Conecta Latam: Digital Transformation & Innovation in the Caribbean and Central America

December 04 - 05, 2019

Mayfair at Coconut Grove - Miami, Florida

3000 Florida Ave, Coconut Grove, FL 33133, Estados Unidos Miami - FL

Conecta brings together C-level executives from leading carriers, communications service providers, regulators, user groups and vendors from across the Caribbean and Central America markets to share experiences and market insights in a single world-class forum.

This summit combines educative content, assessing the state of the industry and identifying new areas of growth with the possibility of one to one interaction and networking.  Agenda is totally focused on technology, business case studies, tackling all the main regional issues to help operators grow and move forward.

Important Notice

Many Active Members of the Caribbean Cable & Telecommunications Association have been severely impacted by Hurricane Irma and Hurricane Maria.  The cable systems on St. Maarten, St. Thomas, St. John, Puerto Rico, the British Virgin Islands, the Turks & Caicos, and the Bahamas were damaged, some much more so than others.  In particular, communications to St. Maarten, St. Thomas, St. John, Puerto Rico and the British Virgin Islands have been sporadic.  Many of these islands have very little infrastructure remaining, and airports and post offices were closed for several weeks.  Our thoughts and prayers go out to the staff members of the affected cable systems, and to all residents of these islands.

Due to severe damage at the site hotel for the 2018 Annual Meeting (originally to be held in February in San Juan, Puerto Rico), the CCTA’s Board of Directors has cancelled the Caribbean Show for next year.

Shortly, the association will be issuing invoices for 2018 membership dues.  Normally, members’ payments are mailed to St. Thomas.  However, since post offices are in disarray, we are asking our members to send their checks to a secondary address in South Carolina.  Full mailing details will be included with the invoices, which are emailed to the primary representative of each corporate member.

CCTA Wavelengths: Issue 13, Summer 2017

2017 Technical Training Sessions Announced

TUESDAY, AUGUST 1 THROUGH THURSDAY, AUGUST 3

The CCTA has just released the registration materials for its annual Technical Training, which will take place from 8 am to 5 pm on three days - Tuesday, August 1; Wednesday, August 2; and Thursday, August 3. This very popular training usually attracts more than 75 installers, technicians, engineers, supervisory staff and managers from the association’s Active Members (cable operators) in the Caribbean area.

Associate Director Larry Foland has developed a very comprehensive training schedule, which includes two and a half days of instructional modules presented by experts in cable industry technology and engineering. Some of the topics to be covered are:

• “High-Density Wi-Fi RF Channel Plan Architecture”

•  “Wi-Fi User Data Analytics”

• “System Design: Next Gen HFC”

• “Fiber Optic Networks: Testing and Troubleshooting”

• “Fusion Splicing Equipment and Best Practices”

• The August 3 session will be dedicated to four stations for “Hands-on Training”.

Registration Fee
The Technical Training is available at no cost to employees of the association’s Active Members. The CCTA will provide the training and daytime meals (breakfast, morning break, lunch and afternoon break) for each participant, but transportation, dinner and hotel expenses are the responsibility of each attendee. For other individuals wishing to attend the training, there will be a reasonable daily fee to cover meal and administrative expenses. For representatives of Associate Members, the daily fee is $100. For representatives of non-member companies, the daily fee is $140. Contact Andrea L Martin for registration forms.

Technical Training Location and Accommodations
The 2017 training will take place in Bahia 1 & 2 of the Sheraton Puerto Rico Hotel & Casino located at 200 Convention Boulevard in San Juan. The hotel has provided a rate of $129 per night, single or double occupancy, plus 11% tax and a 16% hotel service fee. There is also a $1.00-per-room, per day, maid gratuity and $6.00 per person, one-time bellman gratuity. This special rate will be available from July 28 through August 5, based on availability.

Hotel Reservations
Reservations can be made by following this link. You may also call the hotel’s Reservations office at 1-787-993-3500 to reserve a room. You must mention the “2017 CCTA Technical Training” to be eligible for the special rate, which expires on July 25.

If you are interested in attending the 2017 Technical Training, please contact Executive Director Andrea L. Martin at info@cctanet.com or at 1-864-836-8954. She can send you full details of the training, plus the pertinent registration forms. Registrations for the training must be made by Thursday, July 27. On-site registration is not encouraged.

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Caribbean Charities Welcome Financial Boost from CCTA

Ten charities have benefitted from the CCTA’s Community Charities Program this year. The Board of Directors unanimously agreed to award $1,000 each to the 10 organizations nominated by cable system members of the CCTA. Nominations were submitted by the deadline of May 29 and then reviewed by the board members at their meeting on June 5.

The 2017 grant recipients and their sponsoring companies are:

• Mentoring Anointed Leaders Everywhere nominated by BVI Cable TV

• Ranfurly Home for Childrennominated by Cable Bahamas

• Colegio de Educacion Especial y Rehabilitacion Integral nominated by Liberty Cablevision of Puerto Rico

• The Lion Sporting Club Foundationnominated by St. Maarten Cable TV

• St. George’s Anglican Scout Groupnominated by The Cable of St. Kitts

• Fundacion pa Hende Muhernan den Dificulted nominated by SETAR NV of Aruba 

• Queen Louise Home for Childrennominated by Viya of St. Croix

• Nana Baby Children’s Home, Inc.nominated by Viya of St. Thomas-St. John

• St. Maarten Alzheimer Foundationnominated by WTN of St. Maarten

• Huize Betheljada nominated by WISE NV of Suriname

Huize Betheljada, an educational facility in Suriname for children with physical and developmental disabilities, is presented with a $1,000 grant check from the CCTA’s Caribbean Charities Program, by Lloyd Groehart of WISE NV.

Andrew Greene, CCTA Chair and Chief MCTV Officer of Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation of Barbados, stated, “The 2017 grant winners provide vital human service programs to the Caribbean, and we are pleased to be able to help each one.”

The Community Charities Program was established by the CCTA in 1993. Since then, the program has distributed over $311,000 in grants to more than 135 charities in the region.

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Save These Dates for the 2018 Annual Meeting! February 4-8, 2018

The anticipation is over! The CCTA’s 2018 Annual Meeting will be held from February 4 to 8, 2018, at The Ritz-Carlton, San Juan, conveniently located near the Luis Munoz Marin International Airport (SJU).

The spectacular Ritz-Carlton, San Juan

The association has negotiated an extremely favorable room rate of $189 per night, plus taxes of 11 percent. a $35 daily resort fee and $3-per-room attendant fee. This rate has been extended to three days prior and three days post the Annual Meeting dates, depending upon availability. To obtain this rate, you must reserve your rooms through the CCTA. Reservation links will be announced when available.

Poolside at The Ritz-Carlton, San Juan

The Ritz-Carlton, San Juan is located directly on the Atlantic Ocean and offers beach facilities, a pool, tennis courts, five restaurants and a bar, a spa, fitness center, and casino. More importantly, the hotel boasts one floor dedicated solely to meeting facilities, for ease of transitioning from educational sessions to the extremely-popular Exhibit Hall to networking events. This will be the first time that The Ritz-Carlton, San Juan is the host hotel for the CCTA’s Annual Meeting.

Further details on the agenda for the 2018 Annual Meeting and registration will be forthcoming. Registration will officially open on or about November 1.