A roundup of the ICT\/technology news from across the Caribbean region during the period Monday 31 December to Sunday 6 January 2013.<\/i><\/p>\n\nMonday, 31 December 2012<\/h3>\n
Communications Sector Rebounds Through 3.7% Growth In Turnover<\/h4>\n
Bahamas <\/i>\u2013 The Bahamian communications industry saw its total turnover increase 3.7 per cent year-over-year to hit $444 million in 2011, regulators have estimated, despite cellular phone subscribers falling by 90,000 since 2009\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n Regional \u2013 Caribbean governments often mention the need for the region to go digital\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n Bahamas \u2013 Nassau-based Cloud Carib is announcing the immediate availability of hosted virtual datacenters, delivered securely as a service on VMware’s (NYSE:VMW) market-leading vCloud platform\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n Antigua & Barbuda <\/i>\u2013 Having now been assigned the portfolio of Minister of Information, Harold Lovell says he has requested from the Prime Minister a Minister of State to assist with the workload\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n Bahamas <\/i>\u2013 The e-commerce sector has the potential to be a \u2018significant player\u2019 and contributor to The Bahamas\u2019 gross domestic product (GDP), according to Damien Forsythe, manager of e-commerce at MWF Group Bahamas\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n Belize <\/i>\u2013 In his New Year\u2019s Message, Prime Minister Dean Barrow said that the government is proposing to transfer to the previous owners of Telemedia, fifty million dollars of proceeds from the re-sale of shares.. more<\/a><\/p>\n Antigua & Barbuda <\/i>\u2013 Having now been removed from the post of Minister responsible for Information and Broadcasting, Minister of State within the Office of the Prime Minister Hon. Dr. Edmond Mansoor still retains most of his prior responsibilities\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n Bahamas <\/i>– Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) CEO Geoff Houston said today he expects BTC service to improve strongly in 2013 as the Company\u2019s new and upgraded, nation-wide telecommunications infrastructure is completed replacing the 30-year-old obsolete system\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n Bahamas <\/i>\u2013 The Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) breached a key condition of its licence during last June\u2019s island-wide network outage, regulators said yesterday, levelling implicit criticism at majority shareholder Cable & Wireless Communications (CWC)\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n Bahamas <\/i>\u2013 Following its investigation into the Bahamas Telecommunications Company Limited\u2019s (BTC) network outage on June 18th of 2012, the Utilities Regulation and Competition Authority (URCA) made a preliminary finding that BTC breached Condition 27.1.1 (a) of its individual operating licence, … more<\/a><\/p>\n Barbados <\/i>\u2013 Industrial unrest could be brewing at Cable and Wireless (Barbados) Limited, also known as LIME\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n Barbados <\/i>\u2013 Cable and Wireless (Barbados) Limited, also known as LIME has announced that it will be severing 97 of its 648 workers.. more<\/a><\/p>\n Barbados <\/i>\u2013 Affected LIME workers who have been laid off are now locked in a meeting with officials at the Barbados Workers’ Union (BWU) at its headquarters at Solidarity House in St Michael\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n Guyana <\/i>\u2013 The government is looking to get new legislation for the telecoms sector passed in the National Assembly today in hopes of putting an end to the so-called telephone monopoly held by the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company, GT&T\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n Bahamas<\/i> \u2013 The Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) is appealing to the general public to do their part in maintaining their land and cell phone service by helping stop the copper thefts at BTC sites\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n Bahamas<\/i> \u2013 The Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) yesterday said it was committed to investing \u201cmore than $100 million\u201d in upgrading its communications infrastructure, adding that its mobile data traffic had increased 28,751 per cent since its 4G network launched in December 2012\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n Bahamas<\/i> \u2013 The Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) has been heavily criticised for the events which led up to the national network outage on June 18\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n Bahamas <\/i>\u2013 In the wake of the Utilities Regulation and Competition Authority (URCA) draft report that found Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) in breach of its operating license, BTC CEO Geoff Houston vowed that service will improve \u201cacross the board\u201d this year\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n Barbados<\/i> \u2013 The Union representing 97 LIME workers sacked on Wednesday is demanding that their termination letters be immediately withdrawn and an apology made by managing director Alex McDonald for \u201cunfair\u201d comments on the workers\u2019 performance\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n Barbados <\/i>\u2013 The action by LIME to put 97 of its workers on the breadline has left a sour taste in the mouths of those affected\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n Antigua & Barbuda <\/i>\u2013 Government is being urged to give more independence to the state-owned media house Antigua Broadcasting Service \u2013 ABS\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n Antigua & Barbuda <\/i>\u2013 The Telecommunications Ministry has set a second date for distribution of hundreds of computer tablets to students\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n Cuba <\/i>\u2013 The Cuban government\u2019s economic reforms must consider the myriad opportunities offered by the Internet, a key platform of the dominant economic model on the planet, according to interviews with both experts and average people\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n Barbados <\/i>\u2013 Telecommunications company LIME\u2019S outlets in Warrens, St Michael,\u00a0 and Sheraton Mall, Christ Church, reopened to a hive of activity yesterday following the sacking\u00a0 of 97 employees across\u00a0 the network\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n Jamaica<\/i> \u2013 Jamaica has a Twittter capital, and, no, it’s not Kingston. Within Jamaica’s slice of the ‘twitterverse’, the core demographic of the popular microblog reflects thin usage by local businesses\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\nCaribbean Journal\u2019s Entrepreneur of the Year 2012: Jamaica\u2019s Tyrone Wilson<\/h4>\n
Tuesday, 1 January 2013<\/h3>\n
Cloud Carib Becomes First In Latin America & Caribbean To Achieve Vmware “Cloud Infrastructure-As-A-Service” Solution Competency, Launches Offshore Cloud Iaas<\/h4>\n
Wednesday, 2 January 2013<\/h3>\n
Lovell Assigned Information and Broadcasting Portfolios<\/h4>\n
Consultant: Potential for thriving e-commerce sector locally<\/h4>\n
Previous owners say no offer for Telemedia compensation<\/h4>\n
Thursday, 3 January 2013<\/h3>\n
Mansoor Retains IT Portfolio<\/h4>\n
CEO says BTC will better service \u2018across the board\u2019 in 2013<\/h4>\n
BTC Outage Report\u2019s Veiled CWC Criticism<\/h4>\n
URCA: BTC breached condition 27.1.1 (a) of its individual operating licence<\/h4>\n
LIME cuts retail operations<\/h4>\n
LIME sends 97 workers in Barbados offline<\/h4>\n
LIME workers meeting with union<\/h4>\n
New Telecoms law could be passed today<\/h4>\n
Friday, 4 January 2013<\/h3>\n
BTC appeals for help in stopping copper theft from their service centres<\/h4>\n
BTC Enjoys 28,751% Mobile Data Growth<\/h4>\n
BTC ‘failure’ attacked<\/h4>\n
BTC responds to URCA draft report on system-wide shutdown<\/h4>\n
BWU: Apology owed<\/h4>\n
BWU wants severance letters withdrawn<\/h4>\n
Saturday, 5 January 2013<\/h3>\n
Government advised on ABS<\/h4>\n
New date for tablet distribution to students<\/h4>\n
Cubans See Internet As Crucial To Future Development<\/h4>\n
Sunday, 6 January 2013<\/h3>\n
LIME \u2018squeeze\u2019<\/h4>\n
Montego Bay Trumps Kingston In Tweets<\/h4>\n