HUNDREDS of residents in Portland, Clarendon, St Mary and St Ann are set to benefit from free high-speed Internet under the Universal Service Fund’s (USF) Wi-Fi Hotspot Programme, before Christmas.

The USF has committed to rolling out five new public Wi-Fi hotspots in Annotto Bay, St Mary; Ocho Rios, St Ann; Chapleton and May Pen in Clarendon and Port Antonio in Portland. In recent weeks, hotspots have been launched in May Pen, Annotto Bay and Ocho Rios. Each hotspot enables 200 concurrent users to access the Internet from a city centre or town centre location.

“The expansion of our Wi-Fi Hotspot Programme is in keeping with the Government’s agenda to make Internet free and accessible in high traffic areas across the island. We began work on this mandate in 2017 and, to date, we have deployed to eight parishes,” said Daniel Dawes, CEO, Universal Service Fund.

The latest Wi-Fi hotspots are being deployed in partnership with ICT solutions provider C&W Business Jamaica. Speaking at the Ocho Rios Public Wi-Fi Hotspot launch last week, Carol Robertson, director, government & enterprise, C&W Business Jamaica, expressed gratitude that C&W’s technology will be used to empower people and transform lives.

“At C&W Business Jamaica, our mandate is to connect communities and transform lives through our technology. Our partnership with the USF is a palpable example of that mandate coming to life. Now the out-of-towner can access Google Maps for directions using a Wi-Fi hotspot and children can download educational materials on their cellphones while accompanying their parents in the city centre. We’re making a difference!” said Robertson.

The USF is funded by a levy on incoming international calls to mobile lines, and incoming international calls that terminate on fixed lines. The USF uses these funds for the execution of a myriad of national ICT projects to ensure that Jamaica becomes a knowledge-based society.

“We’re committed to playing our part to achieve Vision 2030 and build a Jamaica where we can all live, work and raise our families. A key path to this goal is the provision of free high-speed Internet in our public spaces,” added Dawes.