Community Wi-Fi Opening Doors of Opportunity – Minister Vaz

The Government’s programme to provide free Internet service to communities across the island is opening doors of opportunity for residents who were limited by geography, says Minister of Science, Energy, Telecommunications and Transport, Hon. Daryl Vaz.

“We are bridging the gap, levelling the playing field…students will have access to a world of knowledge and businesses can thrive in the digital landscape,” he said.

The Minister’s remarks were delivered by Human Resource and Administration Manager at the Universal Service Fund (USF), Shanique Cornwall, at the commissioning of free, secured WI-FI in Christiana, Manchester on Friday (Feb. 9).

Christiana became the latest area to benefit under the Community WI-FI Programme being implemented by the USF, which is an entity under the Ministry.

Minister Vaz said the service will have a profound impact on daily activities in the community.

He said it will create more tightly knit families and communities as persons make meaningful connections and seamlessly pass on important information.

Noting that education is the cornerstone of any thriving society, the Minister said that “with this public Wi-Fi hotspot, we are empowering our students to reach new heights. Imagine a student in Christiana having the same access to educational resources in the bustling city of Kingston.”

Minister Vaz said the Community WI-FI programme is a testament to the dedication of the Government and the USF to enhance connectivity across the island.

“This endevour has been a collaborative effort, and a testament to what can be achieved when individuals, businesses, and the Government come together for a common goal,” he noted.

The Community Wi-Fi Programme is designed to increase access to the internet across Jamaica’s 63 constituencies.

The USF has a mandate to ensure access to information and communication tools to bridge the digital divide and facilitate development.

Other projects and initiatives being undertaken by the entity in this regard are: Connect Ja, which is aimed at providing Internet access to 19 major towns; establishing over 300 Community Access Points (CAP); provision of full scholarships to students who have matriculated to the tertiary level from the Technology Advancement Programme; providing research grants to the University of the West Indies (UWI) to aid in the development of the ICT sector; supplying ICT devices to students and organisations; and funding e-Learning Jamaica, which is geared at equipping students and teachers with tablets and laptops.