Gov't wants Internet available to all citizens

GOVERNMENT is working to make Internet access available to all citizens as part of the country's development, according to Daryl Vaz, the minister with responsibility for information and telecommunications.

"We want to see economic broadband accessed and heavily utilised by everyone -- children, senior citizens, laymen and professionals. Everyone needs to be engaged with exploiting and reaping the benefits from the technology available," Vaz told Flow Jamaica's fourth anniversary media breakfast at their corporate headquarters in Kingston on Thursday.

Added Vaz: "We must leverage ICTs to transform Jamaica's productive capacity in our bid to achieve developed country status by 2030. I will work tirelessly to support the best use of the technologies in Jamaica from software developers to bloggers and other content producers.

"The opportunity is taken to speak of Government's support for the work of local innovators who we look to for ICT solutions in the fields of education, health, sports, agriculture and commerce among others. The work continues ladies and gentlemen and the Government looks forward to working in partnership with the private sector as we transform and renew the way we govern, do business, provide services, and shape positively the way we think and see ourselves."

Flow Jamaica is a subsidiary of Columbus Communications which played a pioneering role in modernising the delivery of subscriber television services and also voice and data services to consumers and corporate clients. The company also invested in seabed cables that connect Jamaica directly to Central and North America.