My Thoughts on Technology and Jamaica

Amazon set to launch smartphone in Fourth Quarter of 2012AD - The App Economy and the Increasing Importance of Digical Content

2012-02-21T15:14:00.001-05:00

Ever since CitiGroup analyst Mark Mahaney claimed that Amazon was possibly working on a US$200 smartphone as stated in the article “Amazon’s smartphone”, published November 18, 2011 3:13 AM, Bloomberg, NY Post and “Amazon smartphone 'in the works'” published 7:09PM GMT 18 Nov 2011 by Katherine Rushton, Media, Telecoms and technology editor, The UK Telegraph, my imagination has been fired up.

More intriguing is the possibility that Amazon may launch it in the Fourth Quarter of 2012AD and be manufacture by FoxxConn as stated in the article Amazon may launch a smartphone in Q4 2012: report, published Fri Nov 18, 2011 12:48pm EST, Reuters.

This speculation began in November 2011AD. It has now ratcheted up ever since Amazon declared its Earnings Call on Tuesday January 31^st 2012AD to have increased thanks to the Amazon Kindle Fire as stated in the article “Kindle Fire stokes interest in Amazon earnings”, published January 30, 2012 6:36 AM PST by Larry Dignan, CNET News.

According to the article “Kindle sales boom, though Amazon sales and outlook disappoint”, published January 31, 2012 1:31 PM PST by Larry Dignan, CNET News for the entire 2011AD, earnings were up by 41% compared to 2010AD with earning of US$631 million. Earnings for the Fourth Quarter of 2011AD are up by 35% compared to the Fourth Quarter in 2010AD with earnings of US$177 million.

Amazon clearly had a great Fourth Quarter of 2011AD based on their Earnings Call on Tuesday January 31^st 2012AD!

Clearly the Fourth Quarter increased was buoyed by the Amazon Kindle Fire, but fell below that projected by analysts due to what to expect in terms of the profit margin loss of approximately US$2.70 per Kindle Fire sold.

But did it really put a dent in the Apple iPad sales as prognosticated in my Geezam blog article entitled “Amazon sells 5.5 million Kindle Fires in Fourth Quarter 2012 – Apple iPad sales drop and plans January Press Event” and my blog article entitled “Apple iPad 3 Launch on March 2012 - Amazon Kindle Fire is a Sweet Dream but a Beautiful Nightmare for Apple”?

Apparently not, based on the pre-Amazon analysis of Stifel Nicolaus analyst Jordon Rohan as stated in the article “Kindle Fire sales strong in Q4, but no match for iPad”, published January 30, 2012 5:00 AM PST by Don Reisinger, CNET News. The analyst pre-Amazon Earnings Call on Tuesday January 31^st 2012AD upped the ante by stating that Amazon had sold approximately six million (6,000,000) Amazon Kindle Fires, half of the total number of Android Tablets sold.

This is comparable to the 5.5 million (5,500,000) estimated by Barclays analyst Anthony DiClemente as stated in the article “Time to Stoke Those Kindle Fire Sales Estimates”, published January 9, 2012 at 3:30 am PT, by Peter Kafka, All Things Digital. Both of these estimates, which Amazon has yet to confirm, are nonetheless far below the sales figures of the Apple iPad which sold 15.43 million Apple iPads in the same Fourth Quarter of 2011AD.

Clearly, despite being cheaper, Amazon has a lot of catching up to do if they are to beat Apple….assuming that is their intention. This as the success of their Amazon Kindle Fire demonstrates the increasing importance of Digital Content to both Apple and Amazon.

Most interestingly it also demonstrates the importance of the so-called App Economy, which according to analyst TechNet as stated in the article “App economy creates nearly half a million US jobs”, published February 7, 2012 By Trevor Mogg, DigitalTrends and “Study credits 'app economy' with 500,000 U.S. jobs”, published February 7, 2012 10:15 AM PST by Lance Whitney, CNET News.

The App Economy, the driving force behind the success of Apple, Google and Amazon for both Apple iOS and Google Android mobile devices, has in the past four (4) years created over five hundred thousand (500,000) jobs for Developers, Software Engineers and other support staff and surprisingly, most of them are located outside of Silicon Valley.

Jamaica stands to benefit from this App Economy too by virtue of being able to write Freemium Gaming Apps using Scotia VISA Debit Cards as the receiving Payment Method as stated in my Geezam Blog article entitled “How to use Scotia VISA Debit Card Online”

The possible specs would really make this smartphone duet of :

Basically smaller version of the Amazon Kindle Fire
Running on Google Android OS 4.0 aka IceCream
Featuring the Cloud-enhanced browser Silk, with possibly one of the smartphones being entirely Cloud Based
Both priced below US$200 outright purchase, with no mobile device contracts but requiring a Data Contract
Built in Wi-Fi Calling as described in my blog article entitled “Telecom Providers 4G vs Wi-Fi Calling - Galaxy Rangers”
Curated Google Android App Store, again more support for the App Economy!

Smartphones possibly named Amazon Blaze (what happens when a Fire gets out of control) and Amazon Starfire (what happens when a Gas cloud in Outer space ignites to create a star) as hinted in my Geezam Blog article entitled “Amazon sells 5.5 million Kindle Fires in Fourth Quarter 2012 – Apple iPad sales drop and plans January Press Event” may sound farfetched.

But given Amazon previous success thus far with its Kindle line and its pre-Madonna the Amazon Kindle Fire, the support of the App Economy and the increasing importance of Digital Content, an encore come the Fourth Quarter of 2012AD is very likely.

Phillip Paulwell broker's Telecom Deal - Telecom Regulator and Mobile Number Portability Coming

2012-02-17T17:07:00.001-05:00

Looks like Minister of Energy Mining and Telecommunications, Philip Paulwell has done it yet again. This time in the Telecoms realm, he has brokered a deal in a meeting with the three (3) remaining Telecom Players Telecoms Providers Digicel, LIME and Triple Play Provider FLOW on Tuesday February 7^th 2012AD as it relates leveling the Telecoms Sector for all players. Telecom Provider LIME, however, is playing possum.

I am glad that the commitment is in place, whether Telecom Provider LIME acknowledges it or not. Minister of Energy Mining and Telecommunications, Philip Paulwell is doing for the Telecom Sector what he is currently doing for the Energy Sector as state in my blog article entitled “Senator Phillip Paulwell chooses LNG over Coal - Power Engineers in Stephen King's Graveyard Shift”

Minister of Energy Mining and Telecommunications, Philip Paulwell has negotiated as now reported in the article “Paulwell brokers Lime/Digicel agreement”, published Tuesday, February 14, 2012, The Jamaica Observer the following significant changes:

Mobile Number Portability, effectively making Fixed Line and Cell phone number something you can keep for life whenever customer switch Telecoms Networks as explained in my previous blog article entitled “MNP and MRSI - How it leads to Mobile Number Portability and Crime Eradication in Jamaica”
A Telecom Regulator for the Telecom providers ONLY, weaning them off the OUR (Office of Utilities Regulation), thus giving the rapidly expanding Industry more importance as per my Geezam blog article entitled “New Telecom Act Coming for Jamaica – Providers surprised with their Own Regulator” and my blog article entitled “Telecom Providers get their own Regulator - GOJ says Telecoms For Your Eyes Only”
A renewed commitment from the Three (3) Telecom Providers as it relates to making wired and Wireless Broadband accessible to all Jamaican via the cess from the UAFCL (Universal Access Fund Company Limited) as stated in my blog article entitled “LIME, FLOW and the $JA543-million Internet plan - Ebony and Ivory”

At least Triple Play Provider FLOW is being pragmatic, urging for the negotiations to proceeds and just get it over with, as intoned by FLOW’s CEO and President Michelle “Dallas” English, quote: “Minister Paulwell has made the right move in making a public commitment to this process and we look forward to actions being taken in the shortest possible time. It is important to ensure that Jamaican consumers can freely select their carrier of choice and also make calls between networks unimpeded by high cross network charges”.

Again Minister of Energy Mining and Telecommunications, Philip Paulwell is exuberant, quote: “I am pleased to state that the result of our efforts is agreement between the Ministry and the three largest carriers; LIME, Digicel, and FLOW on a broad range of issues. The complete understanding of the parties is that the following matters will be addressed with expedition for the betterment of the industry and the nation as a whole”

Telecom Provider LIME’s Managing Director Gary Sinclair was quick to jump into the Media spotlight, stating emphatically that no solid agreement had actually been reached as pointed out mere hours later in the article “No agreement yet, says LIME”, published 2012-02-14 18:42:45, Go-Jamaica.

In fact, he went even further, giving the GOJ (Government of Jamaica) an ultimatum of three (3) months to implement interim regulatory measures, such as OUR’s proposed JA$5.00 Flat Rate Cross-Network Calling charge, or they plan to leave Jamaica as stated in the article “LIME sets three-month deadline”, published Wednesday, February 15, 2012 by CAMILO THAME Business Co-ordinator, The Jamaica Observer.

Apparently, Telecom Provider LIME claims, they are losing money as stated in the article “LIME Jamaica low on cash”, Published Wednesday February 15, 2012, The Jamaica Gleaner

But something is amiss, I fear dear reader, as Telecom Provider Digicel pointed out: Telecom Provider is playing possum as pointed out in the article “Digicel rebuts LIME”, published 2012-02-15 19:16:02, Go-Jamaica. Digicel simply asserts that the meeting did indeed take place with the Minister of Energy Mining and Telecommunications, Philip Paulwell explaining his plan in detail.

Whether or not Telecom Provider LIME had reached concordance on the issues discussed can only be ascertained from the minutes of the meeting. But Telecom Provider Digicel points out that Telecom Provider LIME was indeed informed.

More interestingly, they have even pointed out that Telecom Provider LIME is misrepresenting in the Media the number of active subscriber as being three hundred and eighty thousand (380,000) on their Network of which Telecom Provider LIME claims only two hundred and ninety thousand (290,000) are active.

Telecom Provider Digicel however claims that in fact their MGW (Media Gateway) resolves approximately five hundred thousand (500,000) unique phone number terminations, effectively suggesting that Telecom Provider LIME has about that many active subscriber, be they prepaid or postpaid.

Tit-for-tat, with my opinion swinging in Telecom Provider Digicel’s favour, as indeed Telecom Provider LIME did have approximately six hundred thousand to seven hundred thousand (600,000 - 700,000) subscribers.

This based on figures obtained by The Jamaica Observer from the 2010 Office of Utilities Regulation's “Quarterly Report for the Telecommunications Sector” which covers the three (3) month period July to September 2009 as stated by the in the article “Jamaican mobile still a talkers market” Published Wednesday July 7, 2010, The Jamaica Gleaner and “Answering LIME's factotums — here and elsewhere”, published Friday, September 30, 2011 BY AL EDWARDS, The Jamaica Observer.

So it appears that Telecom Provider LIME is indeed playing possum, possibly even faking death to malign the GOJ as not having the Telecoms Sector in Jamaica set up to their liking, even making claims of Jamaica being a loss making asset as stated in the article “Tough times for Cable & Wireless Communications”, published Friday, February 17, 2012 BY LEWIS CYPHER, The Jamaica Observer.

The possibility of C&W Worldwide, the global subsidiary of C&W PLC, being sold out to Telecom Provider Vodafone as stated in the article “Vodafone eyes bid for Cable & Wireless Worldwide” published Wednesday February 15, 2012, The Jamaica Gleaner may just be hokum, as I do recall as a Network Maintenance Technician working at C&W Jamaica (2001 to 2004) the annual ritual of threats of purchase that materialize out of nowhere and disappeared just as fast.

More as this story develops, as this marks some exciting times in the Telecoms Sector.

University of California Researchers develop 1 micron nanoscale Laser - Optical SCoC Revival of the Apple G4 Cube

2012-02-15T12:30:00.002-05:00

In a development that make me more hopeful about supercomputing coming to the Desktop, another research breakthrough has come to light, literally in the burgeoning field of NanoTechnology.

This is in the development of a Nano-Laser 1 micron in diameter by the University of California in San Diego, California as stated in the article “Nano-Laser is small as speck of dust”, published February 9, 2012 6:49 AM PST by Martin LaMonica, CNET News and the article “Electrical Engineers Build 'No-Waste' Laser’, published 9^th February 2012, The ScienceDaily.

This as it may herald the future development of an Optical SCoC (Super Computers on a Chip) functional at s.t.p (Standard Temperature and Pressure) which is 25 degrees Celsius and 1atm. Thus breaking the 3.6GHz speed barrier for Personal Computers without the need for exotic cooling techniques as opined in my blog article entitled “Intel and LightPeak - Race towards the Sun”.

More interestingly, Apple G4 Cube may be in for a revival and at an even smaller scale than before, possibly handheld and functional like a supercomputer!

But what is a Nano-Laser anyway?

At 1 micron, it’s smaller than a human hair (600 microns) or even pollen (10 microns)! The discovery was published in the science Magazine Nature in the article “Thresholdless nanoscale Coaxial Lasers”, published 08 February 2012, Nature. Worth spending you hard earned cash in your Scotia VISA Debit Card once you follow the instructions in my Geezam blog article entitled “How to use Scotia VISA Debit Card Online” to purchase!!

Lasers (Light amplified by the Stimulated Emission of Radiation) typically required a certain threshold energy level to be exceeded before they can begin “lasing”. This Threshold level is the point at which the coherent light output of the Laser far exceeds the input light that stimulates the emission of Light.

The problems faced at the nanoscale level are similar to those faced by Raytheon when placing a Directed Energy Weapon on a Ship, which is in the macroscopic level as stated in my blog article entitled “Telecom Providers and Raytheon - Star Wars on the high Seas”. Or as in the case of Boeing making one portable enough to carry on a truck as stated in my blog article entitled “Boeing and the HELTD Direct Energy Weapon - StarShip Troopers Death Star in Revenge of the Sith”.

Same problems folks! It’s a matter of scale and size and the problems experienced both at the Macroscopic as well as the macroscopic level are the same, only scaled-up or scaled-down based on the application.

At the nanoscale level (1 micron and smaller), getting Lasers to work is rather difficult, as it’s very difficult to control the light source, owering to the fact that at that scale, photons are much bigger and more plentiful. Thus the clever new construction method used by Dr. Mercedeh Khajavikhan and her team at the University of California was to build the Nano-Laser in a construction manned similar to a Coaxial Cable.

This is the point where I get in on the action, as Coaxial Cable construction is of interest to me, being as it is a suggestion of mine made back in 2011AD in a Skype phone conversation with a friend of mine in New York. Coaxial Cables are deliberately build with:

An outer Rubberized PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride) casing
An outer sheath of mesh wire that acts as an EMI shield as well as a strength member
Plastic (Dielectric) insulation
A Central Copper Core.

This is to reduce the EMI (Electromagnetic interference) caused by the oscillating pulses traveling along the Cable. By mimicking this construction type of a Coaxial Cable, they were able to do the very same thing: cut down on the production of EMI that would normally act as a choke (Lenz’s Law and Faraday’s Left Hand Rule) and create resistance to the production of more oscillations.

In the Coaxial Cable installation, this reduces the use of Analog or Digital Amplifiers (boosters), Repeaters or “Boosters” as Cable TV Technicians call them along the length of the CATV (Community Access Television) installation.

This as the outer Mesh Sheath is interwoven in a pattern similar to a twisted pair wire, thereby cancelling out the magnetic field generated by the straight Central Copper Core and thus cancelling out any inductance in the Coaxial Cable (Lenz’s Law and Faraday’s Left Hand Rule) and making the Coaxial Cable purely resistive.

A similar thing may have been happening at the nanoscale level which this new construction of the Nano-Laser used by Dr. Mercedeh Khajavikhan and her team at the University of California solved. More interestingly, they can make them even smaller or larger, Alice in Wonderland style, with variations in power accompanying the scale-up or scale-down of the Nano-Laser.

But what use does a Nano-Laser have anyways?

Because the Nano-Laser is so small, the upper threshold before the Nano-Laser turn is very small, almost threshold-less. Logical, as the Laser is so small in size and so would require very miniscule amounts of light to power up in the first place.

Thus the applications, like the original Ruby Red Laser invented by Theodore H. “Ted” Maiman at Hughes Research Laboratories on May 16, 1960AD are mind bogglingly endless, some of which have not yet even being conceived:

High-resolution LCD or OLED displays, making 4K Displays and Retina Display look passé
Nanoscale Lasers that can scan atom by atom images of viruses and DNA molecules but at very high resolution
The invisibility cloak as described in the James Bond movie Die another Day and the article “Cloak's on you: Scientists create 'invisible' object”, published January 26, 2012 7:04 AM PST by Martin LaMonica, CNET News could be made real i.e. nanocamera on side of the Aston Martin DB5 captures what they see and project it via embedded nanoscale Lasers as a display in the paint on the other side, making the car invisible on once side
Advertisers will love it as well, as it will low-cost paste-on Moving Displays as seen in the movie “Minority Report” a reality
Camera with higher pixel density for smartphones, exceeding even that of Sharp’s recent development of a 12.1 Megapixel camera, which may be featured in the apple iPhone 4GS or even the Apple iPad 3 as stated in my blog article entitled “Sharp develops world's thinnest 12.1 Megapixel Camera - Apple iPhone 5 and Apple iPad 3 in Sharp's focus”
Optical Laser Printers with ultra high printing quality, something that Apple may be interested, being as no-one has yet to make a standard Cloud Printer, muchless a good printer as noted in my blog article entitled “Standardizing the Cloud Printer for Tablets and smartphones - Molly Wood rants about the broken printer ”

But it’s the applications in computing that have me very excited. Optical Computer would also be possible. Combined with the development of a superglue by 3M and IBM (International Business Machines) Vertical Processor Array of Low-Voltage Multi-Core Optical Processors may be coming to a Apple MacBook Air or even a revival of the Apple G4 Cube quite soon.

This concept, which I call Iso-Linear due to the non-linear relationship between processing power and the number of potential Multi-Core Processors in this 3D stack described in my blog article entitled “IBM and 3M to develope adhesive for Iso-Linear Processor - Rihanna's Umbrella for Intel's SuperComputer on a Chip” may not only be a SCoC (Super Computer on a Chip) but potentially also an Optical Computer, using these Nano-Lasers as their lasing source.

Dr. Mercedeh Khajavikhan and her team at the University of California paves the way for ultra-high imaging applications as well as the development of an Optical SCoC that may be used in the future return of the Apple’s G4 Cube that may change Tablets and UltraBooks forever.

MakerBot 3D Replicator Printer debuts at CES 2012 - Evanessence Brings Star Trek to Life

2012-02-14T15:48:00.001-05:00

3D is now the new up and coming trend in Broadcasting in the US of A, with ComCast as the poster boy for the push towards IPTV Streaming a 3D HDTV as stated in my blog article entitled “FLOW goes 3D HDTV as Netflix cometh - XFinity follow-on indicates Streaming's Deep Impact” and the Geezam Blog article entitled “FLOW goes 3D HDTV et al – Netflix to make FLOW Extinct”.

Even local Triple Play Provider FLOW has plans to go 3D HDTV, with their plans now being supported by a recent announcement of an additional US$30 billion in funding for the build-out of their Triple Play Network in the next five (5) years as stated in the article “Flow to invest another J$30b in five years”, published Friday February 3, 2012 by Steven Jackson, Business Reporter, The Jamaica Gleaner and in the article “Columbus Communications makes multibillion-dollar telecoms investment in the region”, published Friday, February 10, 2012, The Jamaica Observer

But a 3D Printer is something of a novelty in the Printing World, a world that is yet to make a standard Cloud Printer for Tablets as stated in my blog article entitled “Standardizing the Cloud Printer for Tablets and smartphones - Molly Wood rants about the broken printer”.

That may soon change with the debut of MakerBot’s 3D Printer aptly named The Replicator at CES (Computer Electronics Show) in Las Vegas, Nevada this January 2012AD as stated in the article “MakerBot to Debut Next-Gen 3D Printer at CES”, published January 9, 2012 04:30pm EST By Tony Hoffman, PC Magazine and “MakerBot Replicator 3D printer beams in”, published January 9, 2012 12:46 PM PST by Rich Brown, CNET News

Started in September 2010AD with only five (5) employees, their numbers have swelled to thirty (30) employees and a strong geek following of thousands of users, as evident from their fan website Thingyverse.

Their first model the $1,299 Thing-O-Matic has been a huge success as stated in the article “Hands-on with MakerBot’s Thing-O-Matic, a printer for 3D objects”, published June 22, 2011 by Jeffrey Van Camp DigitalTrends. A DIY (Do-it-Yourself) Printer, upon ordering you can put the printer together with told you have at home.

Once up an running and connected to your PC via a USB Port, you use the material wire supplied which is heated to a molten state by the extruder, the 3D object is built up layer by layer. Much like a loaf of sliced bread is made up of layers, so too is the 3D construct that you build with the MakerBot Thing-O-Matic, one lay of hundreds or thousands at a time.

A geek culture kind of a phenomena, it takes a lot of dedication and planning to build you own 3D models files for the MakerBot Thing-O-Matic, so being a member of the Thingyverse where you can download and collect 3D Model files to try out on your MakerBot Printer is very helpful.

So it’s nice to see the gradual development of a 3D Open Source Printer from Start-up MakerBot. This latest model MakerBot 3D Printer called the Replicator costs US$1999 and can print, if you can still call it that in two (2) colours as stated in the article “MakerBot builds the future, layer by layer’, published January 12, 2012 7:12 PM PST by Eric Mack, CNET News

Interestingly enough, a lot of fans of MakerBot’s 3D Thing-O-Matic Printers also happen to be fans of Minecraft, which recently debut their LEGO Set as noted in my Geezam blog article entitled “Minecraft Apple iPhone and iPad making brick building Games Social”. Even the material used in the printer which can be either ABS (Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene), the plastic material that makes LEGO or PLA (Polylactide) is familiar to Minecraft fans!

Now that MakerBot has made another easier to use 3D Printer, aptly named the Replicator, does this mean the coming of 3D Printers in everyone’s homes as opined CNET Editor Rich Brown’s article “A 3D printer in every garage? Not yet.”, published January 13, 2012 7:00 AM PST by Rich Brown, CNET News an opinion expressed in his article that may be biased due to the Fact that the MakerBot 3D Printer called the Replicator was awarded Best in show in the emerging Technology Category.

It may be more of a thing that, like Minecraft, may develop with the increasingly strong fanbase that loves its tinker and likes its community feel, Open Source roots. It may also have a special appeal to people who want to scan and replicate components in a manufacturing setting so as to breath life into their creations or share data.

A good example of the usefulness of a 3D Printer in a semi-industrial setting (actual a hospital) was the creation of a customer build jawbone from sintering together layers of titanium powder as stated in the article “3D printer produces new jaw for woman”, published February 6, 2012 12:59 PM PST by Martin LaMonica, CNET News. This printer was made by a Belgian 3D Printer maker LayerWise.

To give you an idea of how time consuming yet precise 3D Printing is in replicating objects, Ruben Wauthle, LayerWise's medical applications engineer explains the process in an interview with BBC, quote: “It used a laser beam to melt successive thin layers of titanium powder together to build the part. This was repeated with each cross section melted to the previous layer. It took 33 layers to build 1mm of height, so you can imagine there were many thousand layers necessary to build this jawbone.”

MakerBot’s 3D Printer the Replicator Brings 3D Creations to Life Evanessence Style and may herald the coming of 3D printing for both Commercial as well as Personal use as the popularity of the Thingyverse fan base continues to grow.

Senator Phillip Paulwell chooses LNG over Coal - Power Engineers in Stephen King's Graveyard Shift

2012-02-11T14:25:00.002-05:00

NKOB (New Kid on the Block) Minister of Energy, Mining and Telecommunications Senator Phillip Paulwell has been one busy little Senator indeed as he was already in the limelight since January 2012AD, the Year of the Dragon for his utterances on aspects of his ministry: Telecoms and Energy!

This after the PNP (People’s National Party) won an historic, unexpected and crushing landslide victory over the JLP (Jamaica Labour Party) as stated in the article “It's Portia! - PNP delivers crushing 41-22 seat defeat to JLP’, published Friday, December 30, 2011 BY VERNON DAVIDSON Executive editor — publications, The Jamaica Observer

First Minister of Energy, Mining and Telecommunications Senator Phillip Paulwell’s controversial pronouncements on Telecoms!

The Telecoms Provider Digicel swap with America Movil that gave them the CLARO Jamaica Spectrum and licenses for their Caribbean-wide HSDPA+ (High Speeds Downlink Packet Access) Release 7 Network and then ramp up to LTE (Long Term Evolution) push by 2014AD under dubious circumstances was his first controversy. This was given Minister of Energy, Mining and Telecommunications Senator Phillip Paulwell’s tacit support from early on as stated in the article entitled “Paulwell endorses new Digicel/Claro merger condition”, published 2012-01-13 09:22:52, Go-Jamaica.

Hopefully Telecoms Provider Digicel will build out the Islandwide HSDPA+ Release 7 Network but give up some of the spectrum to encourage competition in Jamaica’s Telecoms Market as the FTC (Fair Trading Commission) desires as noted in my blog article entitled “Digicel to shut down CLARO's Voice Network in HSDPA+ Push - The Louisiana Purchase of Spectrum”.

As for the former employees and contractors associated with CLARO Jamaica, they may not even have time to rest on their laurels! Canadian-based Solamon Energy Corp is an entrant into the newly liberalized Energy Sector looking to compete in the recently liberalized Energy Sector and in the process employ thousands of Jamaicans as stated in my breaking Geezam article entitled “Solamon Energy Corporation to build Caribbean’s Largest Solar Plant – Jamaica to get a Green Energy Boost”.

So I guess it will all work out after all for the disenfranchised CLARO Jamaica employees come Thursday March 1^st 2012AD when CLARO GSM Voice Network will be turned off, not down……

Thus Canadian-based Solamon Energy Corp may take on former CLARO Jamaica employees with IP RAN (IP Radio Access Network) experience to:

Build out the communications backbone between their three (3) massive fifty (50) acre Solar Plant
GPRS (Global Packet Radios System) and EDGE (Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution) Remote Billing System based on smartmeters

This as noted in my blog article entitled “Solamon Energy Corp & Green RG invest in Jamaica's Alternative Energy Future - Let the Cheaper Energy Hunger Games for Latin America Begin”.

Now here comes Minister of Energy, Mining and Telecommunications Senator Phillip Paulwell’s latest pronouncements on Energy and what appears to be the coming Liberalization of the Energy Sector and with it competition and even Broadband!

Earlier in January 2012AD year Minister of Energy, Mining and Telecommunications Senator Phillip Paulwell even served up the possibility that JPS Co could offer PowerLine Broadband as a means of offsetting the loss of revenue due to competition in a Liberalized Energy Sector as stated in the article Paulwell wants JPS to offer broadband Internet service, published Sunday January 22, 2012 10:39 am, The Jamaica Gleaner and “JPS invited to offer broadband Internet service” published Sunday January 22, 2012, The Jamaica Gleaner.

However, such an offer, even if taken up by JPS Co, would be impractical due to the level of signal attenuation Broadband signals would face traversing on Power lines, not to mention interference with terrestrial communications and even Hospital Equiptment as noted in my explanation blog article entitled “Senator Phillip Paulwell and PowerLine Broadband - Ice Station Zebra”.

Game, set, match on that issue, as its impracticability is well known to Telecoms Technicians working at JPS Co!!

But apparently undeterred, his latest pronouncement on Energy is one that I welcome. It is Minister of Energy, Mining and Telecommunications Senator Phillip Paulwell about turn from his earlier held position on the use of Coal as an alternative fuel to imported Bunker Seed Oil to generate electricity by JPS Co as opposed to LNG (Liquid Natural Gas) as stated in the article “Full speed ahead with LNG”, published 9^th February 2012, Go-Jamaica, which the JLP Supports, makes the news yet again!

The PNP’s original position was to support the use of Coal as it was cheaper and plentiful on the world market, commanding lower prices as stated in the article “Eyes on coal”, published Friday February 3, 2012 by Steven Jackson, Gleaner Writer, The Jamaica Gleaner, expressed some six (6) days ago in the Media.

I guess this means that the Licenses being offered by the Government of Jamaica to invite international bidders to supply LNG as well as to construct the LNG Floating Storage and Re-gasification Terminal and the pipeline infrastructure as laid out in December 2011AD article “Bids to open next year for LNG terminal”, Published Sunday December 4, 2011, The Jamaica Gleaner is still open.

Additionally, Minister of Energy, Mining and Telecommunications Senator Phillip Paulwell backtrack may also be a means of avoiding sending mixed signals to the Bidders in the international community as it relates to the GOJ’s commitment to the JLP’s previously signed Bilateral Trade Agreements and MOU’s related to LNG

It seems that they [PNP] have finally awakened - yet again - to the fact that LNG would save Jamaica US$300 million per annum on their Oil Bill as stated in the article “JPS: LNG power plant to cut US$300m from oil bill”, published Friday February 10, 2012, The Jamaica Gleaner.

This in addition to the added savings from the coming expansion of the Wigton Wind Farm as stated in the article “In Five Months, Wigton Saves Jamaica $229 Million”, published Sunday September 25, 2011, The Jamaica Gleaner

The last time the debate on LNG surfaced was in June of 2010AD in the article “Government eyes LNG cure for Energy problems”, published Wednesday June 16 2010 by Laura Redpath, Senior Staff Writer, The Jamaica Gleaner but little action had been taken since then, with embattled Minister of Energy and Mining Paul Robertson having to demit office over a LNG

Back then I also did several articles on the subject, most notable of which was an article which outlined the benefits of LNG as a part of Jamaica’s Energy Mix entitled “Alternative Energy and LNG - Is Energy Sector Liberalization necessary?” and the coming Peak Oil Crisis coming in 2015AD as described in my blog article entitled “Alternative Energy and the Caribbean - Peak Oil in 2015 and The Day After Tomorrow”

To wit:

LNG is cleaner burning in combustion engines than Oil and results in lower Maintenance costs
It’s easier to store than Oil or Coal, oweing to the fact that it can be gasified or compressed easily, the energy for which being supplied by Alternative Sources
It’s easily transported using pipelines, as opposed to Coal which has to be transported by road using Trucks, large Trailers or via Trains
LNG only poses an explosion danger to the environment as opposed to Coal which poses a health and dust nuisance problem to residents living near to the LNG Regasification plant
LNG has a higher Energy Density than Gasoline or Diesel as stated in the article “Energy Density”, viewed Monday January 18 2010 by WikiPedia packing 53 MJ/kg compared to Diesel and Gasoline sporting figures of 46.2 MJ/kg and 46.4 MJ/kg respectively
It can also be used as fuel in Motor Vehicles as stated in my blog article entitled “LPG and the Challenger Transport Co. Ltd. - A Cheaper Fuel” and the supporting article in The Jamaica Observer entitled “Challenger Transport pioneers Auto LPG”, published Friday, March 05, 2010 by Patrick Foster, The Jamaica Observer.
It can be used as fuel for Public Transport, saving the GOJ billions of dollars in fuel costs as stated in my blog article entitled “JUTC, Challenger and LNG - Journey to the Center of the Earth”
Most importantly, the source of LNG fuel is actually sustainable and can be made in commercial quantities Anaerobic digestion of organic matter by Methane producing Bacteria as per my blog article entitled “Alternative Energy and the Caribbean - Peak Oil in 2015 and The Day After Tomorrow
Improved production at companies that use vast amounts of energy to produce their products e.g. Bauxite at JAMALCO as mentioned in the article “US$3-B infrastructural upgrade coming with Natural Gas - Robertson”, published Sunday, October 03, 2010, The Jamaica Observer and explained in my blog article entitled “Alternative Energy and Distributed AEPP - The GoldenEye Talk Shop”
Generators that use LNG are Gas Turbine Generators. These Generators can be easily modified to use Hydrogen Gas in the future as per my blog article entitled “Hydrogen Economy and Natural Gas - Wall-E and the Rise of the Oceanospirillales Microbes.
Gas turbine Generators can enable Jamaica to eventually transition to the so-called Hydrogen Economy in the future using Hydrogen Gas obtained from the electrolysis of Seawater to produce Hydrogen and Oxygen, with Salt and other minerals as byproducts as per my blog article entitled “Whither the Hydrogen Economy”

That the GOJ and Jamaicans at large are divided along political lines on an issue that should be of national importance and unite us as the high cost of Cheaper Energy it is a problem that affects us all as stated in my blog article entitled “Minister Clive Mullings retrogade step on Energy Sector Liberalization - JPS Co's Monopoly An Inconvenient Truth” is intriguingly strange. It also speaks volumes about our mindset as it relates to achieving Developed World Status in keeping with the bipartisan ideals as laid out in Vision 2030.

So it’s going to an interesting year for both Telecoms and Power Engineering. With the Telecoms Sector, more specifically Telecom Provider LIME still awaiting the changes in the archaic Telecommunications Act of 2000 and the provision of a Telecom Regulator separate and apart from OUR (Office of Utilities Regulation) as stated in the article “Sinclair demands regulatory protection in high stakes telecoms market” Published Friday February 10, 2012 by Lavern Clarke, Business Editor, The Jamaica Gleaner.

Along with former CLARO RF Technician and Network Engineers, Power Engineers at JPS Co, it seems, will be kept working for the next five (5) years to install the new Gas Turbine Generators that use LNG on Stephen King’s Graveyard Shift (1990)

Qualcomm to create Airplane Wi-Fi named Next Gen-AG using 500MHz of unused 14GHz spectrum - 300MBps in the Mile High Club

2012-02-09T16:36:00.000-05:00

Telecom Equiptment Maker Qualcomm has come up with an idea that I think borders on genius. Their idea simply put: re-use currently 500MHz of spare spectrum in the 14GHz band to power what I would effectively like to call Airplane Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11n) at a maximum theoretical speeds of 300MBps as stated in the article “Qualcomm is exploring the last 4G frontier: The sky”, published Feb. 6, 2012, 8:07am PT By Kevin Fitchard, Gigaom.

Telecom Equiptment Maker Qualcomm’s name for this futuristic Wireless Broadband Delivery system is called Next Gen-AG and must pas muster with the FCC (Federal Communication Commission) before they can start manufacturing the Hardware and firmware for this push to rule Broadband in the Skies.

If this sounds familiar it should, as a similar fate possibly awaits ADSL in Jamaica when FTTH (Fiber To The House) eventually leaves the Guinea Pig Testing stage and becomes so popular that the only use ADSL may have is as low-speed Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11n) offerings (possibly free?) at Shopping malls and Fast Food Restaurants.

This is the so called Shopping Mall Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11n) and Fast Food Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11n) as stated in my blog article entitled “Fast Food Wi-Fi for LIME's ADSL Broadband when FTTH goes Mainstream - Mother's and KFC to Supersize Me with Wi-Fi”, similar to the Telecom Equiptment Maker Qualcomm announcement as it is the re-use of an otherwise unused Resource.

This article caught my eye as with the impending shutdown of CLARO Jamaica’s Network looming large on Thursday March 1^st 2012AD it’s now becoming clear what Telecom Provider Digicel’s real ambitions were all about: getting a hold of CLARO’s spectrum and 3G Licenses to build out their Caribbean-wide HSDPA+ Release 7 Network and then ramp up to LTE (Long Term Evolution) push by 2014AD as surmised in my blog article entitled “Digicel to shut down CLARO's Voice Network in HSDPA+ Push - The Louisiana Purchase of Spectrum”.

Interestingly too in the US of A, Telecoms Provider AT&T attempt to get a hold of Telecoms Provider T-Mobile purportedly for the same purpose of using their spectrum to build out a USA-wide LTE Network was flatly rejected by the FCC (Federal Communication Commission) Julius Genachowski. The FCC Chief stated that the merger was not in the US public’s interest as stated in the article “FCC Chairman: AT&T/T-Mobile deal not in public interest, hearing requested, reports WSJ”, published November 22, 2011 By Andrew Couts Digitaltrends.

Guess their Telecoms Industry has the right checks and balances, as the GOJ is yet to set up the Telecoms Regulator, freeing the OUR (Office of Utilities Regulation) from being overstretched in their duties to this now bustling Industry as stated in my Geezam blog article entitled “New Telecom Act Coming for Jamaica – Providers surprised with their Own Regulator”.

The Telecoms Industry growing complexity requires not only its own Regulator but a radically revamped Telecommunications Act to deal with the growth of Wireless and Wired Broadband for which the originally drafted Telecommunications Act of 2000 was not designed

So this latest attempt at a spectrum grab in the US of A is of interest to me, oweing to the fact that it aims to reuse spectrum that is otherwise rather useless for UE (User Equiptment) as the Mobile phones do not have the battery power to function using these very high frequencies. Even worse, these frequencies are severely attenuated by even just the wind blowing and moisture, let alone metal building in metallic structures!

At 14MHz, only IP RAN (IP Radio Access Networks) can utilize this spectrum but at very high power levels, making them a last resort in a spectrum auction. Telecoms providers in provisioning their Microwave Backhaul always try to use the lowest frequencies possible to minimize on power usage as argued in my blog article entitled “Telecom Providers and Alternative Energy - Stormy Weather and the MTV Generation”

The genius of Telecom Equiptment Maker Qualcomm’s plan is in instead of making UE i.e. Mobile handsets, modems, etc that can receive those frequencies, they instead envision the utilization of a 500MHz block of this particular spectrum to transmit broadband to Commercial Aircraft that would house the gear to convert the LTE signal to Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11n). In effect, make the entire Aircraft the MiFi, if you will, converting the 14GHz frequency down to the 5GHz and 2.5GHz normally associated with Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11n).

Commercial Aircraft have acres of reserve electrical power that can be used to power the LTE Tx/Rx gear on board the aircraft. Interestingly, at 14MHz, the severe attenuation of the signal means that the LTE Tx/Rx would have to be placed on the outside of the aircraft, most likely molded to the shape of the wings and fuselage.

Additional power for such as system, if required, would come from solar panels and wind turbines mounted near the engines so as not to create unnecessary turbulence, in effect supplying the LTE Tx/Rx gear with all the power it may need without compromising the Aircrafts power System or draining its onboard batteries.

But more interesting is the transmission system. Telecom Equiptment Maker Qualcomm could theoretically use either ground based 14GHz LTE Antennas pointing up into the sky or use Satellites from above that beam the LTE signal down to earth effectively Satellite Broadband with a twist of Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11n) as stated in the article “Telecom Providers and Satellite Broadband - Quantum of Solace and The Tourist ”.

Either system envisioned would not require a lot of Mobile Towers on the ground or birds [satellites] in the sky as the Sky Waves, the type of propagation used in this proposed system, spreads far and wide and do not need to be directional in nature, a big money saver to new entrants to the Mobile Broadband Telecoms Market. In fact, if could re-use the Crow’s Nest of a lot of Mobile Towers and may not necessarily require Mobile Towers to be built at all, due to the fact that

Albeit Airplane Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11n) is currently very expensive, foreseeably in the future Telecoms Providers using such gear may actually be the Airlines and Airports. Albeit traveling passengers and seats are the bread and butter of any airline, increasingly Airlines are trying to diversify away from just offering seats and offer VAS (Value Added Services) in a bid to increase their revenue streams.

Much as my prediction of free Shopping Mall Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11n) and Fast Food Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11n) may be a VAS for Shopping Malls and Fast Food establishments to attract more customers, so too in the future, In-flight Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11n) may be another standard choice aside from choosing to fly Coach, Economy or First Class.

As a service, however, it has ways to go before you can go to the airline Check-in counter and declare that you want in-flight Wi-Fi as currently the prices are prohibitively expensive as stated in the article “Wi-Fi use in the air is slow to take off”, published 16 January 2012 By Nancy Trejos, USA TODAY

So a flight of Fancy: REDjet or Caribbean Airlines as Telecom Providers for hefty 300MBps Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11n)? Here’s hoping that Telecoms Equipment Maker Qualcomm succeeds in getting on the good side of FCC (Federal Communication Commission) Julius Genachowski for their Next-Gen AG proposal, who may be in no mood for attempts at another Monopoly in the Mile High Club.

e-Media Interactive launches the First Caribbean IPTV Network - IPTV Venture Capitalism in the Year of the Dragon

2012-02-07T16:33:00.001-05:00

eMedia Interactive, an offshoot of founder and CEO Tyrone Wilson of eZines Limited fame, has made history not only in Jamaica but the Caribbean by launching the first Regional IPTV Streaming Platform aptly titled iVu Online Television Network as announced boldly in the article “First online TV network to hit the region”, Published Sunday January 15, 2012, The Jamaica Gleaner.

The Jamaica Observer seem a bit more enthused about the concept, making much of the significance of the 25 year old Tyrone Wilson, CEO of eMedia Interactive latest venture by actually doing a two (2) article spread as shown below:

“eMedia launches online TV in Jamaica Part I”, published Friday, January 13, 2012, BY AL EDWARDS, The Jamaica Observer
“eMedia Interactive launches online TV in Jamaica — Part II”, published Friday, February 03, 2012, The Jamaica Observer

Guess 2012AD is truly the Chinese Year of the Dragon as his US$350,000 start-up financing was secured sans collateral from Pan Caribbean Financial Services. Yep, no collateral at all, a head turner and a VERY BIG DEAL here in Jamaica not used to Venture capital start-ups that appear to mimic Facebook’s meteoric rise on the backs of another venture capital funded 25 year old, Mark Zuckerberg in the US of A.

Tyrone Wilson, CEO of eMedia Interactive’s bold vision for what is effectively an IPTV Streaming company can be felt emanating from his words captured so well in the Jamaica gleaner, quote: “With a single click, anyone, anywhere in the world, will have instant access to world-class content from the region. eMedia Interactive is very excited about this new initiative because we’re bringing to the Caribbean what Hulu has done for content providers around the world, but with an exclusive focus on regional content”.

This is the latest poke at Television Jamaica and CVM TV slowness to adopt to the rapidly changing media landscape, who if they are not careful may end up being caught in the crossfire or worse being food for bigger Media fishes as stated in my blog article entitled “LIME parent CWC partners with Avail-TVN to provide IPTV Streaming Service - War of The Worlds against Netflix ”with their only venture thus far being their respective launch of their Web Streaming portals.

Though apparently unconnected, when news broke of the departure of one of Television Jamaica brightest young female hosts Pepita Little of Intense of Television Jamaica as noted in the article “PEPITA NO LONGER ON INTENSE”, published Tuesday December 20 2011 by SHELDON WILLIAMS, Staff Reporter, The Jamaica Star, I made the connection immediately to Telecom Provider LIME which at the time had just announced the coming intended launch of their IPTV Streaming Platform powered by Juniper Networks with content provided by Avail-TVN.

The circumstances surrounding the reason for her departure (fight with a Manager over a common male interest, perhaps?) was most likely a smokescreen for a better salary and her own show on Telecom Provider LIME’s soon-to-be-launched IPTV Streaming Platform as surmised in my blog article entitled “LIME chooses Juniper Networks to rebroadcast Avail-TVN's Content - Pepita Little's Ghostbusters to capture Media Personalities”.

IPTV Streaming would be a better future for Entertainment Media in a World slowly Catching Fire (2013AD) Suzanne Collins with the concept of “TV Anywhere” and wanting to catch the exclusive news and Entertainment events as it happens.

Her singular departure is an event that may signal the coming mass-migration of Media Personalities from traditional Free-to-Air Media to subscription based start-up such as iVu Online Television Network set up under the newly minted IPTV Streaming License from the Broadcasting Commission, also attracted by the prospect of higher salaries.

Probably explained why Tyrone Wilson later said, quote: “There is no shortage of talented content providers, but currently they do not have the funding to take their projects to the next level for the enjoyment of viewers here and abroad, who can enjoy greater choice and better quality content. Our iVu online TV network is the best way to ensure that their content moves from the Caribbean to the world.”

Since then the following revelations have come to light that Television Jamaica’s Manager Kay Osbourne has resigned effective February 29^th 2012AD, a decision she had made since December 2011AD as suggested in the article “TVJ general manager resigns”, published Wednesday, February 01, 2012, The Jamaica Observer and the article “Kay Osbourne resigns”, published Feb. 1, 2012 - 6:59 pm, RJR News Online.

Possibly a first casualty of the coming IPTV Streaming Competition or merely an indication of her failing to secure the exclusive broadcast rights for London Olympics 2012AD as well as FIFA World Cup 2014AD. Two (2) very large losses for free-to-air Broadcaster Television Jamaica in terms of exclusive content rebroadcast and advertising revenue, exclusive rights that are Television Jamaica loss but a coupe for eight year old CVM TV, a subsidiary of Sauce communications, whose parent happens to be Triple Play Provider FLOW.

Meanwhile Triple Play Provider FLOW, already feeling the heat, has redoubled it efforts with a whopping US$30 billion investment over the next five (5) years in Jamaica as mentioned in the article “Flow to invest another J$30b in five years”, published Friday February 3, 2012 by Steven Jackson, Business Reporter, The Jamaica Gleaner.

This is to finance the roll-out of their faster 300MBps Cable Broadband Internet as well as their 3D HDTV Channel Service as deduced in my blog article entitled “FLOW goes 3D HDTV as Netflix cometh - XFinity follow-on indicates Streaming's Deep Impact” and the Geezam Blog article entitled “FLOW goes 3D HDTV et al – Netflix to make FLOW Extinct”.

With iVu Online Television Network Premium and Free Channels available worldwide via a partnership with IPTV Streaming Set Top box maker Roku and Cloud-Platform Provider Brightcove, iVu Online Television Network is poised for greater things as 4G Internet expands both locally and in the Caribbean and aims for a worldwide audience as noted in my Geezam Blog article entitled “LIME, Digicel and FLOW – Leading the Global 4G Adoption Curve”

The last time I had done an article featuring CEO Tyrone Wilson, it was in relation to another venture of his in SMS (Short Messaging Service) Advertising and Marketing company named CoreTalk Caribbean Limited in the article entitled “Telecom Providers and SMS - CoreTalk, Raiders of the Lost Ark”.

That business CoreTalk Caribbean Limited was based on US$49.99 per month contract Subscription model based on information gleaned from an interview on Smile Jamaica with Carlette Deleon aka “Dilly” aka the Pet Tales Chick which was aired Thursday June 24, 2010 on Television Jamaica.

Ironic, as little did Television Jamaica know that they would be interviewing their potential competition and herald of the Death based on this swipe by CEO Tyrone Wilson, quote: “Content is king and we need content in order to create traction. The iVu is a legitimate and transparent source for content producers to earn more for their efforts. The opportunities locally, lets face it are limited. Apart from TVJ and CVM there [are] very few places to go. iVu will allow content providers to reach a global market. I have found that around the world there is a strong demand for Jamaican content”

In fact, a quick check on the link above reveals that he had actually read and appeared interested in the article’s breakdown of his then fledgling company CoreTalk Caribbean Limited business model to the point of even commented on it, as I had suspected CoreTalk Caribbean Limited was a Twitter Clone.

Alas, little has since been heard of CoreTalk Caribbean Limited, possibly because Texting is as annoying as online banner ads and Pop-ups and are thus largely ignored by young people when they land on your phones, making them a poor choice for advertising.

Fast forward to 2012AD on the eve of the coming eleven (11) year cycles of Solar Flares on the sun as stated in my blog article entitled ‘Alternative Energy and the Coming Solar Maximum - The Lightning Thief” folks!

CEO Tyrone Wilson is still involved in his three (3) year old venture capital funded start-up, eZines Limited, which is a digitally published magazine based on a Subscription model which is delivered to customers via email, websites, blog as well as Blackberry and smartphone apps with the following youth oriented slant and titles:

Your Money,
Your Style
Teen Spirit

Not sure if young people actually read, but it looks like the fame earned from his initial ventures an associated speaking engagements has secure him more venture capital support.

This evidenced from the composition of the Executive Board of this his latest (ad?)venture which consists of the following heavy hitters, one of whom, Richard Byles is also Chairman of Red Stripe Jamaica Limited and possibly the Influencer and Mentor who convinced Pan Caribbean Financial Services to cough up US$350,000 start-up financing secured sans collateral:

Donovan Perkins, President and CEO of Pan Caribbean Financial Services
Ross Sheil, Vice President eMedia Interactive (content)
Richard Byles, Chairman of eMedia Interactive and CEO – Sagicor Jamaica
Tyrone Wilson, Founder/CEO eMedia Interactive
Sandra Glasgow, PSOJ CEO
Tanya Miller, Sagicor Group VP for Marketing
Sheree Martin, NCB General Manager for Marketing
Karen Vaz, Sagicor Group VP for Information Technology

Guess this explains how he got the US$350,000 without collateral; in exchange for the cash, advertising deals and Executive Board positions in what is effectively Private Sector Companies “ganging up” on local free-to-air Broadcast options, which would explain in part Television Jamaica General Manager Kay Osbourne’s departure.

This action via these Corporate heavy-hitters joining the Executive Board of eMedia Interactive and its 25 year old CEO Tyrone Wilson was effectively an external vote from potential Corporate Clients of no-confidence in her leadership at Television Jamaica.

Curiously too, the details based on the Traditional Media about eMedia Interactive seem to suggest the following:

Subscription of US$7.99 (approximately JA$780), matching Netflix as stated in my blog article entitled “Netflix coming to Latin America - Fantastic Four Rise of the Silver Surfer”
US$59.00 Roku Set top Box, which iVu Online Television Network appears to be licensed to distribute in Jamaica and the Caribbean
The Cloud-Platform Provider is Brightcove (where is Digicel Cloud Storage in this mix??)
Content and advertising provided by partnerships with Corporate bigwigs and heavy-hitters in Media and Entertainment tired of free-to-air Broadcasting options
Access to content from Netflix and Hulu (you mean the US feed? Cool!!!)
Web Streaming Sites to go live in the first week of February 2012AD (suddenly I can Television Jamaica and CVM TV simmering in the frying pan!)
Smartphone apps later on, possibly by the Third Quarter of 2012Ad, possibly made on contract by Panmedia Jamaica Limited
Premium content subscription i.e. 3D, 1080p HDTV exclusive content in 2013AD, possibly awaiting Telecoms Provider LIME and Digicel build-out of their HSDPA+ and eventually 4G Networks as stated in my blog article entitled “LIME's US$80 million Caribbean HSDPA+ Release 7 Upgrade - Sonic the Hedgehog” and “Digicel's US$85 million HSDPA+ and WiMax 4G Upgrade - Wizards of Waverly Place Fast Five Showdown”
Content and lucrative advertising partnerships with Private Sector companies apparently fed up with expensive advertising rates from the limited free-to-air Broadcasters Television Jamaica and CVM TV in exchange for more venture capital funding appears to be in the works

Parting shots, anyone?

Take this quote from Tyrone Wilson in The Jamaica Observer on for size, quote “We not only offer content providers a chance to earn from their content online; protection and enforcement of their intellectual property rights online; but also a chance to reach a global market – why should a Cabbie Chronicles or a Contender not also be watched or syndicated in other markets such as the United States and or South Africa? iVu gives them that opportunity”.

iVu Online Television Network will be a success as it piggy-backs its expansion plan on the coming expansion of the Telecoms Providers HSDPA+ (High Speed Downlink Packet Access Plus) Wireless Broadband Networks and eventual ramp up to LTE (Long Term Evolution). Television Jamaica and CVM TV are to be the first casualties slain by this youngest and first of a coming wave of IPTV Streaming content Providers by the end of 2012AD, the Year of the Dragon.

Solamon Energy Corp & Green RG invest in Jamaica's Alternative Energy Future - Let the Cheaper Energy Hunger Games for Latin America Begin

2012-02-04T12:33:00.001-05:00

It looks like the Energy Sector in Jamaica is soon to be jolted by competition on a massive scale thanks to the American-Canadian Tag Team of American-based Green RG Management LLC (Green RG) and Canadian-based Solamon Energy Corp.

This as reported in the articles “Largest solar farm to be built in Jamaica” published Wednesday January 25, 2012, The Jamaica Gleaner and “Green RG to build alternative energy plant in Jamaica”, published Friday, January 27, 2012 BY PAUL ALLEN Business reporter, The Jamaica Observer respectively.

Solamon Energy Corp is planning to invest some CAN$450 million (US$444,200,000 million or JA$38,090,150,000.00 billion) in a Photovoltaic Installation, with details of their business plan as reported in my Geezam Blog article entitled “Solamon Energy Corporation to build Caribbean’s Largest Solar Plant – Jamaica to get a Green Energy Boost”.

This is to consist of three (3) fifty acre plots in three (3) different parishes, as spoken by Solamon's senior vice-president, Ainsley Brown, quote: “In order to implement a solution of this magnitude, several parishes are being considered as future homes of one of three 50-acre plots that, when conjoined, will provide the Jamaican people with 60MW of clean Electricity”.

An impressive investment, which on the face of it means work for thousands of Technicians and Engineers in the Electrical, Mechanical and Power fields! Work for Telecoms Engineers and Technicians possibly being employed to build out the communications infrastructure to allow for the various plants to communicate with each other via a Microwave based IP RAN or Fiber Optic Network is also in the mix.

A welcome possibility for those former CLARO RF Technicians and Network Engineers currently out of work as noted in my blog article entitled “Digicel to shut down CLARO's Voice Network in HSDPA+ Push - The Louisiana Purchase of Spectrum”.

In addition, Solamon Energy Corp will take advantage of Power Wheeling and Net Billing to deliver Electricity to existing customers over the existing Electricity Grid, but bill customer using smartmeters that can transmit the customer Billing Data back to Solamon Energy Corp Billing AMA (Automated Messaging and Accounting) Server located at their equivalent of a MSC (Mobile Switching Center) via a suitable Telecom Provider’s (LIME of Digicel?) 2G GPRS (Global Packet Radio Service) and EDGE (Enhanced Data Network for GSM Evolution).

This is in much the same way that Manager of Technology Development David Masters of Duke Energy’s, a US based Energy company which plans to invest US$1 billion in a smart meters and Power Station Installations monitoring facility via a AT&T and Verizon’s 2G Network as stated in my blog article entitled “AT&T overcharges for unlimited SMS again - Duke Energy's US$1 billion Investment in The Dead Zone”, works.

An even more interesting model that Solamon Energy Corp could adopt is that of Google, which is installing Solar Panels and Wind Turbines at Residential Customers via a US$850 million financial loan arrangement with Californian VC (Venture Capitalist) Clean Power Finance.

This as stated in the article “Google: Rent your Solar panels from us”, published September 28 2011 10:55 AM PDT by Candace Lombardi, CNET News - Green Tech and “Google helping homeowners get Solar Power with $75 million investment”, published September 28 2011 by Jeff Hughes, DigitalTrends.

No doubt in that model, customer are being billed for the Electricity usage on a flat rate or Usage based regime over the life of the loan as surmised in my blog article entitled “Google invests US$75 million in Residential Solar PUC - Aliens in future Energy Market Shakeup”.

It will most definitely mean competition in the Energy Sector, which will translate to cheaper Electricity costs in the next 2-3 years, my estimate as to how long it will take Solarmon Energy Corp to build out this massive marvel of Power Engineering. A sure answer to those Private and Public Sector companies suffering from the current monopoly JPS Co as stated plain in my blog article entitled “Minister Clive Mullings retrogade step on Energy Sector Liberalization - JPS Co's Monopoly An Inconvenient Truth”.

A similar tale exists for Green RG Management LLC (Green RG), which has been in Jamaica since June 2011AD as note in the article “Gov't signs solar energy pact with American company”, published Thursday, June 16, 2011, JIS, The Jamaica Observer.

At that time Minister of State in the Office of the Prime Minister with responsibility for Local Government Reform, Robert Montague had signed an MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) with Green RG Management LLC (Green RG) to test out some “Solar Energy Technologies” in Jamaica.

This is mainly Solar Streetlights using LED’s, an issue raised as requiring a contractor to implement as per my blog article entitled “Alternative Energy Contract for JPS Co Streetlight Upgrade Coming - JPS Co Winsome Callum's Bourne Supremacy”. Guess that intended contractor was going to be Green RG Management LLC (Green RG). It Figures!

I also can also assume that the guinea pig testing is over, as Green RG Management LLC (Green RG) has made the deal official, with the announcement of their intention to invest in a plant like Canadian-based Solamon Energy Corp as noted in the article “Green RG to build alternative energy plant in Jamaica’, published Friday, January 27, 2012 BY PAUL ALLEN Business reporter, The Jamaica Observer.

But unlike the crazy Canadians, their strategy is to make the Solar Energy gear i.e. photovoltaic, solar street lights, not to resell power for profit from Commercial and Residential customers. Green RG Management LLC (Green RG)’s intentions are clear: Jamaica is a launching pad with the eventually goal of going into the heart of Latin America, with Jamaica as the guinea pigs for their “Solar Energy Technologies”!

This as stated clearly by Alfred Heyer CEO and President of Green RG Management LLC (Green RG), quote: “We believe that Jamaica is the gateway for the rest of the Caribbean. So we feel from here we can actually launch a campaign into the rest of the Caribbean and into South America”.

Jamaica thus benefits from:

Employment and training of hundreds of thousand of Electrical, Power, Mechanical and Telecoms Engineers
Cheaper electricity via competition created by the presence of these companies
Cheaper Solar (photovoltaic) equiptment, helping many Jamaicans to finally get of JPS Co’s Grid a little more cheaply unlike Mr. Chong in my blog article entitled “Lack of Waivers for Expensive Alternative Energy Gear - Mr. Paul Chong's Adoption Contradiction”

The GOJ (Government of Jamaica) soon became Green RG Management LLC (Green RG)’s guinea pigs, with the State benefiting from a reduction in its Electricity bill from the partnership, which became officials in October 2011AD as stated in the article “Gov't, US company partner on solar technology testing project”, published Monday, October 10, 2011 BY TANESHA MUNDLE Observer staff reporter, The Jamaica Observer and “US-based company to test solar technology in Jamaica”, published Monday, October 10, 2011 by JIS, The Jamaica Observer

Apparently, both of these companies, like moths to a flame, were attracted to the recent announcement of changes to JPS Co 10 year exclusive license, which effectively had made them an Energy Monopoly, should allow for competition in Jamaica in the Energy Sector, specifically Electricity Generation.

These basic changes were announced some three (3) month ago by Minister of Energy and Mining Clive Mullings as reported originally in the article “New Terms OK'ed In JPS Deal”, published Thursday October 20, 2011, The Jamaica Gleaner.

Effectively, this announced the beginning of the Liberalization the Energy Sector in Jamaica as I had surmised in my blog article entitled “Ministry of Energy Clive Mullings alters the JPS Co License for Energy Sector Liberalization - Jamaica and The Sun Salutes You”.

Again these changes to JPS Co License bear repeating here:

Net Billing
Power Wheeling
An increase on the cap on the amount of Electricity that can be generated by PUC (Power Utility Companies) via Alternative Energy sources and sold to the JPS Co from 10MW to 15MW.

In addition to these legislative changes that appears to be are attracting investment into Jamaica’s now obviously open-for-business-and-competition Energy Sector, the previous JLP-led government has also initiated Licensed for the supply of LNG (Liquid Natural Gas) as well as the design of Hydro-Electric Plants as stated in the articles “Bids to open next year for LNG terminal”, Published Sunday December 4, 2011, The Jamaica Gleaner

And “PCJ accepting bids for hydropower projects”, Published Friday December 2, 2011, The Jamaica Gleaner.

This is really the first wave folks. More investors are coming, and clearly Jamaica is not the intended ultimate recipient of all this Energy Sector Liberalization competition benevolence.

Like Telecom Provider Digicel did back in 2000AD when they came to Jamaica, these competitors American-based Green RG Management LLC (Green RG) and Canadian-based Solamon Energy Corp in the Energy Sector are BOTH (whether they say it or not!!!) using Jamaica as launch pad to push into Latin America, effectively making us Jamaicans Guinea Pigs for their grander ambitions.

With JPS Co caught in the middle of this coming wave upgrading its Electromechanical Meters to Digital Meters, which are really smartmeters as noted in my blog article entitled “JPS Co New Digital Meters are all Smart Meters - Winsome Callum's A Simple Twist of Fate”, this is now officially the beginning of The Hunger Games (2012) for Jamaica with a push towards Latin America.

Digicel to shut down CLARO's Voice Network in HSDPA+ Push - The Louisiana Purchase of Spectrum

2012-01-30T20:29:00.002-05:00

Digicel Group as of March 1 2012AD, will be shutting down CLARO Jamaica’s Voice Network as noted in the article “Digicel to shut down Claro Jamaica” published Friday January 13, 2012 by The Jamaica Gleaner and “Digicel to shut down Claro network”, published Friday, January 13, 2012 By Camilo Thame Business Co-ordinator, The Jamaica Observer.

Digicel Group’s official Press Release entitled “JAMAICA TO BENEFIT FROM DIGICEL ACQUISITION OF CLARO” makes it no less easy to bear, as the benefits of a benevolent monopoly are not worth the loss of competition in the Telecom Industry in Jamaica. Effectively the deal is a Louisiana Purchase of Spectrum for Telecom Provider Digicel, as they have gotten off soft and easy from the OUR (Office of Utilities Regulation).

The FTC (Fair Trading Commission) is seeing the Deal as anti-competitive and not in the Jamaican Telecom Industry and customer’s best interest with the issue now before the Jamaica Supreme Court as stated in the article “Digicel, LIME stake out positions on FTC challenge” Published Sunday January 8, 2012, The Jamaica Gleaner.

Kelroy’s Geezam blog article entitled “Claro Jamaica to get the Axe from Digicel come March 1st” made much of the dissolution of the previous agreement hammered out by then Prime Minister Bruce Golding for Digicel Group to continue the buildout of CLARO Jamaica’s GSM Voice and HSDPA (High Speed Downlink Packet Access) Network as noted in the Geezam blog article “CLARO’s Freeness ends 5th January 2012 – Digicel’s Bigger, Better with Data and Cloud”.

This was the conditions set along with the promise of a new Telecoms Regulator specifically tailored to the needs of the Telecoms Industry in Jamaica as noted in my Geezam blog article entitled “New Telecom Act Coming for Jamaica – Providers surprised with their Own Regulator” and my blog article entitled “Telecom Providers get their own Regulator - GOJ says Telecoms For Your Eyes Only”.

Obviously the 517,000 CLARO customers are to become targets of both Telecom Provider Digicel and Telecom Provider LIME in a JA$1.5 billion promotional credit and SIM Card swap bid to acquire them as stated in the article “Fight for Claro customers”, published Sunday, January 15, 2012, The Jamaica Observer and “The value of Claro talkers: J$1.5b” Published Wednesday January 18, 2012, The Jamaica Gleaner.

JA$2000 with a replacement SIM Card from Telecom Provider Digicel may be enough to sway some people to switch to “The Bigger Better Network” but Telecom Provider LIME full-service offerings make the JA$1000 with a replacement SIM Card seem more of an invitation than a outright bribe.

Ironic as both Telecom Provider Digicel and Telecom Provider LIME are separately building out their own Caribbean HSDPA+ Release 7 Networks, thus one would have though this extravagance a bit much for Voice Calling Network as stated in my blog article entitled “LIME's US$80 million Caribbean HSDPA+ Release 7 Upgrade - Sonic the Hedgehog” and “Digicel's US$85 million HSDPA+ and WiMax 4G Upgrade - Wizards of Waverly Place Fast Five Showdown”.

This when in fact Data, not Voice is slowly becoming the new bread-and-butter of Telecoms as concluded in my Geezam blog article entitled “CLARO’s Freeness ends 5th January 2012 – Digicel’s Bigger, Better with Data and Cloud”.

Putting aside the dishonesty of JLP Leader Andrew Holness in not informing Jamaica of his decision to reverse then Prime Minister Bruce Golding’s decision despite his explanation in the article “Holness defends reversing two-network decision in Digicel/Claro deal”, published Saturday, January 14, 2012, The Jamaica Observer, the fallout of this change makes for rather ghastly reading:

Three hundred and fifty (350) CLARO employees made redundant with immediate effect with four (4) weeks severance pay. Some rehired for a short space to complete the transition then laid off later
Call rates to Telecom Provider LIME to be reduced by JA$3.50 peak and JA$2.00 off peak from previous rates to JA$14.00 peak and JA$13.00 off peak as per Digicel’s Select Tariffs & Rates
Telecom Provider Digicel is to shut down CLARO Voice network by March 1 2012AD but use the spectrum and HSDPA Licenses to rapidly ramp up towards HSDPA+ and eventually LTE (Long Term Evolution) by 2013AD.

Clearly though, the two-Network scenario as proposed by Prime Minister Bruce Golding was proving to be too heavy a set of weights to lift as surmised in my Geezam blog article entitled “Digicel Jamaica’s Alternative Energy Future – Increased Electricity Bills and Energy Sector Opportunities collide”.

With this newly revised deal, Telecom Provider Digicel gets access to CLARO’s Spectrum and 3G Licenses with which they can upgrade to HSDPA+ Release 7 with of up to 42MBps best effort speeds, the next step to achieving LTE (Long Term Evolution) a Telecom Network Protocol capable of 1GBps speeds best effort.

And with the FTC (Fair Trading Commission) challenging the deal, this will be in the news dogging Telecom Provider Digicel all the way to London Olympics 2012AD….

Apple iPhone 4S Taking a bite out of Christmas 2011AD Android Sales - Google Android Fragmentation is Avril Lavange Complicated

2012-01-24T14:33:00.002-05:00

With the increasing popularity of the Apple iPhone 4S thanks to Siri Voice Assistant and a much improved iOS, it is no surprise that they are taking away Blackberry and Android customers according to CIRP (Consumer Intelligence Research Partners) statistics in the article “iPhone 4S wooing lots of Android, BlackBerry users”, published January 24, 2012 5:44 AM PST by Lance Whitney, CNET News.

CIRP’s Survey was based on an initial list of six thousand three hundred and sixteen (6,316) responses which was condensed and distilled down to three hundred and sixty five (365) respondents who specifically purchase an Apple iPhone 4S in October, November, or December of 2011AD.

The stats are telling for the Christmas 2011AD period:

50% of the BlackBerry upgraded to the Apple iPhone 4S
39% from an Google Android OS smartphone
10% percent from a Palm device.
21% are coming form feature phones or are new smartphone buyers

The statistics among the Apple iPhone owners reveals more about the mindset of the typical Apple-lover:

89% percent of the iPhone owners surveyed own an Apple iPhone 4S
43% percent of all iPhone 4S buyers are upgrades from older Apple iPhone models.
42% percent of iPhone 4S buyers broke an existing contract to get the Apple iPhone 4S
21% percent of Apple iPhone 4S buyers opted for the 64GB edition.

So this backs up the statistics of Nielsen as laid out in the following article:

“It’s no fluke – iPhone closes the gap on Android in U.S.”, published Jan. 18, 2012, 4:00am PT by Ryan Kim, Gigaom
“Apple iPhone 4S sales cut into Android market share: Nielsen”, published JANUARY 18, 2012 BY ANDREW COUTS, DigitalTrends
“iPhone 4S Helps Apple Close the Gap on Android Dominance”, published January 18, 2012 7:37 AM By Daniel Ionescu, PCWorld

In these articles, Nielsen posits that the Apple iPhone 4S running on iOS took away sales from Google Android OS as indicated in the below graph and stats:

Apple iOS marketshare in the Fourth Quarter of 2011AD moved from 25.1% October 2011AD to 44.5% percent by December 2011AD, a significant increase of 19.4%
Google Android’s market share, in the Fourth Quarter of 2011AD fell from 61.6% October 2011AD to 46.9% percent by December 2011AD, a significant drop of 14.7%

Right now things just got Avril Lavinge Complicated for Google Android, whose loss to Apple can only be blamed on Fragmentation issues within Google Android OS that have long dogged the platform as noted in my blog article entitled “Apple iPhone and Hardware Quality - The Count of Monte Cristo Hard Knock Life”.

This fragmentation issue and the problems it creates has even reached the where an otherwise excellent OS often ported on sub-par hardware [read “less durable”] earning the ire of CNET News Editor Molly Wood in her rant entitled “Dear android: This is you last chance”, published October 14, 2011 4:43 PM PDT by Molly Wood, CNET News.

Truly the Apple iPhone 4S has been a success greater than could have been anticipated, despite not being the much anticipated Apple iPhone 5 as suggested in my blog article entitled “Apple iPhone 4S is a hit and the Apple iPod may get an upgrade - Steve Jobs Opus Major”. Meanwhile the Apple iPhone 4GS beckons as predicted in my blog article entitled “Apple iPhone 4S to debut in China and Caribbean on Friday January 13 2012 - LIME gives Jamaica the Best of Both Worlds”.

Apple iPad 3 Launch on March 2012 - Amazon Kindle Fire is a Sweet Dream but a Beautiful Nightmare for Apple

2012-01-17T19:12:00.003-05:00

With an Apple Event imminent on the horizon this end of January 2012AD that may have something to do with Books, publishing and possibly College students (free books maybe!?) as noted in the article “This Month’s Apple Event To Focus On Publishing And iBooks” by Monday, January 2nd, 2012 by Alexia Tsotsis , TechCrunch, it’s time to turn our attention yet again to any possible new products coming out of the Cupertino think-tank masquerading as a company named Apple Inc.

Apple can safely be said to have had yet another good year, albeit they have not made their financials public as yet. Why? The rumour mill is already grinding. With the CES (Computer Electronics Show) and my workplace ACS-Xerox ramping down the Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk, now is a good time as any to reflect on what these various source are prognosticating and make sense of it all.

BloomBerg, the most credible of news source online (I hope!!) declared based on Asian Manufacturing sources (who exactly?!) that Apple is planning a March 2012AD Launch month for the Apple iPad 3 as noted in the article “Apple iPad 3 may get March release date”, 4G, published by Larry Dignan January 13, 2012 1:44 PM PST, CNET News.

The Apple iPad is said to be sporting:

1. Support for LTE (Long Term Evolution)

2. Siri Voice Assistant

3. Retina Display Screen as suggested by Tiawanese blog DigiTimes in the article “iPad 3 screen production ramping up strongly”, report says by Josh Lowensohn January 17, 2012 9:54 AM PST, CNET News.

4. Quad-Core A6 Processor, Apple’s answer to Nvidia Tegra 3 aka “Ka-lel” as stated in my Geezam blog article entitled “Nvidia and the Quad-Core Kal-El CPU – Android leaves A5 Dual-Core Processor in the Dust”

5. 12 Megapixel camera, if my blog article entitled “Sharp develops world's thinnest 12.1 Megapixel Camera” is to be believed.

This is now corroborated by Japanese Apple blog Macotakara which based on similar Asian Manufacturing Sources (Disgruntled Foxconn workers??) states that there will also be a February 2012AD event to introduce the Apple iPad 3 with the above same specs and then a March 2012AD Launch.

Personally, I would be even more surprised if they decided to launch the Apple iPad 3 in the Caribbean in much the same way the Apple iPhone 4S is getting the royal Treatment by Telecom Provider LIME as noted in my blog article entitled “Apple iPhone 4S to debut in China and Caribbean on Friday January 13 2012 - LIME gives Jamaica the Best of Both Worlds”.

Apple definitely needs to come with a winner, as the Apple iPad took a hit from the Amazon Kindle Fire as noted in my Geezam blog article entitled “Amazon sells 5.5 million Kindle Fires in Fourth Quarter 2012 – Apple iPad sales drop and plans January Press Event”.

If the trend as noted in my article continues for the rest of the year, Apple may have no choice but to debut a 7”Tablet as well as their 10” flagship Tablet. The 10” spec laden Apple iPad albeit a platform for their Apple Apps Store may not be able to compete on pricing with the more nimble Amazon Kindle Fire and the conveniences of Couch-shopping.

But what of the Apple iPhone 5, which I suspect is really the Apple 4GS with LTE and HSDPA+ Release 7 Support? Also what fate awaits the Apple iPod Classic? Will that get Siri Voice Assistant and Apple iCloud support as suggested in my blog article entitled “Apple iPhone 4S is a hit and the Apple iPod may get an upgrade - Steve Jobs Opus Major” and Geezam blog article entitled “The Music Industry and the Cloud – Streaming Radio Nirvana”.

Also, will the Apple iPad eventually come officially to Telecom Provider LIME, just like the Apple iPhone 4S as noted in my blog article entitled “Apple iPhone 4S to debut in China and Caribbean on Friday January 13 2012 - LIME gives Jamaica the Best of Both Worlds”?

Answers may be forthcoming on this first of Apple Events slated for Thursday January 19^th 2012 beginning at 10 a.m. EST (7 a.m. PST) as stated in the article “Apple event preview: Tools to bolster in-school iPad use”, published January 18, 2012, 6:00am PT by Darrell Etherington, Gigaom with further answers and details revealed in subsequent February and March 2012AD Events in this Apple’s Sweet Dream and a Beautiful Nightmare …..so stay tuned to my blog.

Apple iPhone 4S to debut in China and Caribbean on Friday January 13 2012 - LIME gives Jamaica the Best of Both Worlds

2012-01-11T15:22:00.000-05:00

Jamaica has been mentioned in an Apple Press release for the Apple iPhone 4S, which is coming to our faire isle Jamaica as well as other Caribbean islands – and the People’s Republic of China as stated in Kelroy’s Geezam blog article entitled “iPhone 4S Officially Invades Caribbean on January 13”. A really big deal for an island of our size to be even mentioned in an Apple Press Release!!

At this point it’s good to point out that Kelroy, admin for the Geezam blog, was one of the first in the tech Blogging world to mention the coming of the Apple iPhone 4 to Jamaica on Telecom Provider LIME Network at LIME’s Happy Hour at their Corporate Headquarters July 14^th 2012AD in the Geezam blog article entitled “iPhone 4 lands in Jamaica on June 14th courtesy of LIME”. For those who favour more official news, the Apple Press Release is here: “iPhone 4S Arrives in China on January 13”, published 4 January 2012, Apple Press Release.

Looks like the Apple iPhone 4S which made its debut on Tuesday October 4^th 2011AD with Pre-orders for the Apple iPhone 4S on Friday October 7^th 2011AD and the rabid line standing on Friday October 14^th 2011AD, as reported in my blog article entitled “Apple iPhone 4S is a hit and the Apple iPod may get an upgrade - Steve Jobs Opus Major” is now in Jamaica under the aegis of Telecom Provider LIME yet again.

Kelroy’s article is a crib of the Apple Press Release mentions it thus, quote: “Beginning Friday, January 13, iPhone 4S will be available in Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Bolivia, Botswana, British Virgin Islands, Cameroon, Cayman Islands, Central African Republic, China, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Grenada, Guam, Guinea Conakry, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Kenya, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritius, Niger, Senegal, St. Vincent and The Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos and Uganda.”. No mention of Telecom Provider LIME, so off to Google I went a-searching!

Telecom Provider LIME it appears, will be carrying the Apple iPhone 4S, albeit they are yet to make a Public Announcement in any of our local Daily Newspapers. Oddly enough, there is a placement on their website mentioning the fact that the Apple iPhone 4S is indeed coming to Jamaica as per the article “LIME Apple iPhone 4S Available January 13”, viewed January 11 2012, Time4Lime.

It also received cursory treatment in the Dominica News Online in the article “Apple to release iPhone 4s in Dominica next week”, published Friday, January 6th, 2012 at 12:04 PM, Dominica News Online. Again no official statement from Telecom Provider LIME, making you realize that they are not quite feeling the “magic” of the Apple iPhone 4S.

Back then, the previous launch of the Apple iPhone 4 on Tuesday June 14^th 2011AD was well publicized and ended up getting the full Press Court analysis in my blog article entitled “LIME and the Apple iPhone 4 - The Young and the Restless Gone in Sixty Seconds”.

Apparently the low key response to the splash made by Telecom Provider LIME for the smartphone that defined smartphones despite the Media Personalities and Dancehall Artiste on hand recorded in Happy Hour faces in Geezam blog article entitled “Photos: LIME Jamaica iPhone 4 Launch and hAPPy Hour has dampened Telecom Provider LIME’s pocket books as well as their demeanour.

Jamaicans it seems are not so interested in having smartphones, despite the competitive pricing arguments for Wireless 3G Data as noted in Ryan’s Geezam blog article entitled “LIME, The iPhone 4 And The Death Of The Blackberry”, as the Blackberry is still king here.

Cheaper parts to service problems which are few and far between with the phone that is not a true smartphone but has stellar hardware as note in my Geezam blog article entitled “Android smartphones may be king in 2015AD, but RIM Blackberry quality shines” make the Blackberry No. 1 in Jamaica, despite RIM (Research in Motion) facing problems worldwide with declining sales and the popularity of Google Android smartphones, also marketed heavily by Telecom Provider LIME.

Until the issue of cheaper parts to repair smartphones is addressed, best solved via partnerships between Smartphone instrument suppliers, Telecom Provider LIME and local Mobile Phone repair people (I call them “phone unlockers”) and Apple’s iMessage platform partners with RIM Blackberry Messenger to standardize Cross-Platform messaging a reality as suggested in my blog article entitled “Apple iPhone 4S and Apple iMessage - Timeline for Standardization of Instant Messaging” the Apple iPhone will still be seen as an expensive alternative to the Blackberry.

The Apple iPhone does indeed also shine in terms of its hardware durability as noted in my blog article entitled “Apple iPhone and Hardware Quality - The Count of Monte Cristo Hard Knock Life” the lower cost for spare parts to repair such a large cracked screen, coupled with the exclusivity of the repairs world as it relates to Apple products in general (ever tried fixing a MacBook hardware yourself?) helps to scare off most Jamaicans from taking a bite of the Apple.

But all may not be lost for the Apple iPhone 4S and the Android smartphone clan being successful in Jamaica.

Wi-Fi dongles on offer from both Telecom Provider Digicel and Telecom Provider LIME as noted in Shonari’s Geezam blog article entitled “MiFi Hits Cayman thanks to Digicel and LIME” and Kelroy’s Geezam blog article entitled “LIME to offer Personal Mobile Internet Hot-spot – MiFi” make those shy of Data Plans and loving the video Streaming on a Apple iPhone 4 more inclined towards purchasing one.

This a follow-on of Telecom Provider LIME and Telecom Provider Digicel’s Jamaican and Caribbean wide upgrade of their respective Wireless Broadband Networks to HSDPA+ Release 7 as stated in my blog article entitled “LIME's US$80 million Caribbean HSDPA+ Release 7 Upgrade - Sonic the Hedgehog” and “Digicel's US$85 million HSDPA+ and WiMax 4G Upgrade - Wizards of Waverly Place Fast Five Showdown”.

Also, thanks to the guinea pig testing of FTTH (Fiber To the House) in the upscale communities of Rhyne Park Community in St. James and Morris Meadows community located in St. Catherine, Telecom Provider LIME may have to market any additional ADSL capacity not taken up via subscribers to the LIME Flip Top Promotion as backhaul for Fast Food Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11n) and shopping malls and plazas in what could be appropriately named Mall Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11n) as described in my blog article entitled “Fast Food Wi-Fi for LIME's ADSL Broadband when FTTH goes Mainstream - Mother's and KFC to Supersize Me with Wi-Fi ”

Throw in the main attraction of the Apple iPhone, that being apps in all their glory, would now be available to Jamaicans as not only are a lot of apps free and easy to find thanks to the trusty guide as noted in the Geezam blog article entitled ‘Defying The Apple Gods: Jamaica and The App Store”.

Scotia Bank’s latest product Visa Debit Cards that can both send and receive cash means that paid app purchases are now possible as per the article “Scotia replacing bank card with Visa debit”, published Sunday September 18, 2011, The Jamaica Gleaner make the Apple iPhone even more attractive.

With Visa Debit Cards popularity on the rise as noted in the spike in its uptake primarily for online purchases article “Scotia Visa spurs debit card usage online”, published Sunday January 8, 2012, The Jamaica Gleaner, the Apple iPhone 4S is poised for a renaissance on Friday January 13^th 2012AD, as this unlucky number may be prove to be the start of as very lucky year for the Apple iPhone 4S in Jamaica.

Jamaicans will get to experience the Best of Both Worlds, Siri Voice Assistant and all, just in time for the Apple iPhone 4GS…..not the Apple iPhone 5 as I had prognosticate in my blog article entitled “Apple iPhone 4S is a hit and the Apple iPod may get an upgrade - Steve Jobs Opus Major”.

This in another article to be continued…….as Friday January 13^th 2012AD approaches!!!

Apple iTV is No. 1 according to Strategy Analytics - Apple's Blue Crush on Netflix for TV-Anywhere

2011-12-28T19:16:00.000-05:00

The Editor, sir

All this news about IPTV Streaming has got me all hopped up on the subject. So it comes as little surprise as the General Election draws nigh on Thursday December 29^th 2011 as noted in the winding down of Campaign activities in the article “Last lap - JLP, PNP wrap up campaigning”, published Wednesday, December 28, 2011, The Jamaica Observer that IPTV is again on my mind.

The Intense Television Jamaica personality Pepita Little may have staged a fight to defect to a higher paying job at LIME TV like Ragashanti as noted in the article “Ragashanti returns on Lime Mobile TV”, published July 14 2011, the Jamaica Star is part of the reason why my gaze is yet again cast at IPTV Streaming in Jamaica. The Telecom Providers are now ramping up the build-out of their Wireless and Wired Broadband Internet Services both in Jamaica and Caribbean-wide.

Wireless Broadband Services based on HSDPA+ Release 7 (High Speed Downlink Packet Access Plus) Network with speeds in the 10MBps best effort range and faster is thus on the cards for December 2012AD

Thus, being young, she may be a part of Telecom Provider LIME’s soon-to-be launched IPTV Streaming Platform in partnership with Avail-TVN powered by Juniper Networks as prognosticated in my blog article entitled “LIME chooses Juniper Networks to rebroadcast Avail-TVN's Content - Pepita Little's Ghostbusters to capture Media Personalities” where she would make mucho dinero as the host of a show she would basically OWN.

Wouldn’t be strange for LIME to bet so heavily on a young star or even on the concept of Jamaicans paying for Wireless broadband just to watch Cable TV anywhere, anytime on any device, basically a foreshadowing of the “TV Anywhere” concept!

So it should come as no surprise that deceased Apple CEO Steve Job’s “Hobby”, the US$99 Apple iTV is now No. 1 dog in town in the nascent IPTV Streaming Set Top box race according to analyst Strategy Analytics in the article “Strategy Analytics: Apple TV now leads set-top boxes”, published December 13, 2011 By Geoff Duncan, DigitalTrends.The US$49 Roku Box occupies a close second place according to Strategy Analytics.

The rather reliable analyst's results paint an interesting picture of Apple’s oft neglected device which Strategy Analytics senior analyst Jia Wu quantifies by saying “Apple is leading this nascent market, which it still considers a ‘hobby,’”.

The Statistics as usual tell their own story:

The US market is now 12 (12,000,000) million units strong
It is dominated mainly by Apple iTV, which has 33% of the market or four million (4,000,000) Apple iTV units
8% of households have an Apple iTV, a mite bit better than the EU which has 7% adoption of IPTV
30% percent of Apple TV owners rented movies or TV shows (Netflix!!?)

That last bit is telling of the power of movies and television services provided by Netflix, the main draw of the Apple iTV, which I also had high hopes for in my blog article entitled “Apple and the iTV - Back to the future”.

Apple’s iTunes service doesn’t feature heavily in the popularity and success of the of the Apple’s “hobby” Set top Box, but instead indicates the popularity of Netflix, which is set to come to Jamaica and the Caribbean as noted in my blog article entitled “LIME chooses Juniper Networks to rebroadcast Avail-TVN's Content - Pepita Little's Ghostbusters to capture Media Personalities”. Indeed, Netflix may actually make Triple Play Provider FLOW Extinct, despite FLOW’s push towards the same concept of “TV-Anywhere” and even 3D HDTV as note in my geezam blog article entitled “FLOW goes 3D HDTV et al – Netflix to make FLOW Extinct”.

So an Apple Television Set as I had prognosticated in detail with all my wishes and dreams in BOTH my blog article entitled “Apple Television Set, a docking cradle for the Apple iTV - Super 8 A Gift for Christmas” and my Geezam blog article entitled “Web-enabled Television Sets Sales Rise – The Apple Television cometh” is very possible.

Albeit in a size less than 40” seems a tad unlikely as postulated in the article “Rumor: Apple iTV on track for 2012 Q2-Q3 release”, published December 27, 2011 By Molly McHugh, DigitalTrends but possible as the Apple iMac, on which my concepts is based, is a 27” neo-retina display that can be a shell with a docking cradle for the obviously now popular Apple iTV.

Ultimately a good mix of the two (2) i.e. compelling specs that are intuitive and easy to use and content available anytime, anyplace and on any device, basically the “TV anywhere” concept as opined in the article “Apple iTV: It’s about the experience, not content”, published December 28, 2011, 11:42am PT By Ryan Lawler, GigaOM and the article “Analyst: Device and content choice key to Apple iTV success”, published Dec. 28, 2011, 9:36am PT By Darrell Etherington, GigaOM will make the supposedly soon-to-be-launched Apple Television Set a success in an otherwise already crowded Internet Television market.

A bold move for Apple this would be, from the small swimming pond of IPTV Streaming devices to the crowded market of high-end Television Sets bristling with features and already sporting Netflix support (get it!! Sport! The main reason for having Netflix!!). This folks is Apple’s Blue Crush (2002) on Netflix!

But back to Jamaica and the Caribbean at large as Barbados is also a part of this grand experiment by Telecom Provider LIME. IPTV Streaming is indeed a good gamble for Telecom Provider Apple after the spectacular success of LIME TV combined with the intoxicating powder keg of rumours swirling about of the impending coming of an Apple Television Set or “TV” as the Americans call it.

If the popularity of IPTV Streaming catches on in Jamaica as Wireless and Wired Internet expends, propelled by the very popular Intense “Chica” Pepita Little really going to Telecom Provider LIME, we may be witness to the birth of Jamaica’s and the Caribbean’s first IPTV Streaming Star.

LIME chooses Juniper Networks to rebroadcast Avail-TVN's Content - Pepita Little's Ghostbusters to capture Media Personalities

2011-12-20T16:49:00.002-05:00

It looks like Telecom Provider LIME has finally chose a good Telecom Equipment Supplier to power their ultimate Free-to-Air television killer in the fore of their partnership with Avail-TVN as this plucky blogger reported in an earlier blog article entitled “LIME parent CWC partners with Avail-TVN to provide IPTV Streaming Service - War of The Worlds against Netflix”.

They have chosen Juniper Networks, as per the announcement in the article “LIME to roll out more TV services”, published Sunday December 18, 2011, The Jamaica Gleaner. What’s even more interesting, they may have already snagged a Media Personality in the form of Pepita Little of Television Jamaica’s Intense Fame to host local content on their show, assuming I am reading the symbolism in the staged article “PEPITA NO LONGER ON INTENSE”, published Tuesday December 20 2011 by SHELDON WILLIAMS, Staff Reporter, The Jamaica Star correctly.

As I had pointed out in that article, Telecom Provider LIME actions are CWC (Cable and Wireless Corporate) have nothing to do with the small fish in the form of Television Jamaica and CVM TV. It has more to do with Netflix and Google TV, Fortune 500 companies already on their way to Jamaica to use our Fiber Optic gateways as a beachhead to make a bigger push into the heart of Latin America.

So Television Jamaica and CVM TV are going to be the first casualties of this war, and it’s not even directed at them, despite LIME TV curated service slant towards Free-to-Air broadcasters. They are the small fish shown in the blog article entitled “LIME parent CWC partners with Avail-TVN to provide IPTV Streaming Service - War of The Worlds against Netflix”!

Juniper Networks will provide the MGW compatible equiptment that will convert the content supplied by Avail-TVN to a format that can be transmitted over Telecom Provider LIME’s HSDPA+ Release 7 (High Speed Downlink Packet Access Plus) Network Upgrade slated to go live in December of 2012AD as stated in my blog article entitled “LIME's US$80 million Caribbean HSDPA+ Release 7 Upgrade - Sonic the Hedgehog” heralds Telecom Provider LIME’s War of the Worlds (2005).

That is the “Media Flow Controller” referred to in the article, which does this conversion in Juniper Network’s equipment and assigns IP addresses to the video stream. This so that the UE (User Equipment) devices at each persons home that will use Telecom Provider LIME new HSDPA+ Release 7 (High Speed Downlink Packet Access Plus) Network as backhaul to provision this service can access the encrypted video feed and distinguish the channels and 42MBps capable Internet service.

Not much different from IPTV Streaming, making Juniper Networks, which has a background in launching IPTV Platforms the perfect Telecom Equiptment Provider to launch this product. Thus with a planned HSDPA+ Release 7 (High Speed Downlink Packet Access Plus) Network Upgrade, this product intended Fourth Quarter 2011AD debut is basically on schedule as per CWC's and LIME Jamaica Joint Press Release that reveals Jamaica and Barbados as the guinea pigs as, quote: “The service will launch commercially in Jamaica and Barbados in Q4, with expansion across the Caribbean to follow in 2012”.

Truly, CWC is deathly afraid of Google’s strategic purchase of Motorola Mobility and their push into the EU (European Union) as per my blog article entitled “Google TV making push into the EU – Motorola Mobility Purchase Die Another Day” and the coming dominance of Netflix in the IPTV Streaming as stated in my blog article entitled “Netflix coming to Latin America - Fantastic Four Rise of the Silver Surfer”.

So folks, expect an announcement on this in the coming few weeks as Telecom Provider LIME’s announcement of Juniper Networks as their point man puts Triple Play Provider FLOW as the next Big Fish on Telecom Provider LIME’s dinner platter in 2012AD.

By the way, where is Telecom Provider Digicel in the middle of all of this?

Is a partnership with Netflix their intended plan as per my musings my blog article entitled “Digicel and WiMax 4G Mobile - Back to the Future as NetFlix Expands”? Or is Telecom Provider Digicel more interested in going the Amazon Kindle Fire route and selling Samsung Galaxy Tablets as e-readers at slashed prices in partnership with local Newspaper companies as per my blog article entitled “Digicel, Samsung Galaxy Tablets and Newspapers - Tomorrow Never Dies and the Paper Man”.

After all, like Free-to-Air Broadcasters, Newspapers are on the menu as well as noted in my blog article entitled “Traditional News Media vs Broadband Telecoms - GigaOM's Avoiding ELE After Deep Impact”.

So folks, Let the migration of Media Personalities from Free-to-Air Broadcasters begin, starting with Pepita Little whose leaving Television Jamaica as per the staged article “PEPITA NO LONGER ON INTENSE”, published Tuesday December 20 2011 by SHELDON WILLIAMS, Staff Reporter, The Jamaica Star may really be a jumping of ship to Telecom Provider LIME.

Being young, she, like other soon to follow, may be attracted by the future higher salaries at Telecom Provider LIME soon-to-come-on-stream IPTV Streaming Service with content (Digital Audio and Video) from Avail-TVN and powered by Equiptment from Juniper Networks, Ghostbusters (1984) Style.

As for the fight?

Possible with her Manager over the future of her show, which is not her own but was fast losing relevance in a world going IPTV Streaming and Social Networking, based on a forensic audit of her posts on her FB profile. More as this side story develops, as the murky world of Media Personalities just got interesting again.

Porteon to manufacture All-Electric Vehicles in St. Lucia - Strengthening CARICOM ties with Jamaican Skilled Labour

2011-12-13T16:31:00.000-05:00

There will soon be an All-Electric Vehicle Maker in Jamaica, making my wished as per my blog article entitled “Alternative Energy and All-Electric Vehicles - The Harder They Come, Jamaican Style” come to pass.

This as an Oregon-Based company, Porteon, has plans to set up a plant in Viewfort, St. Lucia right here in the Caribbean to manufacture cars and trucks, all of which will be All-Electric Vehicles as per the article “Electrifying Rides – Porteon plans 2012 Electric Car roll-out in Ja”, published Sunday December 4^th 2011 by Mel Cooke, The Sunday Gleaner.

The company made its debut at the inaugural Wealth Auto Show at the National Stadium put on by ATL Automotive CEO Adam Stewart and Sandals Group CEO and Chairman Gordon “Butch” Stewart on Saturday November 26^th 2011AD and Sunday November 27^th 2011AD as faithfully recorded in the article “Strong New-Car Display at the Arena”, published Sunday December 4^th 2011 by Mel Cooke, The Sunday Gleaner.

Please note: this was the same Wealth Auto show that had been promised as far back as November 11^th 2011 as per the article “Wealth Auto Show opens soon”, published Friday, November 11, 2011, The Jamaica Observer.

And as The Jamaica Observer reports it bosses own exploits, the organizers who contributed to the show were very much pleased about the turnout and the interest show in their inaugural show as noted in the article “Organisers happy with auto show”, published Friday, December 02, 2011 by Brian Bonitto Associate Editor — Entertainment and Auto, The Jamaica Observer, making this blogger anticipate yet another show next year in 2012AD.

If it sounds too good to be true, I have more shocking news. The vehicles will not be built in St. Lucia, but rather sent down disassembled and built into parts so as to make storage in a container easier. Thus their modus operandi becomes revealed; they are shipping the parts to be reconstructed in elsewhere, with Jamaica being one of their target markets for their All-Electric Vehicles.

Thus skilled Jamaicans will be getting work to reconstruct All-Electric Vehicles in Jamaica to the following specifications:

Top Speed: 75 km/h (47 mph)
Maximum range: 130 km to 160 km on a full charge
Charging Source: A 110VAC or 220VAC outlet
Body: Lightweight rust-proof Aluminum chassis and body
Braking: Four-wheel Disk Hydraulic Braking Systems
Drive: Electric Motors at each wheel, unknown specifications
Three (3) year warranty
Price: JA$1.4 million

Hopefully these are vehicles using the Range Extender Technology as suggested in my blog article entitled “Alternative Energy and Range Extender Technology - Jamaica to Rhaatid” as being more suitable for Jamaica, being as it would help support the All Island Gasoline Retailers, who may have qualms about All-electric Vehicles becoming popular and eventually putting them out of business.

As the show itself was a partnership of car dealers with ATL it is not inconceivable that portion may be in already in partnership with ATL Automotive. This as ATL Automotive has plans to ship and market European make Diesel Vehicles to Jamaica in the next twelve (12) months in July 2012AD.

All thanks to coming improvements in the Sulphur content in diesel fuel announced by then Minister of Industry and Commerce, Karl Samuda, just in time for the London Olympic Games as per my blog article entitled “ATL Automotive to benefit from Low-Sulphur Diesel in 12 Months Time - Bio-Fuels Resident Evil Apocalypse”.

So it does appear I was indeed wrong about ATL CEO Adam Stewart and his company’s intention to bring polluting Diesel Vehicles to Jamaica. This as if the Oregon-based Porteon trucks and vehicles are indeed partnered with ATL automotive, they will not only be environmentally friendly, but if the vehicles are of the Range Extender type and preferably Flex-Fuel, they will also benefit from the improved Sulphur content in the Diesel and Gasoline fuel.

Not only that, but it will generate a side industry for Engineers and Technicians for All-Electric Charging Stations and Solar Charging Stations as per the article “Honda debuts Solar-powered charging station”, posted December 22, 2010 by Jamaipanese installed in partnership with Gas Stations as well as, Inductive Vehicle Chargers to installed at people’s homes.

There will also be work to fix and replace the Lithium-Ion Batteries that these vehicles no doubt will use and also servicing the Electric Motors that live at each wheel and the Electric generator that kicks in whenever the charge in the Lithium-ion batteries dies down.

Kudos all around for ATL Automotive and CEO Adam Stewart, who unwittingly may be following my suggestion as per my blog article entitled “ATL Automotive to benefit from Low-Sulphur Diesel in 12 Months Time - Bio-Fuels Resident Evil Apocalypse”!!

This improvement (and the Porteon Al-Electric Vehicles) is coming in the July of 2012AD, the slated month of completion of the upgrade to the Petrojam refinery that will make 5 to 15 ppm (part per million) fuel a reality in Jamaica.

It may also herald the coming of local support and recognition for Marzouca’s Island Cruiser Vehicles, which albeit not an All-Electric Vehicle, demonstrates that Jamaicans do have the technical skills to manufacture motor vehicles for export as noted in my blog article entitled “Jamaican Transport Sector and Excel Motors Limited - Russian Roulette and Top Gear”.

Until then, Jamaicans can dream of driving vehicles that are as quiet as a tomb and possibly marketed by popular Radio DJ’s, Dancehall Artiste and Media Personalities, who can afford the JA$1.4 million price tag (right??!!) as surmised in my Geezam blog article entitled “Oregon-based Porteon to assemble All-Electric Vehicles in Jamaica – One By One”.

So stay tuned to this blog for more information on this exciting development of the coming of a FDI (Foreign Direct Investor) to manufacture All-Electric Vehicles in St. Lucia for assembly in Jamaica, a coupe for ATL Automotive!

Fast Food Wi-Fi for LIME's ADSL Broadband when FTTH goes Mainstream - Mother's and KFC to Supersize Me with Wi-Fi

2011-12-08T11:10:00.000-05:00

Ever since Telecom Provider LIME announced the coming of FTTH (Fiber to the Home) Test Launch as reported in On the Ground News and chronicled in Kelroy’s Geezam blog article entitled “LIME Jamaica rolls out 100 Mbps ‘Fibre to the Home’” where I first became aware of this dream of mine come to pass.

My blog article entitled “LIME goes FTTH like Verizon's FiOS - Free ADSL after FTTH Mass Adoption” explained why this was possible: Dead Zone Theory being realized as less Voice traffic meant that Telecoms Provider Fiber Optic Backhaul between Central Offices such as Pembroke/North and Carlton Exchange was now becoming empty of Voice Traffic from Landlines and Mobile (Cellular) Voice Calling.

This new FTTH service fills the void, using up the currently unused capacity in these Fiber Optic Backhaul and thus making it worthwhile to maintain them. But now a curious foible that was missed in both of the above articles struck me this morning as I was walking down to the Kingston and St. Andrew Library: What’s to become of ADSL (Asynchronous Digital Subscriber Lime)?

Free Municipal Wi-Fi, as is the case in Barbados, thanks to their very forward thinking Government as noted in Kelroy’s Geezam blog article entitled article entitled “Barbados on the path to free island-wide Wi-Fi coverage” comes readily to mind.

But that is already in the cards, as the Government of Jamaica has already had plans in place to provide Free Broadband access with speeds up to 100MBps to three hundred (300) schools in Jamaica with assistance from Telecom Provider LIME, Triple Play Provider FLOW and the UAFCL (Universal Access Fund Company Limited) as noted in my blog article entitled “LIME, FLOW and the $JA543-million Internet plan - Ebony and Ivory”.

So it seems some commercially viable form of Municipal Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11n) is Telecom Provider LIME’s most likely push for their spare ADSL. This aside from promoting Broadband via the sale of Netbooks at cost price as is the case in the Telecom Provider LIME’s FlipTop Promotion as noted in my blog article entitled “LIME and the FlipTop Promotion – Saving Private Ryan to increase Internet Penetration in Jamaica”.

That and the fact that Telecom Provider LIME is not known to do anything for free, not even unused SMS (Short Messaging Service), GPRS (Global Packet Radio System) and EDGE (Enhanced Data Rates for GPRS) to promote Regional Integration and adoption of Internet usage for those who can ill-afford the access as suggested in my blog article entitled “Telecom Provider LIME and M2M Services - Free SMS and EDGE for the Caribbean to Foster Regional Integration”.

With Fast-Food establishments and shopping malls being areas of large foot traffic with long standing and wait time for people. Telecom Provider LIME no doubt could use their statistical data from their mobile network to determine that they could deploy ADSL in Partnership with Malls and Fast Food Places to resell ADSL Broadband as Municipal Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11n).

But as it would be in a fixed location with the qualities as described above, it would be best to call it according to where it is placed. To wit, Municipal Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11n) located in a Fast Food Place could be called Fast Food Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11n) and Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11n) placed in a Mall could be called Mall Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11n).

It’s obvious they are facing coming competition from competition from Wayne Chen and Lee’s Family-owned Dekal Wireless and Nubian1 Tech Services Limited, the main Municipal Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11n) competitors to both Telecom Provider LIME and Telecom Provider Digicel.

This is the reason I had opined for both Telecom Provider LIME and Telecom Provider Digicel launching their respective MiFi products that create a Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11n) to share you 3G and 4G WiMax (IEEE 802.16d) Wireless Broadband Access in my Geezam blog article entitled “Crouching LIME Huawei E586 Mi-Fi – Hidden Dekal Wireless Dragon”.

It may even imaginably be the same type of competition from Municipal Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11n) that prompted both Telecom Provider LIME and Telecom Provider Digicel to attack this low hanging fruit in the Cayman Islands by launching their respective MiFi products as noted in Shonari’s Geezam blog article entitled “MiFi Hits Cayman thanks to Digicel and LIME”.

However, Telecom Provider LIME needs to do more than just play possum and admit defeat with their launch of MiFi as pointedly noted in Kelroy’s Geezam blog article entitled “LIME to offer Personal Mobile Internet Hot-spot – MiFi”. They need to take advantage of the coming demand for FTTH, sure as sure to come as rain and go Municipal Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11n).

Telecom Provider LIME needs to use the disinterest in ADSL to resell ADSL not only as a two (2) year contract Data Plans with Netbooks aka the LIME FlipTop Promotion, but also to use it as Backhaul for Municipal Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11n). This new re-launch of ADSL would target fast-traffic, long wait and dwell time areas such as Fast Food emporiums e.g. Mothers enterprises, KFC in the guise of Fast Food Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11n) and shopping malls and plazas in what could be appropriately named Mall Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11n).

Same system like Dekal Wireless and Nubian1 Tech Services Limited, but thanks to the decreased interest in ADSL, at cut rate prices with more compelling features! A strong possibility therefore exists that the next time you go to a Mother’s Enterprises of KFC, when you are offered to Supersize your order, you may also get a side order or serving of Fast Food Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11n) that would go well with your Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11n)capable Laptop, smartphone or Tablet (I’m an optimist!!).

Digicel and America Movil complete Telecoms Swap - Telecom Regulators to get their Pound of Flesh

2011-12-05T18:31:00.002-05:00

Nine (9) months of suspense has finally ended. The swap that was initiated on Friday March 11^th 2011AD between Digicel Group and America Movil that shook the Telecoms World like the Japanese Earthquake as stated in my blog article entitled “Digicel buys CLARO Jamaica - Jumanji Exchange is no Robbery” has final been resolved.

On that day there was an earthquake and Tsunami in Japan as faithfully recorded in my Geezam Blog article entitled Japan Nuclear Reactor Meltdown is the Asian Tiger Chernobyl and the article “Japan Nuclear Disaster - Implications for Jamaica and the Consumer Electronics World”. The day was also memorable for the launch of the A5 Dual-Core Apple iPad 2, also recorded in my Geezam Blog article entitled “Apple iPad 2 - Dual-Core Easy Skankin'”.

Interesting coincidences indeed!!

For those of my faithful fans who love reading newspaper articles, this one is worth printing out and framing, as it is history in the making as per the article “Digicel acquires América Movil's operations in Jamaica and sells its operations in Honduras”, published Friday, December 02, 2011, The Jamaica Observer. So at long last it is over.......or are the problems for the Telecom Providers involved in the combination Debt and Equity swap just beginning to see their troubles multiply?

I say this as during the long nine (9) months of horse trading, lots of acrimonious words have been traded, ironically by Politicians and GOJ (Government of Jamaica) policymakers, making that which is a simple swap of assets that are not equally matched in value a complex affair. It also helps to prove that it is possible to do such a swap, thus disproving what I was told when I was a Network Maintenance Technician working at C&W (2001 to 2004).

Most likely Digicel Honduras and Digicel El Salvador had a greater value than the incompletely built-out CLARO Jamaica asset, even if the insured employees were included in the valuation. Thus, the difference in cost may have been taken care of by giving Digicel Group preferential stock in and America Movil, stock and bonds possibly to the tune of US$250 million depending on who you believe. Preferential Stock and bonds that will be worth significantly more when the Stock Market open on Monday December 5^th 2011AD

Even Telecom Provider LIME got in on the act, prodding the OUR (Office of Utilities Regulation) and the FTC (Fair Trading Commission) to began investigations as far back as March 2011AD in the article “LIME wants OUR, FTC to assess Digicel Claro Deal”, published Sunday, March 20, 2011, The Jamaica Observer.

And in the midst of it., the two (2) Telecoms Providers in question Digicel Group and America Movil have been awfully quiet with very little details let slip, mainly via the media.

Even the above article quoted on this most historic of deals has very terse words from the two (2) Telecom Providers involved. First America Movil's words after filing with the SEC (Security Exchange Commission) in the US, quote: “In March 2011, we entered into an agreement with Digicel Group Limited to acquire 100% of Digicel's operations in Honduras and El Salvador selling to them in the process our operation in Jamaica. The completion of the transaction is subject to governmental and regulatory approvals. The competition authority in El Salvador has imposed conditions on the transaction, and we are evaluating our options and the timing of any possible closing.”

Similar words emanated from Digicel Group CEO Colm Delves, quote: “We are pleased to have completed the acquisition of Claro Jamaica. Our immediate focus now will be to get a fuller understanding of the business and in this regard we have deployed several teams who are collating appropriate information. We will keep the Claro customer base, employees, dealers and suppliers advised of our plans over the course of the next few weeks.”.

That's it.

No statements of fact, only sparse comments on the swap of Telecom Operations of CLARO Jamaica and Digicel El Salvador and Digicel Honduras. Effectively I am back to speculating about the future as per my blog article entitled “Digicel finally acquires CLARO Jamaica with conditions – Carlos Slim’s Trojan Horse” in which I speculated that the acquisition left Digicel Group having to build out CLARO Jamaica's unfinished GSM (Global Systems Mobile) Voice and upgrade it along with their Network to HSDPA+ Release 7.

Thus it remains to be seen what will be the eventual outcome. One thin is for sure though, whatever form Digicel takes post-swap with America Movil, their expenses are sure to double. An eventuality for which they are already taking precautions by going Green as per my blog article entitled “Digicel adds on Green Power to future Corporate Building - Petula Clarke's Downtown Global Warming Crisis”.

A necessary precaution, as the Media reports the respective Government in each country taking advantage of the swap to impose conditions on the sale to prevent the formation of a monopoly. Here in Jamaica, it is the requirement that Digicel Group build out CLARO Network to the specification as per their Bilateral Trade Agreement to cover 90% of the island with Wireless Voice and Data Service as noted in my blog article entitled “Digicel finally acquires CLARO Jamaica with conditions – Carlos Slim’s Trojan Horse”.

The fact that the GOJ is also going to be making a Telecom Regulator separate and apart form the OUR (Office of Utilities Regulation) and update the ageing Telecommunications Act of 2000 also means further regulatory pressure being applied to the Telecoms Providers.

This is in order ensure a fair provision of service in terms of Cross Network Calling Rates and VAS (Value Added Services) such as MNP (Mobile Number Portability) and prevent the formation of monopolies as per my Geezam Blog article entitled “New Telecom Act Coming for Jamaica - Providers surprised with their Own Regulator”.

As details are not forthcoming as to the specifics of the deal, one can thus work with the conclusions drawn in my blog article entitled “Digicel finally acquires CLARO Jamaica with conditions – Carlos Slim’s Trojan Horse”. More on this in a few weeks when the Telecom Providers decide to get chatty..........in the local Jamaican as well as Mexican Media as to the exact details of the transaction, sure to be of interest to Finance as well as Engineering people.

Sharp develops world's thinnest 12.1 Megapixel Camera - Apple iPhone 5 and Apple iPad 3 in Sharp's focus

2011-12-05T18:27:00.000-05:00

Sharp is a little more famous in my mind as the makers of the hardware for Microsoft's attempt at a Social Networking smartphone, the Microsoft Kin 1 and Kin II as chronicled in my Geezam Blog article entitled “Microsoft Kin, one of the Comeback Kids - Design is Everything”. In the end Google Android resurrected the original Sidekick from Danger, a company which Microsoft had acquired as per my blog article entitled “T-Mobile SideKick’s rides the Bobsled Lazarus Effect - Logan's Run”.

The recent spat between Apple and Samsung over copyright infringement in both smartphone and Tablet designs, with Apple looking basically to destroy their one time armourer in these very lucrative markets as opined in my blog article entitled “Apple blocks Samsung Galaxy Tab in EU - Dancehall Hero's Revenge of the Sith” means that alliances are possibly shifting already, as Business is Business.

Enter Sharp and their recent innovation of a soon-to-be-commercially-available 12.1 Megapixel ultra slim camera designed specifically for smartphones and tablets as stated in the article “Sharp develops world's thinnest 12.1 MP CMOS camera”, published DECEMBER 1, 2011 by Molly McHugh, DigitalTrends. Note I said “soon-to-be-commercially-available”: this camera tech is already slated for tech implantation coming out in the first Quarter of 2012AD, with one hundred thousand (100,000) units planned for January 2012AD alone.

So this is no Science Show-and-Tell atypical of Japanese Tech companies people – this is a real ready-to-use product! The RJ63YC100, its official name according to Sharp's Press Release on their product has the following specs:

Dimensions of 11x11x5.47 millimeters
Packs image-stabilization
A backlit sensor
Standard AF (Auto-Focus)
Full 1080p HD video capture.

Thus a possibility exists that the Apple iPhone 5 and the Apple iPad 3 may be BOTH packing a 12Megapixel Rear facing camera from Sharp sometime in the near future, as Quad Core is now de riguer in the Tablet World thanks to the Asus Eee Transformer Prime, a gaming-ready Tablet which sports the Tegra 3 Quad Core processor, previously codenamed “Kal-el” as per my blog article entitled “Asus Eee Pad Transformer Prime to debut on November 9 2011AD - Nvidia Kal-El invites Apple iPad to Game On”.

This as with the Amazon Kindle Fire now sporting pricing as an innovation as per the analysis in my Geezam blog article “Kindle Fire vs Nook Color & Apple iPad 2 - Despite the Specs the Price is Still Right”, Apple will be facing a very stiff battle, both Legal as well as design-wise in the still nascent Tablet Market to distinguish themselves for the competition.

Improved photography, especially for the Flickr-lovin' Apple aficionados as per their thumbs up for the Apple iPhone 4 as chronicled in the article “Apple iPhone 4 to become most used camera on Flickr”, By DigitalTrends is a quick low hanging fruit for Apple.

Apple can take advantage of this latest innovation from Sharp via a partnership with same, seeing as they may be in talks to develop the much fabled Apple Television set as per the article “Rumour:Apple taps Sharp to develope iTV”, by DigitalTrends.

Personally for me, an Apple iPhone 5 with the specs as laid out in my Geezam Blog article entitled “Apple iPhone 4S Post Mortem Siri Voice Assistant and iMessage Rock” and my blog article entitled “Apple iPhone 4S is a hit and the Apple iPod may get an upgrade - Steve Jobs Opus Major” would be great.

Any smartphone or Tablet with a battery life of least one week on a full charge with continuous usage would result in many a person beating a path to Apple's door. This too is another low hanging fruit which Apple can use to distinguish itself from the crowd as per my blog article entitled “Apple iPhone 5 and its Design - Of Gods, Critics, Lemmings, Sheep and Men”.

Something for Apple to ponder as the London Olympics 2012AD slated for July 27^th 2012AD looms large on the calendar.