TRELAWNY, Jamaica – Duncans, Clarks Town, and Falmouth in Trelawny are three of the most recent communities to benefit from the Ministry of Science, Energy and Technology’s installation of community and public Wi-Fi hotspots, which is spearheaded by the Universal Service Fund (USF).

Speaker of the House of Representatives and Member of Parliament for Trelawny South, Marisa Dalrymple Philibert, made the disclosure while commending the USF for moving the country forward in taking its place in the digital world and economy during her keynote address at the launch of the 19th public Wi-Fi in Falmouth Square on Friday.

“What has transpired today is a truly rich experience. I say it is rich because what is happening is encouraging wealth, and anyone who invests in our people such as what the Universal Service Fund is doing, is going to get the highest yield that any country can get because our people are truly our greatest resource,” Dalrymple Philibert said.

Dalrymple Philibert further explained that the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted gaps in the country’s technological landscape, which the ministry is working to bridge.

“We think of Jamaica as a place of lovely beaches, good weather, good food and music, but we don’t realise that we have the potential to be technologically savvy and advanced, and to take our place in the digital world to move forward and to enjoy what the digital economy has to offer. This sort of investment by the USF is very welcomed and we have to implore our young people to appreciate it and to use it wisely,” she concluded.

During last Friday’s unveiling ceremony in Falmouth, Chief Executive Officer at USF, Daniel Dawes, pointed out that the government has earmarked approximately $1.2 billion for the fiscal year 2022-2023 to foster universal and increased access to the internet, while promoting digital inclusion across the island.

Dawes added that “up to 500 users can be accommodated daily, providing each user in the town with internet access for at least three uninterrupted hours each day”.

Meanwhile, Vice Principal at the William Knibb Memorial High School, Webster Thompson, who was also in attendance at the launch, explained that the initiative welcomed by citizens in and around the parish capital, particularly students, who will be able to remain digitally connected at no additional expense.

“I think that this is a tremendous initiative because these days if you are not digitally connected you are behind the times. What is good about this is that it is free public access, and there are many people who cannot afford the various plans no matter how cheap they claim to be, especially for students who are having Internet access problems at home, they too will be able to do some browsing and some research here in the Square,” Thompson said.

“I suspect that the universal service fund has plans to roll this out across other communities in Jamaica and that is a fascinating situation because we really need to be able to interact more as a public more easily, freely with the world around us in terms of personal development and business enterprises, so I am hoping that Falmouth is not the last stop on this train ride,” he added.