{"id":77166,"date":"2015-07-06T07:54:55","date_gmt":"2015-07-06T12:54:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.ict-pulse.com\/?p=77166"},"modified":"2017-04-07T15:27:50","modified_gmt":"2017-04-07T20:27:50","slug":"roundup-week-5-july-2015","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ict-pulse.com\/2015\/07\/roundup-week-5-july-2015\/","title":{"rendered":"Roundup: for the week ending 5 July 2015"},"content":{"rendered":"

A roundup of the latest ICT\/technology news from across the Caribbean region for the period Monday 29 June to Sunday 5 July 2015.<\/em><\/p>\n

\nMonday, 29 June 2015<\/h3>\n

E-govt:\u2008Bridge\u00a0to sustainable development<\/h4>\n

Bahamas<\/em> \u2013 E-government remains the best bridge to the future for sustainable development, according to Rowena Bethel, director and CEO of the National Insurance Board. Bethel told a roundtable on innovating public service delivery that e-government has the capability to adapt to the expectations of its users\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

Union To Make Late Effort To Prevent BTC Strike Action<\/h4>\n

Bahamas <\/em>\u2013 THE Bahamas Communications and Public Officers Union will make a last-ditch effort today to avoid possible strike action by presenting its members with a proposal from BTC\u2019s management outlining their future employment conditions, BCPOU Secretary General Dino Rolle said yesterday\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2018Easier to study\u2019 with new laptops<\/h4>\n

Barbados<\/em> \u2013 MORE THAN 130 Nigerian students under the Delta State Youth Empowerment Programme in Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago are now more at ease with their studies after each received a laptop from local company PromoTech… more<\/a><\/p>\n

Online contest launched<\/h4>\n

Barbados<\/em> \u2013 Exciting and creative! That\u2019s how Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports Stephen Lashley views the new Barbados TODAY Crop Over Superstar Competition officially launched at his Haggatt Hall office this morning\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

Warning\u00a0of layoffs from Flow\/CWC merger<\/h4>\n

Barbados<\/em> \u2013 The merger of telecommunications companies Lime and rival Flow will soon claim the first causalities\u2014staff\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

Government IT problems widespread<\/h4>\n

Cayman Islands <\/em>\u2013 Several basic, but potentially catastrophic problems involving the security of information within a number of government departments have been revealed within the past two years\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

Frequently Asked Questions About Number Portability<\/h4>\n

Jamaica <\/em>\u2013 Local number portability was rolled out to Jamaicans on June 22. Since then, consumers have been asking many questions. Here are some of the frequently asked questions and their answers:… more<\/a><\/p>\n

Gov’t monitoring private online conversations?<\/h4>\n

Jamaica \u2013 The US State Department on Friday released its 2014 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices… more<\/a><\/p>\n

Letter Of The Day: Recycle Rather Than Disposing Mobile Phones<\/h4>\n

Jamaica <\/em>\u2013 THE EDITOR, Sir: I take keen interest in an article published in\u00a0The Gleaner\u00a0on June 25, 2015 titled ‘Jamaicans logging on to e-wasted disposal project’\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

Local entrepreneurs get training in Jordan<\/h4>\n

Jamaica <\/em>\u2013 REPRESENTATIVES of three Jamaican ‘start-up’ companies are currently receiving global business training in the Middle East to make their ventures more successful… more<\/a><\/p>\n

Digicel details \u201cevolution\u201d plan ahead of IPO<\/h4>\n

Regional <\/em>\u2013 Digicel, a mobile operator across Caribbean and South Pacific markets, filed for an Initial Public Offering, with its documentation revealing some interesting details of its business plans\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

First Citizens CEO: Banks need better security solutions<\/h4>\n

Trinidad and Tobago <\/em>\u2013 It is time for regional providers of information technology to develop more innovative security solutions to help strengthen the banking system, says Karen Darbasie, Group CEO of First Citizens\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

MovieTowne pioneers online cinema ticketing<\/h4>\n

Trinidad and Tobago <\/em>\u2013 MovieTowne cinema patrons can now enjoy the convenience of buying movie tickets online from their homes, office or anywhere\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

Tuesday, 30 June 2015<\/h3>\n

\"Bahamas140 BTC Staff Get Extra Time Before Losing Jobs<\/h4>\n

Bahamas <\/em>\u2013\u00a0THE 140 BTC employees, who were expected to be let go from the company today, \u201cwill have a little more time\u201d before they are made redundant, according to Bahamas Communications and Public Officers Union Secretary General Dino Rolle yesterday.. more<\/a><\/p>\n

Barbados\u2019 legal system going online<\/h4>\n

Barbados<\/em> \u2013 WITH AN INCREASING demand for access to information online, efforts are underway to have all of Barbados\u2019 laws available digitally\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

Science And Technology Ministry To Develop Open Data Policy<\/h4>\n

Jamaica <\/em>\u2013 The Ministry of Science, Technology, Energy and Mining will spearhead development of the proposed open data policy, slated to commence shortly\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

LACNIC Caribbean on the Move kickstarts in Suriname<\/h4>\n

Regional \u2013 An upcoming workshop will give the Caribbean and Latin American Internet community a valuable opportunity to better understand the complex workings of the global Internet\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

Wednesday, 1 July 2015<\/h3>\n

BTC\u00a0unions seek to block impending layoffs<\/h4>\n

Bahamas <\/em>\u2013 The unions representing workers at the Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) have filed for an injunction in an attempt to prevent the company from laying off more than 100 employees\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

Union Hopes Injunction Will Block BTC Lay-Offs<\/h4>\n

Bahamas<\/em> \u2013 The union representing Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) line staff yesterday said it was seeking a Supreme Court injunction to block the lay-off of 140 staff, as its leader expressed surprise over the Government\u2019s failure to intervene\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

Gov\u2019t called out about information bill<\/h4>\n

British Virgin Islands <\/em>\u2013 A day before he officially retired as the first Complaints Commissioner in the British Virgin Islands, Elton Georges made another pitch at the government, urging it to pass the Freedom of Information Bill into law\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

TRC seeks public input ahead of LTE allocation<\/h4>\n

British Virgin Islands <\/em>\u2013 The Telecommunications Regulatory Commission is again asking for public response to proposed changes that could enable Virgin Islands mobile users to access faster service\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

Curacao institute hosts e-commerce seminar<\/h4>\n

Curacao <\/em>\u2013 Curacao Innovation and Technology Institute (CITI) hosted a mini seminar entitled “Starting eCommerce in Curacao”, on Tuesday at the Curacao National Library in Willemstad\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

Distance learning doesn’t require a study permit<\/h4>\n

Jamaica <\/em>\u2013 Dear Mr Brown: I just completed my bachelor’s degree at a local university\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

\"http:\/\/www.brandsoftheworld.com\/logo\/digicel-1\"Digicel Group posts US$157m net loss<\/h4>\n

Regional<\/em> \u2013 DIGICEL Group’s mobile subscriber base and total revenues remained flat amid posting a US$157.6 million (J$18.2 b) net loss for its March 2015 year end, documents indicate\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

Do you have full control over your web property?<\/h4>\n

Regional <\/em>\u2013 I would have to say that 99 per cent of my clients who come to me wanting their existing website overhauled or redone are unable to give me the login to their website domain names\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

Finsbury Advises Digicel IPO<\/h4>\n

Regional<\/em> \u2013 Digicel Group, the Caribbean and Pacific island mobile telecom provider founded by Irish billionaire Denis O’Brien, is relying on Finsbury for PR counsel as it pursues an initial public offering on the New York Stock Exchange\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

Voice telephony still dominates Digicel’s earnings<\/h4>\n

Regional<\/em> \u2013 Despite Digicel’s push to transition to becoming a more diversified telecoms firm, the company still earns most of its money from voice telephony\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

Thursday, 2 July 2015<\/h3>\n

BTL will argue ownership of Channel 5 at the CCJ<\/h4>\n

Belize <\/em>\u2013 The legal battle over Channel 5, Great Belize Productions, is going to the Caribbean Court of Justice, the highest court in the land. There, it will be decided once and for all if this company should return as an asset to Belize Telemedia Limited… more<\/a><\/p>\n

Internet speeds increase but lag behind competitors<\/h4>\n

Cayman Islands <\/em>\u2013 Household Internet connections in Cayman are getting faster, but lag behind other countries in the region, according to data from Ookla, a company that monitors download speeds for consumers\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

Cuba launches 1st public Wi-Fi hotspots on Havana avenue<\/h4>\n

Cuba <\/em>\u2013 Cuban authorities have launched public Wi-Fi hotspots along a main avenue that is the heart of Havana’s cultural and social life, the first step in government promises to gradually roll out such connectivity options on an island that the Internet revolution has largely passed by\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

BUSINESS BYTE: Digicel\u2019s \u2018red hot\u2019 Summer promotion<\/h4>\n

Dominica <\/em>\u2013 This summer Digicel will blaze up the heat with red hot deals of up to $15,000 in cash and prizes in its \u201cRed Hot Summer\u201d promotion\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

Atlantic Tele-Network Upgraded at Zacks (ATNI)<\/h4>\n

Guyana <\/em>\u2013 Zacks upgraded shares of Atlantic Tele-Network (NASDAQ:ATNI) from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research report released on Tuesday morning, AnalystRatings.NET reports\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

Atlantic Tele-Network VP Sells $69,250.00 in Stock (ATNI)<\/h4>\n

Guyana <\/em>\u2013 Atlantic Tele-Network (NASDAQ:ATNI) VP William F. Kreisher sold 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, July 1st\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

Cable thieves cause disruption to residents, essential services in St Mary<\/h4>\n

Jamaica<\/em> \u2013 THE hospital, fire station and police station in St Mary are now without critical communication after thieves made off with LIME’s cables in the parish on Tuesday\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

Gov’t Denies Monitoring Citizens’ Online Activities<\/h4>\n

Jamaica<\/em> \u2013 The Jamaican Government has denied that it has monitored private online communications without appropriate legal authority\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

\"JamaicaNational baseline survey on Information Technology<\/h4>\n

Jamaica<\/em> \u2013 Minister of Science, Technology, Energy and Mining Phillip Paulwell, says the Government will be embarking on a national baseline survey, to determine the distribution of information technology (IT) throughout the island\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

US corrects report on Jamaica<\/h4>\n

Jamaica<\/em> \u2013 The US State Department on Thursday corrected its 2014 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices, stating that it had no reason to believe that the Jamaican Government was monitoring citizens\u2019 online conversations\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

CARICOM Competition Commission to investigate telecoms merger<\/h4>\n

Regional \u2013 The CARICOM Competition Commission (CCC) has, pursuant to Article 176.1 of the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas (RTC), completed its preliminary examination of the agreement by Cable and Wireless Communications Plc (CWC) to acquire Columbus International Inc. and has reached the conclusion that an investigation is warranted\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

OAS And Spain Organize Exercises To Strengthen Cybersecurity Capabilities<\/h4>\n

Regional <\/em>\u2013 The Organisation of American States (OAS), the National Critical Infrastructure Protection Centre of the Ministry of Home Affairs (Spanish acronym: CNPIC) and the National Cyber-Security Institute of the Ministry of Industry, Energy and Tourism (Spanish acronym: INCIBE) have launched the 1st International Cyber-exercises \u2013 CyberEx 2015… more<\/a><\/p>\n

Preliminary ruling from Caricom Competition Commission: Probe CWC\/Columbus merger<\/h4>\n

Regional <\/em>\u2013 The Caricom Competition Commission says there are grounds for an investigation of the US$3 billion acquisition of Columbus International by Cable and Wireless Communications (CWC)\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

Columbus offers Data Recovery service<\/h4>\n

Trinidad and Tobago <\/em>\u2013 COLUMBUS Communications Trinidad Limited on Tuesday unveiled a new service to prospective customers: Columbus Disaster Recovery as a Service (DraaS) which promises that businesses will have a \u201cseamless high availability of their critical systems and applications in times of unexpected failures and disasters.\u201d \u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

Shutdown<\/h4>\n

Trinidad and Tobago <\/em>\u2013 TELECOMMUNICATIONS provider Telecommunications Services of Trinidad and Tobago’s (TSTT) mobile, voice and data services were shut down for almost an hour yesterday following a problem on its network\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

Friday, 3 July 2015<\/h3>\n

Cable\u00a0Bahamas partners with Cash N\u2019 Go<\/h4>\n

Bahamas <\/em>\u2013 One month after providing more payment locations to its customers in New Providence, Cable Bahamas has announced that it has expanded its partnership with Cash N’ Go to bring the same option for bill payment to subscribers in Grand Bahama, Abaco and Exuma\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

Tolling bells for traditional media?<\/h4>\n

Barbados <\/em>\u2013 If I were a journalist employed by a traditional media house, such as either of the two Barbadian daily newspapers, I would have understandable reason to be concerned about the future from an employment perspective\u2026. more<\/a><\/p>\n

Businesses taking advantage of number portability<\/h4>\n

Jamaica <\/em>\u2013 FOLLOWING the launch of number portability a little over a week ago, Digicel Business is reporting that several medium and large companies have ported in their Closed User Group (CUG) services to its network\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

JN Subsidiary, MC Systems, To Roll Out Mobile Payment Device<\/h4>\n

Jamaica <\/em>\u2013 Management Control Systems has launched a new electronic payment device, MPAY2, which will be distributed through local banks to small merchants\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

Caribbean alliance eyes new era for youth entrepreneurship<\/h4>\n

Regional<\/em> \u2013 Young people hoping to transform their business ideas into successful enterprises are set to benefit from the creation of a new Commonwealth alliance to promote youth entrepreneurship across the Caribbean and Americas\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

Digicel shifts gear from smart play with bond debt to NYSE flotation<\/h4>\n

Regional<\/em> \u2013 As Ireland struggled to recover from the crash, bond guru Michael Hasenstab of Franklin Templeton snapped up billions of euro worth of the State\u2019s bonds, becoming one of its biggest backers and turning a massive profit\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

National Health Helpline (203) launched<\/h4>\n

Saint Lucia <\/em>\u2013 The long awaited National Health Helpline was launched on Monday 29th June at a ceremony held in the conference room of the National Mental Wellness Centre\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

New PCs to Enhance Telecenters in Rural Areas<\/h4>\n

Saint Kitts and Nevis <\/em>\u2013 Computers in community centers throughout St. Kitts will be replaced with upgraded equipment, following a hand-over of 10 new PCs on Friday (July 03)\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Flag_of_Sint_Maarten\"Blogger remains in pre-trial detention<\/h4>\n

Sint Maarten <\/em>\u2013 Blogger J.R. (40), who was arrested on June 30, for a number of offenses, will remain behind bars in pre-trail detention to give police a chance to interrogate her on the charges against her\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

Caricom to probe CWC-Columbus deal – report<\/h4>\n

Trinidad and Tobago<\/em> \u2013 The Competition Commission of the Caribbean Community and Common Market (Caricom) is to investigate the USD 1.85 billion acquisition of Columbus International by Cable and Wireless Communications (CWC), reports the Trinidad Guardian\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

Saturday, 4 July 2015<\/h3>\n

By 1st August, Flow\u2019s Customer Care Centre goes Retail, post LIME-deal<\/h4>\n

Barbados <\/em>\u2013 Flow\u2019s Customer Care Centre at Sky Mall, will stay at the same locale but expand its services, now the blending of Columbus and CWC is reaching completion\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

Number Portability – Almost Two Weeks In, Digicel And Lime Pleased<\/h4>\n

Jamaica <\/em>\u2013 Almost two weeks after number portability came into effect, telecommunications networks Digicel and Lime say they are pleased with the amount of new customers porting to their networks\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

Trinidadian among 21 arrested for lottery scamming in Hanover<\/h4>\n

Jamaica <\/em>\u2013 The police say the western end of the island continues to be the focal point of operation as the Jamaica Constabulary Force moves to clamp down on lottery scamming activities\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

ECTEL keeping an eye on Flow\/C&W merger<\/h4>\n

Regional<\/em> \u2013 An investigation is warranted into the Cable and Wireless acquisition of fellow telecoms company Columbus International, according to the CARICOM Competition Commission.\u00a0The CCC says it arrived at that conclusion after completing its preliminary examination of the agreement between the two companies\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

Sunday, 5 July 2015<\/h3>\n

Digicel Correct In Refusing INDECOM Subscriber Data \u2013 Court<\/h4>\n

Jamaica <\/em>\u2013 Telecommunications provider Digicel Jamaica was correct in refusing to provide call data and subscriber details to the Independent Commission of Investigations (INDECOM) because it did not specify that it was investigating a criminal offence, the Court of Appeal has ruled\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

HBO Channels JAMPRO?<\/h4>\n

Jamaica <\/em>\u2013 AMERICAN cable television network, Home Box Office (HBO) Latin America said it is willing to work with Jamaican stakeholders in getting their content aired, once certain requirements are met\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

Mobile unlocking\u2014 the hidden cost of \u2018free\u2019 number portability<\/h4>\n

Jamaica<\/em> \u2013 \u00a0LOCAL operators of mobile unlocking and repair shops could see an increase in profits from the Government’s decision to implement number portability\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

OUR Auctioning Up To 12 Mobile Licences, Targeting Virtual Operator<\/h4>\n

Jamaica <\/em>\u2013 The Office of Utilities Regulations (OUR) wants to issue up to 12 new mobile telecommunications licences this year\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Image credits:\u00a0 journalismthatmatters<\/a> (flickr);\u00a0 Wikipedia<\/a>;\u00a0 Brands of the World<\/a>;\u00a0 Wikipedia<\/a>;\u00a0 Wikipedia<\/a>
\n<\/em><\/p>\n

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

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