Thousands in Frazer’s Content and Kitson Town Get Free Wi-Fi Service
By: , December 12, 2022
Photo: Dave Reid
Member of Parliament for St. Catherine West Central, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton (second left), shares a moment with Acting Principal of the Paul Mountain Primary School, Nordia McFarlane Fisher (left); Principal of the Kitson Town Primary School, Dr. Donna Mitchell-Jarrett (second right), and students from the two schools, at the unveiling of free secured Wi-Fi hotspots in Kitson Town, St. Catherine, on Wednesday (December 7).
Photo: Dave Reid
Member of Parliament for St. Catherine West Central, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton (left) and Principal of the Kitson Town Primary School, Dr. Donna Mitchell-Jarrett (right)), walk with school children during the unveiling of a free secured Wi-Fi hotspot in Kitson Town, St. Catherine, on Wednesday (December 7).
Photo: Dave Reid
Member of Parliament for St. Catherine West Central, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton (right) and Chief Executive Officer of the USF, Daniel Dawes, shake hands after the ceremony for the unveiling of free secured Wi-Fi service in Frazer’s Content, St. Catherine, on Wednesday (December 7).
Photo: Dave Reid
Member of Parliament for St. Catherine West Central, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton (left), joins in a performance with students from the New Horizon Basic School in Frazer’s Content, St. Catherine. Occasion was a ceremony on Wednesday (December 7), at the Jubilee Worship Centre in the community for the commissioning of a free secured Wi-Fi hotspot in the community.The Full Story
Thousands of residents of Frazer’s Content and Kitson Town in rural St. Catherine are benefiting from free secured Internet service as the Universal Service Fund (USF) continues to expand connectivity across the island.
The facilities were commissioned into service during separate ceremonies on Wednesday (December 7).
Minister of Health and Wellness and Member of Parliament for St. Catherine West Central, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton, in his remarks at the commissioning in Kitson Town said that the Internet access provides the opportunity for residents to benefit from training and certification in various skills areas.
He said that early in 2023, he will be partnering with the Jubilee Worship Centre in Frazer’s Content to establish a homework centre, and the USF has committed to outfitting the centre with computers to facilitate training for residents in conjunction with the HEART/NSTA Trust.
Dr. Tufton hailed the USF’s Wi-Fi programme as an “excellent initiative” that is creating “quality opportunities for people”.
“We are happy that it is here, and we are going to be promoting its use in several forms in terms of knowledge acquisition,” he said.
He urged residents to make good use of the free Internet service. “This is a good thing for Kitson Town, and the people must see it as a valuable addition to their community to enable and empower you,” he added.
Chief Executive Officer of the USF, Daniel Dawes, told JIS News that the agency has installed 189 community Wi-Fi facilities across the island and 19 public hotspots at major town centres, at a cost of some $300 million.
“This year has been a tremendous success. We are asking all of Jamaica to protect them because if you interfere with them, the children will lose. We must do all that we can to ensure that the infrastructure remains in place to aid with their education,” he said.
For her part, Acting Principal of the Paul Mountain Primary School, Nordia McFarlane Fisher, said that the increased access to Internet service will boost student learning.
“It is going to be of great use to our children, our teachers and the residents,” she noted.
The USF is an agency of the Ministry of Science, Energy and Technology and is tasked with establishing Community Access Points (CAPS), free Wi-Fi hotspots and other facilities across the island.