Barbadians just love to text

Mobile News, Barbados - You'd think that since Jamaica has the largest mobile population of over a million in the English speaking Caribbean, because they love to talk, they loved to text too. Nope. Barbados leads the way in text messaging. Insider sources told TWC, that Digicel makes about 9 million dollars a day from text messaging there. Hmmmm!!!

Trini Student in Jail For Identity Fraud

Internet news, USA - Twenty year old Trinidad & Tobago-born student, Shiva Brent Sharma was yesterday sentenced to two to four years in prison for Internet-based indentity theft.

Sharma, who lives in Queen's New York admitted his guilt of the crime he had now committed for the third. He was already warned twice before by a judge, in both instances previous, He also pled guilty on two counts of identity theft in the first degree and money laundering in the fourth degree.

The Trinidadian student admitted that he fraudulently obtained the personal identity information and credit card numbers of various individuals and used and that information to buy thousands of dollars in auto parts,computer and jewelry. He also confessed to using the stolen credit card numbers to send $50,000 in money transfers to himself using Western Union and bought and resold over $10,000 worth of merchandise.

by Adreana Anderson

Barbados bandwidth to get better

Telecom News, Barbados - Barbados connectivity crisis to be solved by early next year, according to Douglas Cunningham, president of Antilles Crossing.

He said the 20-gigabit undersea fibre-optic cable being used by his company to connect Barbados to the United States Virgin Islands is scheduled to reach here before year-end.

This cable has almost ten times the capacity of the Eastern Caribbean Fibre Cable that has connected Barbados to the rest of the region since 1995.Cunningham was speaking at the 2005 Caribbean Internet Forum, which was held at the Hilton Barbados last week.

The Irish just love their cell phone

Mobile News, Ireland/Jamaica- Ireland has 94 percent mobile market penetration and a number of consumers known for being early adopters of new mobile technologies and services.In 2005, the Irish mobile market is forecast to grow by 5 percent to approximately $US 2.3 billion.

According to a report issued by GLOBAL TELECOMMUNICATIONS NEWSLETTER published by Office of Technology and Electronic Commerce, "chat and text" services have driven market growth and have resulted in Ireland's designation as a lucrative market with the highest Average Revenue per User (ARPU) in Europe.

Irish mobile subscribers send approximately 1.03 billion SMS messages per quarter, above the EU average. The country’s four mobile network carriers, which claim over 3.86 million subscribers, continually invest in their networks with total network investment estimated at over $600 million annually.

The Caribbean connection:
-An Irish owned company Digicel, based in Jamaica, is currently the largest mobile provider in the Caribbean with 1.2 million subscribers in Jamaica.

-An Irish woman Marguerite Cremin, once Group Marketing Director for Digicel, is now Chief operating Officer and co-owner of a broadband telephony copany here in Jamaica, called Caribbean Net Talk.

Jamaican govt shuts down Cable TV advertising

Cable TV News, Ja -It seems the Jamaican Government and the Broadcasting Commission, the agency that regulates the Cable TV industry, ordered the Cable TV providers to shut off local independent Cable channel operators who were running advertisements.

The Commission had made it clear they would not allow local cable advertising until Parliament passes legislation. But the independent cable channels found a loop hole in the existing legislation that had defined an advert as one thing, so they went and did something else. I am not surprised but it is disgraceful that it has taken this long to pass the legislation. Consequently there has been loads of talk about the tremendous politics going on from the free to air TV stations like Television Jamaica (TVJ) and CVM TV.

On one hand it is being said that TVJ and CVMTV has been feeling the pinch as advertisers seek new avenues to reach their audience and the new Cable channels such as HypeTV, CETV and RETV were providing more interesting programming that is appealing to the prized 18-35 age group.

I certainly don't understand this move at all, clearly the mandate of supporting and encouraging the development of Jamaican film and television content has to take a back seat while Government bureaucracy twiddles its thumbs. Without question industries do need some regulation but now chokeholds

And with MTV's Caribbean Channel Tempo set to rise by launching mid this month, doesn't this give TEMPO a head start on large corporate cable advertising, while the government takes too long to pass the needed legislation. I swear Jamaica has such a knack for taking two steps forward and 10 leaps backward. *sigh*

Chaplin on Jamaican Cable TV industry

Christopher Chaplin, is Jamaican and the CEO of Kasava Inc, an American based company that launched Lycos Caribbean a few years ago and has been in the business of negotiating and making deals on behalf of Caribbean FILM/TV content creators and distributors in the United States, Africa and Europe.We spoke to him about the state of Caribbean Cable TV. TWC: What is the current state of Jamaica’s Cable TV Industry as you've come to understand it?

CC: There has been significant and indeed impressive growth in the number of local channels serving Jamaica. While the increase in quantity has been impressive, visual and technical quality has not been as impressive. This is attributable to several reasons but the main reasons, and the reasons are interrelated, are (i) lack of access to capital and (2) the inabilityof these channels to advertise.

I must say that I am very optimistic about the future for Jamaican, and indeed Caribbean, television programming. There are at least three Caribbean oriented cable and satellite television channels, that I know of, slated for launch in the United States within the next six months and each channel brings a different viewpoint to the table. Additionally, I believe you will be able to see Caribbean television programming on other general interest channels around the world on an ongoing basis in the future.

I am not as optimistic about the long-term future of specific local cable television channels. I believe those that survive will be those that have taken the steps to expand globally, either through direct investment in distribution and ownership or through striking distribution deals with global television operators.

TWC: What needs to be in place for the industry to thrive based in Jamaica, serving Jamaica but reaching the world?

CC: The basic requirements are already in place, that is, talented and creative people and a globally attractive culture. The additional things needed to be in place, in my opinion, are (i) lower distribution costs, (ii) access to capital/the ability to advertise.

By lower distribution costs, I refer to the costs of distributing these channels worldwide from Jamaica. As it stands now, the ideal situation would be to distribute these channels to cable and satellite platforms worldwide from Jamaica. This would however be cost prohibitive because of the current costs associated with doing this. I must add however that these costs are likely to come down as the Government of Jamaica issued two licenses to fiber providers earlier this year.With respect to access to capital, this too should improve once the Government of Jamaica passes the long promised legislation allowing advertising on local television channels.

TWC: What has been the top5 reasons that has retarded industry growth?

CC: The most significant reasons are: Access to Capital: Operating a cable television channel or a business producing television programming is a long term project and has to be funded as such. In order to get long term funding for equipment,facilities and other funding needs, one must demonstrate an ability to generate cash flow over the proposed term of the loan.

1. Cable television channels generate cash in two possible ways; through subscribers or cable companies paying a monthly fee or through advertising. In the event of local cable companies, advertising income is not being maximized because the government has not yet completed the process of making local advertising on cable legal. Because of this, cash flow and therefore access to capital is limited.

2. Inability to work together: There appears to be a belief among some cable television channels within Jamaica that their competition is other local cable broadcast television channels. This results in an ability to cooperate and work with other local television channels that might benefit both. Although some cooperation does exist, in most instances, it is not structural and certainly not deep.In many respects, it is difficult for any single local cable channel to operate, by itself, a worldwide-distributed channel. Cable and satellite channels need a constant diet of programming in order sustain viewership.

Other reasons include the lack of a clear US distribution channel or platform for Caribbean programming and an unwillingness of local cable channels to take the upfront financial risks of creating their own distribution systems.

TWC: Why is Jamaican and Caribbean film and video content appealing to a global audience?
CC: Several years ago, I was a corporate banker with a large US bank, putting together loans for US cable television operators. Each year, we would host the senior executives and owners of these companies at a local country club in Philadelphia. I remember that at one of the events, I saw the head of one of the largest cable companies in the US dancing the butterfly. I am sure any Jamaican living anywhere worldwide will have similar stories.

The point is that our music has captured the hearts and minds of the world for several decades. I believe our music, our culture was appealing, in the early days, because our early artists preached peace and love, sang about rights, justice and poverty. I believe that it is this will to succeed despite the obstacles and the embodiment of this will in our culture and music that made, and makes our culture appealing to the world.

TWC:Is there money in it and how do you go about making it?

CC: I believe there is and I also believe that ultimately, it may generate income to rival tourism for Jamaica. The United State’s greatest export is intellectual property including movies and television. The question is whether that revenue will be coming to Jamaica and Jamaicans or to other countries.There are two ways to make money; the difference between the two being commitment and capital. First, a company can opt to be a syndicator, selling programming to the various cable channels or television stations around the world. Secondly, a company can operate its own channel and try to negotiate distribution deals on the various cable or satellite platforms around the world.

The financial commitment of a syndicator involves the costs related to producing the programming and the infrastructure necessary to support it. Operating a cable or satellite channel looking to get global distribution is a very different level of commitment. Estimates of what it takes to operate a niche channel in the United States and getting it to breakeven cash flow run upwards of US$10 million+.

However, operating a channel that has successfully negotiated distribution means your success is in your hands versus a syndicator, which consistently has to rely on selling the programming idea to a relatively small group of television executives.

Caribbean Internet Forum on in Barbados.

Internet News, Barbados - Broadband, convergence and VOIP technologies are at the centre of the Caribbean Internet Forum being held in Bridgetown, Barbados from October 4 to 5, 2005.

Participants in the forum, Caribbean technology experts and government policymakers, are there discussing the importance of a competitive marketplace and transparent regulatory practices to establish a sustainable environment in which broadband can flourish.

Additionally, they will explore the policy tools and regulatory environments that are needed and will be best in foster competition, investment and growth in emerging internet-based technologies.

The Caribbean Internet Forum is the third forum held in the Caribbean region, and is a regional initiative to facilitate communication and cooperation, at both national and regional levels, to develop a sustainable environment for Internet technology growth and connectivity in the Caribbean.

MiPHone 1, Digicel 1, Cable & Wireless 1

Mobile News, Jamaica - The first move was made by Cable & Wireless, Digicel answered and now MiPhone has sent out their own reminder message, as the price and turf war in the market ensues.

MiPhone, the bronze queen in the mobile market with 100,000 customers, came out swinging in a full page ad yesterday, reminding the market that MiPhone to MiPhone is still cheaper, than a Digicel to Digicel and Cable & Wireless to Cable & Wireless call. MiPhone earlier this year launched its MiCircle product which allows "you and your circle of family and friends to make unlimited calls to each other for a flat monthly fee per person." The packages range from $300 and $1,000.

What started it all was last week's Cable & Wireless annoucement of a 41 per cent cut in what it charges its mobile phone customers for peak time calls into its competitors' networks. With what it called its "Anyone Plan", C&WJa will now have a flat $10 per minute rate for inter and intra network calls between 7:00 am and 7:00 pm, its peak hours. For off-peak periods, the rate will be $8 a minute, a reduction of approximately 54 per cent.It used to cost Cable and Wireless' customers $17 a minute for calls into other mobile networks.

Digicel then met the Cable & Wireless with a counter offer by reintroducing its $1 per minute rate at nights and reducing the cost of sending text messages to $1 until November.