{"id":89015,"date":"2016-12-19T07:30:53","date_gmt":"2016-12-19T12:30:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.ict-pulse.com\/?p=89015"},"modified":"2017-04-07T15:07:58","modified_gmt":"2017-04-07T20:07:58","slug":"roundup-week-18-december-2016","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ict-pulse.com\/2016\/12\/roundup-week-18-december-2016\/","title":{"rendered":"Roundup: for the week ending 18 December 2016"},"content":{"rendered":"

A roundup of the latest ICT\/technology news from across the Caribbean region for the period Monday 12 December to Sunday 18 December 2016.<\/em><\/p>\n

\nMonday, 12 December2016<\/h3>\n

B.T.L. Paid for Settlement Agreement Draftsmen, G.O.B. Claims<\/h4>\n

Belize <\/em>\u2013 During the questions to Ministers portion of the House meeting, members from the Opposition fired several questions at their Government counterparts on issues of concern of either a national scope or more closely tied to their respective constituencies\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

Caribbean Court of Justice pioneers new technology to improve court performance<\/h4>\n

Belize <\/em>\u2013\u00a0 A suite of new high-tech court management systems is to be adopted by the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ)\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

Gov\u2019t, GTT begin liberalisation talks<\/h4>\n

Guyana <\/em>\u2013 Discussions began on Friday by the Guyana Government with the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Co. Ltd (GTT) and its parent company, ATN International (ATNI), in preparation for the transition to a liberalised telecommunications sector, according to a release from the Ministry of Public Telecommunications\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

Prime Minister Says BPO Sector Critical for Growth and Job Creation<\/h4>\n

Jamaica<\/em> \u2013Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, says the Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) sector is critical in the plan for inclusive economic growth and job creation, and that by next year, at least seven additional companies are expected to come on stream\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

Caricel Joins Global Cyber Alliance<\/h4>\n

Jamaica <\/em>\u2013 Caricel, Jamaica\u2019s only superfast LTE broadband network is pleased to announce its partnership with the Global Cyber Alliance\u00a0 (GCA), an international non-profit organization focused on addressing systemic cyber risks through delivery of concrete, measurable solutions\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

Local BPO Players Unfazed By Trump\u2019s Protectionist Threat<\/h4>\n

Jamaica <\/em>\u2013 Local business process outsourcing (BPO) stakeholders have declared that they are confident that the protectionist policy position of United States President-elect Donald Trump, which focuses on keeping jobs in his country, will not have major implications for the sector\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

Wheatley optimistic about positive IDI rankings<\/h4>\n

Jamaica<\/em> \u2013Minister of Science, Energy and Technology Dr Andrew Wheatley has expressed optimism at the positive movement in Jamaica\u2019s 2016 ICT Development Index (IDI) ranking\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

Automated FTTX Network Planning and Cost Calculations Combined with Demand Aggregation Secures Fiber Broadband Business Case<\/h4>\n

Regional<\/em> \u2013 Comsof and COS Systems announce that FiberPlanIT, used for automated FTTx network planning, and COS Service Zones, used for Demand Aggregation, have been verified to be used collaboratively to enable fast and accurate fiber plans and deployment cost estimates based on actual customer demand\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

CANTO welcomes ICT collaboration<\/h4>\n

Regional<\/em> \u2013 In a move to shape and align the strategic ICT agenda in the region, the Caribbean Telecommunications Union (CTU) brought several regional ICT stakeholders together at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, Port of Spain, Trinidad on December 5 and 6\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

Marketing Strategies Today: Three critical keys when considering Pinterest for business<\/h4>\n

Regional <\/em>\u2013 Pinterest is the latest social media craze. Its high volume of users, activity and resulting buzz have now ranked the social network in position three behind only Twitter and Facebook\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

Using Tech to Improve the Caribbean\u2019s Business Environment<\/h4>\n

Regional<\/em> \u2013 In the famous words of legendary Bob Marley, \u201c\u2026don\u2019t let them fool you\u2026\u201d. Despite the images of white sandy beaches, turquoise seas and milky coconuts, the Caribbean is notoriously known as a tough neighborhood for starting and doing business\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

Women on Top! Female entrepreneurs Win PitchIT Caribbean Challenge<\/h4>\n

Regional<\/em> \u2013 Five female entrepreneurs\u00a0each won\u00a0US$5,000 in seed funding, a place in a\u00a0PitchIt Caribbean accelerator programme and participation in an international\u00a0pitching competition,\u00a0after winning\u00a0the\u00a0PitchIt Caribbean Challenge held in Trinidad this month\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

Bmobile introduces 4GLTE<\/h4>\n

Trinidad and Tobago<\/em> \u2013 It must have been an annoyance for the media, and their attendance flagged at the second event last week, but conflating a business deal that TSTT CEO Dr Ronald Walcott described as \u201cthe largest commercial paper ever done in T&T\u201d with the launch of a long awaited upgrade to mobile broadband was sure to dim attention for one or the other to the company\u2019s regret\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

Trinidad telco TSTT launches 4G LTE in 1900MHz band<\/h4>\n

Trinidad and Tobago<\/em> \u2013 Trinidad & Tobago state-controlled telecoms operator TSTT has launched 4G LTE services in the 1900MHz frequency band, according to the Trinidad … more<\/a><\/p>\n

Tuesday, 13 December 2016<\/h3>\n

Creating Opportunities for Investment in Technology-Based Industries in Barbados<\/h4>\n

Barbados<\/em> \u2013 Any strategy for sustainable economic development of Barbados should include harnessing science and technology for the development of technology-based products and services\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

Flow customers may be affected by \u2018migration\u2019 works<\/h4>\n

British Virgin Islands <\/em>\u2013 Telecoms company Flow said persons may be experiencing difficulties with their broadband service because it has been migrating some customers onto a new network\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"Cuba signs deal with Google for faster access<\/h4>\n

Cuba<\/em> \u2013 Cuba signed a deal with Google Monday to enable faster access to content from the US tech giant on the communist island, where internet service is notoriously limited and slow\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

Commissioner of Information has no staff, office but asked to report on his work<\/h4>\n

Guyana <\/em>\u2013 Prime Minister, Moses Nagamootoo says the Commissioner of Information, Retired Justice Charles Ramson Snr. has not reported on his work in recent years, and at the same time he noted that Ramson has no office or staff\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

NY man pleads guilty in cellphone fraud scheme linked C\u2019bean<\/h4>\n

Regional <\/em>\u2013 A New York City resident has pleaded guilty in connection with a sophisticated global cellphone fraud scheme that involved compromising mobile customers\u2019 accounts and \u201ccloning\u201d their phones to make fraudulent international calls to the Caribbean\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

St. Kitts And Nevis Awarded Twice For Outstanding Improvements In ICT Development<\/h4>\n

Saint Kitts and Nevis<\/em> \u2013 St. Kitts and Nevis was recently awarded for its major improvements in the Information Communication Technology (ICT) sector during the 14th\u00a0World Telecommunication\/ICT Indicators Symposium (WTIS) held in Botswana from November 21-23\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

Wednesday, 14 December 2016<\/h3>\n

CCJ rules against regulator in Belize telecommunications dispute<\/h4>\n

Belize <\/em>\u2013 The Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) last week delivered its judgment in the case of Speednet Communications Limited v Public Utilities Commission<\/em>. The CCJ, the highest appellate court in Belize, reversed the Court of Appeal and found that Speednet Communications Limited proved its case\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"Speednet wins case against PUC; awarded almost $800,000<\/h4>\n

Belize<\/em> \u2013 After losing a drawn-out court battle to collect millions in license fees from telecommunications providers in Belize, the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) may move to amend legislation which was deemed \u201cambiguous\u201d by the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), Belize\u2019s final appellate court, resulting in different interpretations by both the regulator and the telecommunications provider \u2013 Speednet Communications Limited\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

Consumer body demands forensic audit into GTT<\/h4>\n

Guyana <\/em>\u2013 There is a major battle brewing between US-owned Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GTT) and the Guyana Consumers Association (GCA)\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

US defendant asks court to throw out Digicel fraud case<\/h4>\n

Haiti<\/em> \u2013 A US company being sued for alleged fraud by Denis O\u2019Brien\u2019s telecoms company Digicel has asked a US court to throw out the case\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

Thursday, 15 December 2016<\/h3>\n

Copper theft hindering BTC\u2019s restoration progress<\/h4>\n

Bahamas<\/em> \u2013TC executives revealed that theft has hindered restoration efforts following the destruction of Hurricane Matthew back in October of this year\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2018Put Money Where Mouth Is\u2019 On $70m Mobile Offering<\/h4>\n

Bahamas <\/em>\u2013 Some institutional investors are seeking extra time to make a \u201cmaximum investment\u201d in the new mobile operator\u2019s majority shareholder, with the process at the \u201cput your money where your mouth is\u201d stage\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

CCJ interpretation of \u2018Channels\u2019 eases SMART 5 million dollars in fees<\/h4>\n

Belize <\/em>\u2013 Speednet, the parent company of Smart, the second major telephone company in Belize, has won judgment against the Public Utilities Commission (PUC)\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

GoB Hits a Snag in Arbitration Appeal to the US Supreme Court<\/h4>\n

Belize <\/em>\u2013 Earlier this month the Government of Belize had petitioned the US Supreme Court to review a ruling handed down in July by the DC Circuit Court that upheld the monetary award to the Belize Telemedia Limited via the London Court of International Arbitration\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

Taiwan helps fund Belize online license and permit system<\/h4>\n

Belize <\/em>\u2013 Belizeans will soon be able to apply for a license or a permit online through the Belize Electronic License and Permit System(BELAPS) being implemented by the Central Information Technology Office (CITO) in Belmopan with financial assistance from the Republic of China on Taiwan\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

Telecom \u2018Truth in Advertising\u2019 rules require honesty<\/h4>\n

Cayman Islands <\/em>\u2013 \u201cTruth in Advertising\u201d guidelines for telecom companies, published this week by the Information and Communications Technology Authority, require companies offering phone, internet and other services to be honest when marketing to consumers\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"Consumer body challenges GTT\u2019s claim that landline applications declining<\/h4>\n

Guyana<\/em> \u2013 A consumer body battling US-owned Guyana Telephone and Telephone Company (GTT) over an application to raise rates, is refuting claims by the latter that citizens are no longer interested in owning a landline\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

E-Gov\u2019s Centre of Excellence in Information Technology to be completed in January<\/h4>\n

Guyana <\/em>\u2013 The eGovernment Agency\u2019s Centre of Excellence in Information Technology (CEIT) is expected to be officially opened in February, the Government Information Agency (GINA) reported\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

Top IT Students Receive Laptops<\/h4>\n

Jamaica<\/em> \u2013 Minister of Science, Energy and Technology, Dr. the Hon. Andrew Wheatley, presented laptops to the two top-performing students in the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) Information Technology examination for 2016\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

Mastercard hosts innovation forum for Latin America and the Caribbean<\/h4>\n

Regional <\/em>\u2013 For the fifth year, and with a \u201cDigital by Design\u201d motto, Mastercard’s Innovation Forum for Latin America and the Caribbean, held in Miami Beach from November 29 \u2013 30, was the perfect stage for the main operators in payments and technology to join forces and agree how to streamline digitalization of their products and services, in order to re-imagine the user experience in the era of hyper-connectivity\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

TSTT launches 4G LTE<\/h4>\n

Trinidad and Tobago<\/em> \u2013 TSTT digitally cemented its brand as the number one communications provider in Trinidad and Tobago with the launch of their historic 4G LTE (long-term evolution) Mobile Network on Friday\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

Friday, 16 December 2016<\/h3>\n

Freedom of Information Bill tabled in Bahamas parliament<\/h4>\n

Bahamas <\/em>\u2013 Following through on a commitment to table the Freedom of Information Bill before the end of the year, Bahamas Minister of Education Jerome Fitzgerald on Wednesday brought the long-awaited bill to the House of Assembly, but there will be no debate on the bill until the New Year\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

BTL Says It\u2019s the First Telecom In Central America Or Caribbean With 4GLTE Advanced<\/h4>\n

Belize<\/em> \u2013 It’s been active for a few weeks now, but BTL officially launched its 4G LTE Advanced service today\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

Telemedia Launches 4G LTE Internet<\/h4>\n

Belize<\/em> \u2013 The Belize Telemedia Limited has launched its 4G LTE Data Service countrywide and has had many of its consumers boasting of the new high speed internet that they have been experiencing\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

17 more post offices to be ICT ready next year<\/h4>\n

Guyana <\/em>\u2013 In an effort to recalibrate the mandate of the post offices in Guyana to efficiently accommodate the needs of the people for the 21st Century, Minister of Public Telecommunications recently stated that several post offices are poised to be upgraded with ICT ready services\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

Broadcasting authority head resigned before dismissal \u2013 PM\u2019s office<\/h4>\n

Guyana <\/em>\u2013 Cabinet accepted the advice of an inquiry into matters pertaining to the broadcasting authority that its Chairman Leonard Craig should be dismissed but Craig resigned today before he was sacked\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

Guyana and ICT<\/h4>\n

Guyana <\/em>\u2013 In 2005, during an Independence Day address to the nation, then President Bharrat Jagdeo touted the modernisation of Guyana as being dependent on \u201cthe development of reliable, inexpensive telecommunication services with a sufficient band-width to allow for Information Technology related services to be developed and exported\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

Use Strong Passwords And Think Before You Click, Technology Minister Warns<\/h4>\n

Jamaica <\/em>\u2013 Minister of Energy Science, and Technology Andrew Wheatley is urging that while Jamaicans celebrate important revolutions in technology, they should be more mindful of the various threats constantly posed by cybercriminals from around the world\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

Digicel hires consultants to help in massive cost-cutting plan<\/h4>\n

Regional <\/em>\u2013 Denis O\u2019Brien\u2019s Digicel<\/a> Group has started an unprecedented cost-cutting plan and hired financial consultants McKinsey and Goetzpartners to help cut its massive debt burden as the mobile phone group grapples with declining earnings\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"Garfield Sinclair Appointed Head of Caribbean for C&W<\/h4>\n

Regional <\/em>\u2013 Garfield (Garry) Sinclair was today announced as President, Caribbean for Cable & Wireless Communications (“C&W” or “The Company”).\u00a0The position has responsibility for operations in 15 territories across the region, including C&W’s Jamaica, Trinidad and Barbados markets\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

The Power of Social Media: Top five strategy tips<\/h4>\n

Regional <\/em>\u2013 Whoever you are, whatever you do, social media is undoubtedly playing a part in your life\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

St. Kitts and Nevis sign agreement for supply of CCTV Equipment<\/h4>\n

Saint Kitts and Nevis <\/em>\u2013 St. Kitts and Nevis will soon have its own Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) System\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

Saturday, 17 December 2016<\/h3>\n

Antigua: Pay phones for prisoners<\/h4>\n

Antigua and Barbuda <\/em>\u2013 Inmates at Her Majesty\u2019s Prison (HMP) may no longer feel the need to smuggle cellular phones into \u201c1735\u201d as the Government of Antigua & Barbuda is willing to amend its prisons policies in order to establish a pay phone system\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

Guyana building Information Technology Centre<\/h4>\n

Guyana<\/em> \u2013 The eGovernment Agency’s Centre of Excellence in Information Technology is expected to be officially opened in February\u2026. more<\/a><\/p>\n

Denis O\u2019Brien\u2019s Digicel faces a cocktail of risks<\/h4>\n

Regional <\/em>\u2013 As he briefed bond investors this week on the \u201csubstantial risks\u201d facing Denis O\u2019Brien\u2019s Digicel, CreditSights debt analyst Michael Chakardjian evoked punk band The Clash in his presentation entitled: \u201cShould I stay or should I go now?\u201d \u2026. more<\/a><\/p>\n

Sinclair takes charge of C&W\u2019s Caribbean operations<\/h4>\n

Regional<\/em> \u2013 \u00a0<\/strong>Cable & Wireless Communications (C&W), which operates\u00a0here as FLOW, has announced\u00a0a new head of operations for Barbados and the rest of the Caribbean\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

Sunday, 18 December 2016<\/h3>\n

Guyana must embrace digital technology if we are to move forward<\/h4>\n

Guyana <\/em>\u2013 Dear Editor,<\/em> The National Frequency Management Unit (NFMU) has noticed several letters in the daily newspapers, by Mr Tony Vieira. The most recent letter appeared in the December 9, edition of the Stabroek News titled \u2018We do not have to go digital.\u2019 \u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

With the liberalization of Telecoms sector\u2026NFMU\u2019s plans will address need for additional spectrum \u2013 Hughes<\/h4>\n

Guyana <\/em>\u2013 Public Telecommunications Minister, Cathy Hughes is convinced that the plans in place for the National Frequency Management Unit (NFMU) will without a doubt place the entity in a better position to serve the public and facilitate the Government\u2019s and Private Sector\u2019s roll-out of ICT networks and services\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

Debunking The ‘Call Centre Myth’ – Era Of Low-Skill Recruits Fading Away, Says Sutherland Global Boss<\/h4>\n

Jamaica <\/em>\u2013 Country Head and associate vice-president at Sutherland Global Services Odetta Rockhead Kerr wants to erase the perception of call centres in Jamaica as a low-skill employer\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

FLOW\/LIME to pay millions in redundancy money to ex-worker<\/h4>\n

Jamaica <\/em>\u2013 FLOW, formerly LIME, has been ordered to pay out millions of dollars to a former employee who was successful in a case brought against the company over its refusal to pay him his redundancy package after his position was made redundant in 2014\u2026 more<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Image credits: \u00a0Mars Hill Church<\/a> (flickr); \u00a0Wikipedia<\/a>; \u00a0Wikipedia<\/a>; \u00a0Wikipedia<\/a>; \u00a0Marketing Magazine<\/a>\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

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

A roundup of the latest ICT\/technology news from across the Caribbean region for the period Monday 12 December to Sunday 18 December 2016. Monday, 12 December2016 B.T.L. Paid for Settlement […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":50952,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[77],"tags":[30,71,53,48,230,9,103,12],"class_list":["post-89015","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-4g","tag-businesses","tag-competition","tag-infrastructure","tag-litigation","tag-lte","tag-outsourcing","tag-regulation","et-has-post-format-content","et_post_format-et-post-format-standard"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ict-pulse.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/Newsstand-by-Mars-Hill-Church-flickr.jpg?fit=480%2C360&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p2iE1G-n9J","jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ict-pulse.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/89015","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ict-pulse.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ict-pulse.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ict-pulse.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ict-pulse.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=89015"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/ict-pulse.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/89015\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":96684,"href":"https:\/\/ict-pulse.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/89015\/revisions\/96684"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ict-pulse.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/50952"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ict-pulse.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=89015"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ict-pulse.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=89015"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ict-pulse.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=89015"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}