A roundup of ICT\/technology news from across the Caribbean region for the period Monday 24 November to 30 November 2014.<\/em><\/p>\n

\nMonday, 24 November 2014<\/h3>\n

Telecoms company to add charge for printed bills as eBilling comes on stream<\/h4>\n

Antigua and Barbuda<\/em> \u2013 Thousands of LIME customers will soon have to pay more for paper billing services as the company ramps up its eBilling programme in Antigua & Barbuda and the rest of the Caribbean\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

Four Web Shops Closed Before Bill Hit House<\/h4>\n

Bahamas <\/em>\u2013 At least four web shop operators exited the industry before the new Gaming Bill ever went to Parliament, a prominent attorney has revealed, while confirming that Percy\u2019s Island Game was \u201cdefinitely going ahead\u201d to obtain a license\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

Business Monday: Digicel remains dominant<\/h4>\n

Barbados<\/em> \u2013 A planned merger of the regional operations of Cable & Wireless Caribbean and Columbus Communications will not change the fact that Digicel is the dominant communications carrier in the Caribbean\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

BUSINESS BYTE: Digicel launches Christmas promotion<\/h4>\n

Dominica<\/em> \u2013 One of Dominica\u2019s telecommunication giants, Digicel, has launched its \u201cTogether we make Christmas better\u201d promotion with much enthusiasm and Christmas cheer last Friday, despite gloomy weather\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

LIME\u2019s New Fee Dampens Festivity<\/h4>\n

Jamaica <\/em>\u2013 THE EDITOR, Sir: If you are a LIME customer, you would have seen an accompanying letter with your November bill from the CEO of LIME Caribbean, Martin Roos, informing you of an additional monthly fee of $262, inclusive of taxes as of January 1, 2015\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

OUR invites public response on service standards for telecoms industry<\/h4>\n

Jamaica <\/em>\u2013 The Office of Utilities Regulation (OUR) has invited customers of telecommunications companies to give feedback on a proposed rulemaking for quality of service standards and consumer protection guidelines for the sector\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

Cable And Wireless Worked With UK Spy Agency<\/h4>\n

Regional <\/em>\u2013 Cable and Wireless worked with a British government spy agency to hand over the Internet data of millions of people around the world, according to international media reports\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

Digicel in breach of Internet neutrality principles \u2013 Eastern Caribbean telecoms authority<\/h4>\n

Regional <\/em>\u2013 Telecommunications company Digicel has been found to be in breach of the principle of Internet Neutrality in the Eastern Caribbean\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

ECTEL to \u2018carefully monitor\u2019 CWC\u2019s proposed acquisition of Columbus International<\/h4>\n

Regional <\/em>\u2013 Following the announcement earlier this month that Cable & Wireless Communications (CWC) had agreed to pay USD1.85 billion for 100% of the equity of privately-owned, Barbados-based telecoms provider Columbus International, regional telecoms regulator the Eastern Caribbean Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (ECTEL) has said it will \u2018carefully monitor the situation and advise the Ministers accordingly to ensure that consumers continue to benefit from a choice of service providers and services\u2019\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

Merger a plus for Caribbean, says C&W<\/h4>\n

Regional <\/em>\u2013 The planned merger of Cable & Wireless and Columbus Communications in the Caribbean could well be a boon for accelerating the roll-out of broadband in Barbados and the wider region\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

St Lucia Minister criticises LIME over billing charges<\/h4>\n

Saint Lucia <\/em>\u2013 Telecommunications Minister Dr James Fletcher has criticised the decision by the British telecommunications company, LIME, to introduce a charge for printed copies of the bills to customers\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

Tuesday, 25 November 2014<\/h3>\n

New Strategies<\/h4>\n

Barbados <\/em>\u2013 Government is currently developing legislation to ensure that this island\u2019s telecommunications sector remains competitive\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

GT&T will not give Business Directory to those with residential numbers<\/h4>\n

Guyana <\/em>\u2013 Dear Editor, The yellow pages in any telephone directory have always been of great interest to me due to the fact that they showcase talent in terms of concepts, creativity, etc.\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

Limited US airwaves fetch US$34B and counting<\/h4>\n

Guyana <\/em>\u2013 A multi-billion US dollar auction for six blocks of airwaves has attracted huge interest in that North American country. It has also starkly highlighted how Guyana deliberately set about giving away what is one of its most valuable assets\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

LIME Columbus Merger Better For Consumers<\/h4>\n

Jamaica<\/em> \u2013 THE EDITOR, Sir: I am of the opinion that the impending merger between telecommunication providers Columbus Communication with LIME will result in better customer service on all fronts\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

Quality of Service Standards coming for telecoms sector<\/h4>\n

Jamaica<\/em> \u2013 Jamaica’s\u00a0 Office of \u00a0Utilities Regulation (OUR) says it is one step closer to formalising Quality of\u00a0 Service Standards for the telecommunications sector\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

Young girls being taught coding<\/h4>\n

Jamaica<\/em> \u2013 TWENTY-FIVE female students, aged 11 to 15 years, are being trained to become coders as part of the Government’s thrust to increase skills in information technology for national development, and boost the number of women in the male-dominated field\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

C&W, Columbus Assure ECTEL<\/h4>\n

Regional<\/em> \u2013 CABLE& Wireless Communications plc and Columbus say they welcome the commitment by Eastern Caribbean Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (ECTEL) to understand fully the impact of their recently announced takeover. transaction\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

Hoping for best from LIME, Flow<\/h4>\n

Regional<\/em> \u2013 The announcement a few weeks ago about the acquisition of Flow by LIME was quite shocking for most Bajans. I have to admit that I, too, am quite concerned about this latest development\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

ICT: Measuring the Information Society Report 2014<\/h4>\n

Regional <\/em>\u2013 Over three billion people are now online and information and communication technology (ICT) growth remains buoyant in just about every country worldwide, according to ITU\u2019s flagship annual Measuring the Information Society Report<\/em>\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

On Microsoft\u2019s M4 Roadshow<\/h4>\n

Trinidad and Tobago <\/em>\u2013 On Thursday, Microsoft T&T hosted a major local conference at the Hyatt Regency, with a strong slate of speakers ready to explain the company\u2019s offerings (http:\/\/ow.ly\/EKxcl) to a profile of visitors who ranged from IT professionals to public-sector infrastructure planners\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

Wednesday, 26 November 2014<\/h3>\n

Tek back de airwaves or lose you voice<\/h4>\n

Guyana <\/em>\u2013 \u201cYou can fool some of de people some of de time, all de people, some of de time, but never all de people all de time.\u201d \u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

Bill and Melinda Gates give J$226m to Jamaica\u2019s ICT development<\/h4>\n

Jamaica<\/em> \u2013 The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has provided US$2 million (approximately J$226 million) to finance a project to provide Jamaicans with increased access to\u00a0Information and Communications Technology (ICT) services, as well as training to promote personal, organizational and national development\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

Cable & Wireless Business Solutions launches MyBusiness in Jamaica<\/h4>\n

Jamaica<\/em> \u2013 Cable & Wireless Business Solutions announced today the launch of its Hosted PBX solution – One Voice available for Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) business customers\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

Consumer The Casualty Of No Competition<\/h4>\n

Jamaica<\/em> \u2013 THE EDITOR, Sir: Following a plethora of commentary across Jamaican media over the past number of weeks in regard to Cable & Wireless’ acquisition of Flow, I would like to add my two cents, for I can no longer stay quiet\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

Customer Satisfaction Surges With Global Outsourcing Solutions \u2013 Leading BPO increases customer satisfaction by 100% via Digicel Business<\/h4>\n

Jamaica <\/em>\u2013 Founded in 2012, Global Outsourcing Solutions (GOS) was started in 2012 and is a digital contact centre specialising in delivering high-quality and cost-effective solutions for the business-to-business, financial, healthcare, hospitality, insurance and telecommunications industries\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

Digicel Business digs deeper into BYOD market<\/h4>\n

Jamaica <\/em>\u2013 DIGICEL Business says it has partnered with a second mobile device management (MDM) provider as part of its thrust into the bring-your-own-device (BYOD) market\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

Ja Short On Brainpower To Mine Data \u2013 Gordon<\/h4>\n

Jamaica <\/em>\u2013 DR PETER-John Gordon, a lecturer in economics at the University of the West Indies, Mona, has said Jamaica does not have the capacity to do major data mining\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

Con artist targets Flow customers<\/h4>\n

Trinidad and Tobago <\/em>\u2013 As the Christmas spending season draws nearer, a cyber con artist is targeting Flow\u2019s cable TV customers\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

Thursday, 27 November 2014<\/h3>\n

BTC is Upgrading One Lucky Customer to a New House This Christmas<\/h4>\n

Bahamas <\/em>\u2013 This Christmas, BTC will be upgrading one lucky customer to a brand new home as well as giving away thousands in cash, and other prizes\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

Freundel Stuart meets with Cable & Wireless and Columbus Bosses over acquisition<\/h4>\n

Barbados<\/em> \u2013 Prime Minister Freundel Stuart urged of Cable and Wireless Communications management and officials of Columbus International Inc. to explain the proposed merger to its customers, and to do what is in the best interest of the public\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

Hope predicts green light for C&W takeover<\/h4>\n

Barbados<\/em> \u2013 A communications consultant is predicting that Cable & Wireless Communications\u2019 (CWC) proposed takeover of Columbus International will get the green light from regulators, arguing that the Barbados market is too small for three telecoms service providers\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

Students Must Be Proficient In Math, Science And Technology – High Commissioner<\/h4>\n

Jamaica <\/em>\u2013 High Commissioner to the United Kingdom (UK), Her Excellency Aloun Ndombet Assamba, says students should ensure proficiency in Mathematics, Science and Technology, in order to fit into the jobs to come, and to be able to create work\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

Digicel welcomes CTU\u2019s involvement in Cable and Wireless acquisition<\/h4>\n

Regional<\/em> \u2013 Digicel said yesterday it welcomed confirmation by the Caribbean Telecommunications Union (CTU) that it intends to involve itself fully with immediate effect in the proposed acquisition of Columbus International Inc by UK-based Cable and Wireless Communications earlier this month\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

TelEm Internet service interrupted Wednesday<\/h4>\n

Sint Maarten <\/em>\u2013 TelEm Group business and residential customers experienced an interruption in Internet service between 4:00 and 8:00pm Wednesday\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

Blink bmobile promotes technology to improve regional education<\/h4>\n

Trinidad and Tobago <\/em>\u2013 ON the surface, cricket and video conferencing may seem to have nothing in common\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

Friday, 28 November 2014<\/h3>\n

How secure is Barbados\u2019 new centralized healthcare information system?<\/h4>\n

Barbados<\/em> \u2013 Think about the following scenario for a minute: A Caribbean government deploys a health information system (HIS) with the goal of improving the quality and coordination of patient care in the public health system\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

LIME decides against bill fee<\/h4>\n

Barbados<\/em> \u2013 LIME\u2019s paper bills will remain free\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

LIME decides against fee for posted bills<\/h4>\n

Barbados<\/em> \u2013 In response to customer feedback, LIME has decided not to implement the paper bill fees on January 1, 2015, as previously announced\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

BTL and BEL Acquisitions to be Heard in CCJ<\/h4>\n

Belize <\/em>\u2013 BTL Employees\u2019 Trust, British Caribbean Bank and Fortis Energy International continue to campaign for Belize Telemedia Limited and Belize Electricity Limited to be returned to them, but money in the form of compensation for the acquired companies from the Government wouldn\u2019t be a bad second choice\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

Upgrade Christmas with LIME<\/h4>\n

Cayman Islands<\/em> \u2013 This Christmas make an upgrade. LIME has a slew of great deals and offers for the holiday\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

BUSINESS BYTE: LIME responds to customers\u2019 concerns about eBilling<\/h4>\n

Dominica <\/em>\u2013 In response to customer feedback, LIME has decided not to implement the paper bill fees, as previously advised\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

LIME Responds to Customers\u2019 Concerns About eBilling<\/h4>\n

Grenada <\/em>\u2013 In response to customer feedback, LIME has decided not to implement the paper bill fees, as previously advised\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

Cloud benefits far outweigh the risks<\/h4>\n

Jamaica <\/em>\u2013 As many as 80 per cent of businesses can cut costs by up to 20 per cent using cloud computing, according to the European Commission\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

Mobile Termination Rates Versus Value Products<\/h4>\n

Jamaica <\/em>\u2013 Jamaicans talked for more than 11 billion minutes on their mobile phones in less than two years after the initial reduction of mobile termination rates, according to analysis by the Fair Trading Commission (FTC)\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

Did Something Hit The Fan?<\/h4>\n

Saint Lucia <\/em>\u2013 MY laptop is sick. Something has gone wrong with its fan. This forces me back to picking out one letter at a time\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

Saturday, 29 November 2014<\/h3>\n

LIME pulls fees for printed bills<\/h4>\n

Antigua and Barbuda <\/em>\u2013 Telecommunications company, LIME, has yielded to pressure from customers who are outraged at the company\u2019s proposed tariff on paper-billing, by withdrawing the proposed fee\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

Issuing of radio licences to date not legal<\/h4>\n

Guyana <\/em>\u2013 Dear Editor, Since I see some confusion regarding the allocation of frequencies and the way they should be obtained, I would like to offer some observations to the public which hopefully will bring the situation more clearly into focus\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

Interference and fraud, towards a bilateral solution…<\/h4>\n

Jamaica<\/em> \u2013 THE EDITOR, Sir: In a letter to the editor written by a Mr Bernard Francis and published in The Gleaner on Saturday, November 22, 2014, the writer asserted that “Cable and Wireless has helped Britain to spy on unsuspecting Internet users across the world”\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

Level Playing Field For Telecom Consumers<\/h4>\n

Jamaica<\/em> \u2013 THE EDITOR, Sir: After reading the article by Gail Moss-Solomon (‘Digicel states position on proposed merger’, November 27, 2014), as a consumer of all three – Cable & Wireless, Digicel and Flow – I must say I would have to agree with some of her points\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

Patrick Hoyos: ECTEL \u2013 the \u201cmouse\u201d that roared<\/h4>\n

Regional<\/em> \u2013 I\u2019m going to have to start today\u2019s column by being perfectly honest with you: Up to last week, I had never heard of ECTEL\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

Confidential Conversation Caught<\/h4>\n

Saint Lucia <\/em>\u2013 AS we celebrate Police Week 2014 in Saint Lucia, it is worth remembering the role of Information and Communication Technologies in the administration of policing, law and order\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

A LIME Blunder<\/h4>\n

Saint Lucia <\/em>\u2013 WE are pleased to see that LIME has demonstrated some good sense and withdrawn its letter to subscribers announcing its intention to institute a charge for billing them, come January\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

Increased ICT connection and productivity to foster better jobs and economic growth in St Lucia<\/h4>\n

Saint Lucia <\/em>\u2013 Saint Lucia\u2019s government reported on Friday concrete advances in investment climate, connectivity, and productivity at the second accountability workshop of the Caribbean Growth Forum (CGF)\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

Sunday, 30 November 2014<\/h3>\n

BTC Mobiles in Bahamas Ready to Receive Credit from Bahamians Worldwide through MobileRecharge.com<\/h4>\n

Bahamas <\/em>\u2013 Bahamians living outside their homeland have now the chance to send instant mobile credit to the Caribbeans in less than 1 minute. In other words, no matter the residence country (USA, Canada, Australia, etc), anyone can now top up a BTC mobile in Bahamas on MobileRecharge.com\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

Cable Bahamas invests $400,000 with new 42-foot mega satellite antenna<\/h4>\n

Bahamas <\/em>\u2013 Cable Bahamas has invested more than $400,000 in a new satellite antenna that enables the company to reduce costs and enhance its REVTV signal quality on all digital and HD signals\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

CAC launches SMS service for bad-product notification<\/h4>\n

Jamaica <\/em>\u2013 The Consumer Affairs Commission (CAC) today (Sunday, November 30) launched its free Short Messaging Service (SMS) Notification and Alert service to provide information via cell phones to the public on issues relating to food and product recalls\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

NCB backs UWI cyber security research and policy development<\/h4>\n

Jamaica <\/em>\u2013 Cybercrime is a major source of concern for the financial sector, and National Commercial Bank (NCB) says it is committed to supporting research aimed at developing cyber security policy in Jamaica\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Image credits: \u00a0\u00a0(Mick Baker)rooster<\/a> (flickr); \u00a0The West Indian News<\/a>; \u00a0Wikipedia<\/a>; \u00a0Wikipedia<\/span><\/a>; \u00a0Belize Web<\/a>; \u00a0Wikipedia<\/a>; The Eleutheran<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

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