Portland communities benefit from free Wi-Fi hotspots

Two rural communities, Hope Bay and Fellowship in Portland, are set to benefit from the free Wi-Fi hotspots which were commissioned into service on December 16.

A joint initiative between the Universal Service Fund (USF), which falls under the Ministry of Science, Energy, and Technology (MSET), and telecommunications company FLOW, residents in both communities, including students and business people, now have full access to free Internet.

Hope Bay resident Rupert Kelly described the initiative as extraordinary and one that could not have come at a better time, as according to him, the free Wi-Fi service will go a far way in assisting the business community and students.

“It is going to benefit the entire community,” said Kelly. “But I would hope that it will benefit mainly children, who are not able to get Wi-Fi at their homes. Children, who are preparing for PEP (Primary Exit Profile), students who are at high school and their parents cannot afford to provide Internet service ... now they can come and sit here and enjoy the use of the Internet. And then you have the business people, who have to ensure that the link can be made to Montego Bay and Kingston, instead of having to travel that far to do business.

“Everybody is going to benefit. Even the common man that wants some entertainment on YouTube. The persons who wants a little gossip. The person who wants to chat to their family member a foreign on WhatsApp or TikTok. So everybody will benefit, “Kelly added.

Tanya Wilson of Fellowship in the Rio Grande valley said that it is a fitting Christmas present for residents, especially students, who, according to her, have struggled for many years to gain access to the Internet.

A POSITIVE IMPACT

Director of Enterprise, Government and IT Solutions at Cable and Wireless, Carol Robertson, said that the launch of the free Wi-Fi service in both communities will positively impact the lives of students, the business community, and other interests, who, according to her, now have full access to information at their fingertips.

“Over the past year we have seen a rapid acceleration of digitisation across the world. Here in Jamaica, work and learning have all moved online as we grapple with the COVID-19 pandemic. Our personal and social interactions, as well as business transactions, also moved online. As we adjust to living with COVID-19, we will not return to life as usual, not as we knew it before.

“Here in Portland, we continue to invest in building on our fibre network. We are transforming lives, we are building communities, and we are bringing innovations that will create moments that matter to all Jamaicans. Tek (take) charge as you enjoy the Wi-Fi hotspots. Use it to your benefit as you enable your own progress. Thanks to the USF for partnering with us, “she added.

Chief Executive Officer of the USF Daniel Dawes urged all residents to take good care of the free internet service that is now available to all, and boasted that at no time will there be any connectivity issue or disconnection as it relates to the service.

Members of Parliament Daryl Vaz and Ann-Marie Vaz described the occasion as a Christmas present, not only for residents, but also for them as public servants. They claimed that the availability of the service is as a result of their determination and efforts to provide free Internet to the people of Portland, thereby keeping them connected to the global change and new way of life brought about by COVID-19.