A roundup of ICT\/technology news from across the Caribbean region during the period Monday 11 August to Sunday 17 August 2014.<\/em><\/p>\n

<\/h3>\n

Monday, 11 August 2014<\/h3>\n

BTC, CANTO leaders look forward to a conference of \u2018firsts\u2019<\/h4>\n

Bahamas<\/em> \u2013 In an address to media on Sunday, a panel consisting of members of the leadership of CANTO expressed high hopes for their 30th annual regional telecommunications conference and trade exhibition being held at the Atlantis Resort\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

Cable Bahamas appoints Franklyn Butler II as new Vice Chairman<\/h4>\n

Bahamas<\/em> \u2013 The Board of Directors of Cable Bahamas Limited (BISX: CAB) today announced the appointment of Franklyn Butler II to the new position of Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

Cable\u00a0Bahamas undeterred by \u2018national coverage\u2019 demand<\/h4>\n

Bahamas<\/em> \u2013 A leading telecoms company is undeterred by recent remarks made by the prime minister in which he suggested that all future cellular service providers would be required to cover all of The Bahamas\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

Christie Affirms Commitment To More Mobile Licences<\/h4>\n

Bahamas<\/em> \u2013 AFFIRMING that his government is committed to the liberalisation of the Bahamas\u2019 mobile phone sector Prime Minister Perry Christie said that a liberalisation task force was in the \u201cfinal stages\u201d of competing a Request for Proposal (RFP) that will invite potential bidders for the second cellular licence\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

PM delivers address at CANTO 30th Annual Conference & Trade Show<\/h4>\n

Bahamas<\/em> \u2013 Prime Minister of The Bahamas\u2028Rt. Honourable Perry Gladstone Christie, MP\u2028Keynote Speaker\u2028CANTO 30th Annual Conference & Trade Show\u2028Atlantis; Paradise Island\u2028Sunday, 10th August, 2014\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

ICTA queries downed 911 line<\/h4>\n

Cayman Islands <\/em>\u2013 An investigation is launched by the Information, Communication and Technology Authority (ICTA) after calls to Emergency Communications were affected for just over six hours last week\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

GT&T\u00a0responds to frustrated customer<\/h4>\n

Guyana <\/em>\u2013 Dear Editor,\u2028Let me say at the outset that GT&T would have preferred to have received a copy of the letter captioned \u201cDissatisfied with service received from GT&T,\u201d which was carried in the Tuesday, August 05, 2014 edition of Kaieteur News, so that the customer\u2019s complaint and GT&T\u2019s response could have been carried in the same publication\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

Radio Jamaica Limited seeks earnings boost, using advanced technology<\/h4>\n

Jamaica<\/em> \u2013 Radio Jamaica Limited says it is working to boost earnings from overseas, after recently embarking on what it says is the country’s most ambitious audio-visual diversification project\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

Fourth Telecommunication License Issued<\/h4>\n

Sint Maarten <\/em>\u2013 St. Maarten now has four telecommunication providers, the latest was issued in a Landsbesluit signed by Governor Holiday and published in the August 2014 National Gazette\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

Telem Selects Centina To Improve Operational Efficiency<\/h4>\n

Sint Maarten <\/em>\u2013 CENTINA Systems, a leading provider in service assurance analytics and network performance management solutions for communications service providers (CSPs) worldwide, announced yesterday that Telem Group is set to deploy its NetOmnia suite of solutions for the network and improved troubleshooting and problem resolution\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

Tuesday, 12 August 2014<\/h3>\n

URCA:\u00a0Auction best way to \u2018get full value\u2019 for second cell license<\/h4>\n

Bahamas <\/em>\u2013 The Utilities Regulation and Competition Authority (URCA)\u2008has thrown its support behind the prime minister\u2019s suggestion that the government will hold a spectrum auction to award the next mobile license, calling this \u201cthe most efficient way\u201d to realize the true value of this \u201cnational resource\u201d\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

CANTO Launches 30th Annual Conference in The Bahamas<\/h4>\n

Regional <\/em>\u2013 The 30th annual CANTO Conference for information and communication technology (ICT) operators throughout the Caribbean region got off to an exciting start\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

TCI Government Support Services Ministerial Delegation off to Nassau, Bahamas<\/h4>\n

Turks and Caicos Islands <\/em>\u2013 Hon. George Lightbourne, Minister of Government Support Services, left the jurisdiction accompanied by the Director General of TCI Telecommunications Commission\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

Wednesday, 13 August 2014<\/h3>\n

BTC\u00a0CEO: National coverage demands \u2018level playing field\u2019<\/h4>\n

Bahamas <\/em>\u2013 The CEO of Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) has supported the prime minister\u2019s demand for all future cellular service providers to service the entire Bahamas, claiming that the requirement would help avoid \u201ccherry picking\u201d of lucrative markets at the expense of less populated regions in the country\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

BTC, URCA plan ahead for regulation of VoIP providers<\/h4>\n

Bahamas <\/em>\u2013 BTC and telecoms regulator URCA have both declared that they are keeping their eyes on Voice over IP (VoIP) providers as broadband develops in the country\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

Digicel Business announced as proud communications partner of Health City state of the art tertiary care hospital<\/h4>\n

Cayman Islands <\/em>\u2013 Health City Cayman Islands (HCCI) is the first Caribbean venture of the Narayana Health Group, a network of 26 hospitals across India overseen by the renowned cardiologist, Dr. Devi Shetty\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

Medina signs anti-spam legislation into law<\/h4>\n

Dominican Republic <\/em>\u2013 President Danilo Medina signed the regulation against sending unsolicited commercial emails (spam) into law, which adheres to the current legislation on commercial advertising and consumer protection\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

Cable Blackout A ‘Scandal’<\/h4>\n

Jamaica <\/em>\u2013 THE EDITOR, Sir: I have noted a worrying trend regarding our local television stations buying the rights to several cable broadcast series, for example, Suits and Scandal, and thereby blocking paying cable subscribers from viewing these on the cable provider network\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

CBS Offers It Solution For Logistics Hub Entrepreneurs<\/h4>\n

Jamaica <\/em>\u2013 The CBS Hosted PBX is a state-of-the-art, Internet-based solution aimed at reducing start-up and operational costs, especially for small business owners. “The service is designed with entrepreneurs in mind” said Craig Fisher, CBS sales manager, responsible for small and medium enterprises\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

BTC and CANTO highlight Bahamian culture at conference launch extravaganza<\/h4>\n

Regional<\/em> \u2013 The 30th annual CANTO Conference for information and communication technology (ICT) operators throughout the Caribbean region got off to an exciting start\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

No decision as Caribbean ministers, service providers discuss VoIP<\/h4>\n

Regional<\/em> \u2013 Caribbean telecommunication ministers and service providers Tuesday failed to agree on how best to deal with Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) platforms such as Viber, with the providers complaining that they were losing a significant amount of revenue due to illegal practices\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

Prime Minister speaks to CANTO 30th Annual Conference & Trade Show about new direction for BTC<\/h4>\n

Regional<\/em> \u2013 In his keynote address of the CANTO 30th Annual Conference & Trade Show at Atlantis on Sunday, Prime Minister the Rt. Hon. Perry Christie told the telecommunications delegates that the commitment of Cable and Wireless Communications (CWC)\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

4 companies vie to become third mobile provider<\/h4>\n

Trinidad and Tobago <\/em>\u2013 Applications from four companies\u2014including a multinational shareholder in State controlled Telecommunications Services of Trinidad and Tobago (TSTT) and a cable TV operator\u2014to become the country\u2019s third mobile phone service provider are being reviewed by the Telecommunications Authority of Trinidad and Tobago (TATT)\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

Emailgate: AG admits hiring foreign law firm to sue Google<\/h4>\n

Trinidad and Tobago<\/em> \u2013 Attorney Gene\u00adral Anand Ramlogan yesterday disclosed he hired a foreign law firm\u2014Computer Law Group LLP\u2014last year to sue Google\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

Thursday, 14 August 2014<\/h3>\n

PM: Bahamas is economic majority owner of BTC<\/h4>\n

Bahamas <\/em>\u2013 The Bahamas is once again the majority owner of the Bahamas Telecommunications Company. Prime Minister the Rt. Hon. Perry G. Christie made the announcement\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

Cable Bahamas Hopes To Leverage Revoice Success Into Cellular Triumph<\/h4>\n

Bahamas <\/em>\u2013 Cable Bahamas executives said yesterday that they hope to leverage the success of the company\u2019s land-line offering and multi-million network investment to become the first quadruple play provider in the Bahamas\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

Cable Bahamas invests $3 million in major REVOICE phone network upgrade<\/h4>\n

Bahamas <\/em>\u2013 Cable Bahamas has invested more than $3 million over the last year in a new Metaswitch phone switch and software that will enable new features for the more than 26,000 REVOICE subscribers and pave the way for cellular services\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

Disruptions\u00a0expected as Cable Bahamas upgrades<\/h4>\n

Bahamas <\/em>\u2013 Disruptions to Cable Bahamas\u2019 service are anticipated in the early hours of Sunday as the company switches customers over to a new Metaswitch phone switch and software system in which it has invested more than $3 million over the last year\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

Skype,\u00a0WhatsApp raise concern among regional telecoms operators<\/h4>\n

Bahamas <\/em>\u2013 BTC\u2008has joined other regional telecoms operators in expressing concern that the interests of operators in the region are being undermined by voice-over-Internet protocol (VoIP) providers such as Skype, WhatsApp and others, which offer voice and multimedia delivery for customers at low or no cost\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

URGENT: CCT introduces improved prepaid platform<\/h4>\n

British Virgin Islands <\/em>\u2013 Through its continued commitment to bring customers faster and more reliable mobile communications. CCT today announced that it will be performing a prepaid service migration, giving customers access to a new service platform\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

LIME responds to WestStar, Logic deal<\/h4>\n

Cayman Islands <\/em>\u2013 Cayman Islands telco Cable & Wireless, which operates under the LIME banner, has responded to the proposed transfer of the ownership of domestic telecoms operator WestStar from Botcat Holdings to WestTel Limited (trading in the country as Logic)\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

Our Internet is only 8% of the speed of that in the US<\/h4>\n

Guyana<\/em> \u2013 Dear Editor, Is GT&T having a joke with the people of Guyana? I\u2019m talking about internet services here. I\u2019ve just come back from the US where the following prevails:.. more<\/a><\/p>\n

Revenue hike for LIME in April – June quarter<\/h4>\n

Jamaica<\/em> \u2013 Telecommunications provider, LIME says it has cut its losses to J$712 million in the April to June quarter as revenues jumped on higher mobile and broadband business\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

LIME Urges Greater Broadband Penetration In The Caribbean<\/h4>\n

Regional <\/em>\u2013 THE telecommunications provider that first connected the Caribbean to the rest of the world, LIME, has called on regional government ministers and fellow providers to push for greater broadband penetration in the region\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

Call for more local software gets support<\/h4>\n

Trinidad and Tobago <\/em>\u2013 RECENTLY the country was made aware of the global recognition of a local software development company, which had produced work that was deemed good enough to be honoured with a global award from IT giant Microsoft\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

Google must authenticate e-mails<\/h4>\n

Trinidad and Tobago<\/em> \u2013 Google has to answer and authenticate the alleged e-mails that were sent and received from the e-mail accounts of Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar and Attorney General Anand Ramlogan\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

Number Portability<\/h4>\n

Trinidad and Tobago<\/em> \u2013 JAMES Wild is the Director and Principal Consultant of Laurasia Associates, – a specialist number portability and regulatory consultancy firm based in the UK but operating and supporting telecoms operators and regulators in Europe, Africa and the Caribbean\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

T&T Integrity Commission goes after Google<\/h4>\n

Trinidad and Tobago<\/em> \u2013 The Integrity Commission has retained the services of a top United States attorney who has filed a subpoena in the US Federal Court ordering Google to provide information to aid in the \u201cEmailgate\u201d investigations\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

Friday, 15 August 2014<\/h3>\n

BTC\u2008CEO\u00a0told: \u2018Focus on areas of competency<\/h4>\n

Bahamas <\/em>\u2013 Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) CEO Leon Williams has been advised by a former BTC executive to \u201cfocus on his areas of competency\u201d and not \u201crip up the script\u201d at the telecoms company\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

CWC completes controversial \u20182% deal\u2019<\/h4>\n

Bahamas <\/em>\u2013 The Bahamas Weekly writes that the Bahamian Government and Cable & Wireless Communications (CWC) have completed the controversial \u20182% deal\u2019\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

Secret Nygard Tapes Could Be Revealed By Court Proceedings<\/h4>\n

Bahamas <\/em>\u2013 HEDGE Fund manager Louis Bacon filed papers in a Manhattan Federal Court on Wednesday, requesting access to video footage he alleges will prove his neighbour, Lyford Cay billionaire and fashion designer Peter Nygard, ran a \u201csmear campaign\u201d against him in the Bahamas\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

Police Found Cell Phones Inside Prison<\/h4>\n

Belize <\/em>\u2013 Early this morning, a team of police and prison officers conducted a pre-dawn search of the entire Kolbe Foundation Prison facility. They were looking for any illegal items from cell phones to blade instruments\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

ICTA board seeks greater role in hiring<\/h4>\n

Cayman Islands <\/em>\u2013 The Information and Communications Technology Authority board has demanded a greater role in the hiring and firing of employees at the regulatory authority\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

Inspiring girls to love computer science<\/h4>\n

Cayman Islands<\/em> \u2013 Recently we spoke about some launched science and engineering toys made for young girls namely Lego and Goldie Blox\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

Digicel proposes the new Samsung Galaxy S5 to its customers<\/h4>\n

Haiti <\/em>\u2013 Digicel and Samsung Electronics announced the fifth generation of the Galaxy S series\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

itel-BPO lands new US-based client<\/h4>\n

Jamaica <\/em>\u2013 LOCAL outsourcing company, itel-BPO Solutions, has landed a new US-based client\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

LIME Caribbean CEO calls for technology innovation<\/h4>\n

Regional<\/em> \u2013 The region\u2019s leading telecoms provider that first connected the Caribbean to the rest of the world, LIME, called on regional government ministers and fellow telecoms providers to push for greater broadband penetration\u2026 more<\/a>.<\/p>\n

FIM Launches Innovative Smartphone Video Competition<\/h4>\n

Saint Kitts and Nevis <\/em>\u2013 ECCB\u2019s Financial Information Month has launched one of its most innovative competitions to date, utilizing students\u2019 smartphones\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

Telcell to restore full service by midnight Friday.<\/h4>\n

Sint Maarten <\/em>\u2013 Telcell has performed a network upgrade which is causing some congestion problems in the Philipsburg area such as busy calls, slow data and calls not being received, resulting in voicemail\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

LIME sponsors Technical Institutions<\/h4>\n

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines <\/em>\u2013 Two technical institutions here are the latest to benefit from the generosity of Telecommunication Company LIME\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

AG waits for Google info<\/h4>\n

Trinidad and Tobago <\/em>\u2013 Attorney General Anand Ramlogan filed a suit in the US courts against Google in June 2013 to ascertain the truth behind the May 2013 E-mailgate scandal which the People\u2019s National Movement (PNM) raised\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

AG will be vindicated<\/h4>\n

Trinidad and Tobago<\/em> \u2013 The California lawyers for Attorney General Anand Ramlogan have advised they feel he would be \u201cvindicated\u201d in allegations of an email conspiracy by him and Government officials, including Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, over the early proclamation of Section 34 in 2012\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

Saturday, 16 August 2014<\/h3>\n

The \u201cWebsite Defacement\u201d cyber threat to the Caribbean<\/h4>\n

Regional <\/em>\u2013 In the last year there has been a significant increase in the number of cyber related criminal activity in the Caribbean. In recent days the unauthorized changes made to a key regional tourism website represents yet another troubling component of the growing cyber threat we face called \u201cwebsite defacements\u201d\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

Following is the full statement from the Central Bank:<\/h4>\n

Trinidad and Tobago <\/em>\u2013 The Governor and the Central Bank unreservedly respect and value the principles of freedom of the press, as enshrined in our Constitution\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

Jwala blocks story<\/h4>\n

Trinidad and Tobago<\/em> \u2013 The Central Bank was granted an injunction against the Newsday newspaper on Friday night to prevent the publication of a story.\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

Sunday, 17 August 2014<\/h3>\n

215 Applications For Start-Up Jamaica<\/h4>\n

Jamaica <\/em>\u2013 Some 215 applications have been received by Start-Up Jamaica (SUJ), the government-sponsored accelerator programme for entrepreneurs with mainly technology-based businesses ideas, according to state minister for technology Julian Robinson\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

LIME, Digicel Can’t Block Forever<\/h4>\n

Regional<\/em> \u2013 At the 30th annual conference of the Caribbean Association of National Telecommunications Organization (CANTO) held in Nassau, one of the main agenda items being discussed by regional telecommunications ministers is how to deal with the threat of Over the Top (OTT) applications\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

E-mailgate probe shrouded in secrecy<\/h4>\n

Trinidad and Tobago <\/em>\u2013 Steps taken by the Integrity Commission to sue search engine and e-mail provider Google for information on Attorney General Anand Ramlogan\u2019s e-mails remain shrouded in secrecy, but it appears that the commission\u2019s move has usurped the role and function of the Central Authority\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Image credit: \u00a0filipe ferreira<\/a>\u00a0(flickr); \u00a0Wikipedia<\/a>; \u00a0Wikipedia<\/a>; \u00a0Bahamas Local<\/a>; \u00a0Wikimedia<\/a>; \u00a0Wikipedia<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

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

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