USF Launches Portmore Public Wi-Fi Service in St. Catherine
By: , February 3, 2024
Photo: Adrian Walker
Minister Without Portfolio in the Office of the Prime Minister with responsibility for Skills and Digital Transformation, Senator Dr. the Hon. Dana Morris Dixon (left), and Chief Executive Officer, Universal Service Fund (USF), Dr. Daniel Dawes, shake hands following the launch of the USF’s Portmore Public Wi-fi Service. The launching ceremony was held at the Portmore Mall in St. Catherine on Friday (February 2).The Full Story
The launch of the Portmore public wi-fi facility in St. Catherine is deemed a pivotal undertaking by the Universal Service Fund (USF) in its mandate to provide internet access to all Jamaicans.
Speaking during Friday’s (February 2) launching ceremony at the Portmore Mall, Minister Without Portfolio in the Office of the Prime Minister with responsibility for Skills and Digital Transformation, Senator Dr. the Hon. Dana Morris Dixon, said the service’s establishment in such a critical Municipality highlights the importance of fostering digital inclusion, educational advancement, entrepreneurship development and a sense of community.
Additionally, she said it signals the Government’s commitment to facilitating digital innovation through Internet access for all Jamaicans.
“I want you to imagine a Jamaica where every child, regardless of where they live or how much their parents earn, has access to a world of knowledge at their fingertips, where digital classrooms become incubators for a new generation of thinkers, innovators, and leaders. Imagine our small businesses harnessing the power of digital platforms and tools to expand beyond our shores, competing globally,” she said.
Dr. Morris Dixon emphasised that the initiative is critical to academic advancement.
“We are supporting Portmore in our vision of having students who feel they are connected and part of this digital world,” she stated.
USF Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Daniel Dawes, said the Fund is committed to building a Jamaica where all students have equal access to opportunities that will support their academic success.
“We have been charged to provide [to the people], access to broadband high-speed internet. Last financial year, we… spent almost $3 billion [of which] $770 million [was allocated] to e- Learning [Jamaica Company Limited], [and] $1.2 billion to the National Broadband Initiative. The community wi-fi/public wi-fi, [such] as this one in Portmore, [would] have cost just a little above [$1billion],” he informed.
Dr. Dawes said the Fund is advanced in its mandate to provide islandwide internet access.
“The USF is making sure every primary and secondary school has connections to this broadband space. We are here to serve you,” he assured.