ST JAMES, Jamaica — Residents of New Ramble and Flanker in St James, who were faced with internet connectivity issues during the novel coronavirus pandemic, are the newest beneficiaries of the Universal Service Fund’s (USF) free public Internet and Wi-Fi Service.

During the community Wi-Fi launch in New Ramble on Thursday evening, Acting Commanding Officer for the St James Police Division, Superintendent Carlos Russell, stated that while the benefits of the service to the community are countless, children may fall susceptible to online dangers if the service is not used carefully.

“I know that we are coming out of a pandemic and it was during this pandemic when students had to do classes online, that they were unaccounted for. They [teachers] could not say where they were because they were not a part of any classes and (for) many of them, the reasons were that persons could not afford the devices, but one of the main causes was data,” Russell said during his address.

“This initiative that is being launched here today, I know it will assist a lot of [individuals]. I just want to say to the young ones that are here…you need to use it wisely. It is not to be used to go on unscrupulous websites. And I am saying to the parents that you need to supervise the ones that are using the internet. We want our students to be using the internet for their schoolwork,” the superintendent appealed on Thursday.

While thanking the USF for installing the service in New Ramble, Russell also urged residents to “continue working with your local police”.

“Now that you have free WiFi you will have no excuse for not texting or calling the police to give us information,” he said.

In welcoming the initiative, Member of Parliament for St James West Central where the community lies, Marlene Malahoo Forte, also joined in on the call made by Superintendent Russell.

“Many of you in this community have the will, but you simply don’t have the way. So it became important that the Government started doing all that it could to close that divide and to ensure that nobody is left behind. That is a part of the reason why this roll out is taking place,” Malahoo Forte said.

“I can only repeat and endorse the warning that the superintendent has given, please be careful. Parents, I know that some of you may not have come up in the digital era and you are not as savvy in using the internet and browsing websites as your children, but the good thing is that you can learn – you can still supervise. I am going to ask you to take care and supervise your children.”

Continuing, Malahoo Forte said: “In the same way that the physical space has danger and you have to take care where you go and who you associate with, the digital space also has danger. You have sexual predators who will lure young children and tell them all kinds of things that they want to hear and make all kinds of promises to them. They tell you that you must meet them somewhere and we have too many stories of what happen, said Malahoo Forte, who is also the Minister of Legal and Constitutional Affairs.

Similarly in Flanker on Friday, Superintendent Russell called for the proper use of the community Wi-Fi which was supported by Councillor for the Montego North East Division, Charles Sinclair.

“You have heard from the Superintendent that Wi-Fi can be a good thing, just as smartphones can be very good but the phone must not be smarter than the individual using it. The phone can get you into problem, the Wi-Fi can get you into bigger problems and so the charge that was given by the superintendent is something that I endorse fully,” said Sinclair who is also a Government senator.

Chief Executive Officer of the USF, Daniel Dawes, said that although these installments are the first for St James, some six communities will benefit from free public Wi-Fi service before the end of the financial year as USF is hoping to complete the creation of 189 free community Wi-Fi points across the country.