative were at the root of the resignation of Senior Project Manager Sesh Sukhdeo, administration spokesman Dr. Roger Luncheon has revealed… more<\/a><\/p>\n

Law on Phone Tapping Passed — Opposition voted against, people\u2019s privacy will be invaded<\/h4>\n

Sint Maarten <\/em>\u2013 The two factions of the current coalition government approved the amendment on the national ordinance for special investigative powers\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

Friday, 16 March 2012<\/h3>\n

Gov\u2019t rolls out Connect Antigua & Barbuda Biz<\/h4>\n

Antigua & Barbuda<\/em> \u2013 Further proof that it\u2019s now a digital world came last evening as government unveiled the Connect Antigua and Barbuda Biz initiative\u2026. more<\/a><\/p>\n

Greater use of ICTs in education encouraged<\/h4>\n

Barbados <\/em>\u2013 Transforming education through technology will require emphasis on learning how to create, how to collaborate and how to communicate in education without neglecting the content\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

Software piracy means US$86.0M in losses yearly<\/h4>\n

Dominican Republic <\/em>\u2013 Software piracy means companies lose around US$86.0 million yearly, though the practice has fallen from 77% to 76%, affirmed Microsoft general manager Jorge Cabeza\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

Saturday, 17 March 2012<\/h3>\n

Sacked laptop boss now at OP<\/h4>\n

Guyana <\/em>\u2013 \u201cTensions\u201d over the implementation of the One Laptop Per Family (OLPF) project led the government to eventually let go of project head Sesh Sukhdeo, but he now enjoys a similar contract at the Office of the President\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

Sunday, 18 March 2012<\/h3>\n

LIME pay talks soon<\/h4>\n

Barbados <\/em>\u2013 Prime Minister Freundel Stuart is preparing to make his first attempt at brokering a lasting settlement to the ongoing dispute between LIME and the Barbados Workers\u2019 Union (BWU)\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

Battle Of The Digital Wallets<\/h4>\n

Jamaica <\/em>\u2013 While the central bank predicted at the start of 2012 that new technology might have an impact on remittance flows, such as the Zoompass Wallet, local companies say the absence of an approved policy on mobile money is likely to leave Jamaica far behind in the more efficient digital transactions arena\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

Image courtesy of Gary Thomson<\/a>, flickr<\/em><\/p>\n

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

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