By
December 2018 visitors to Emancipation Park, St. Andrew will have access to the
internet via their mobile devices at no cost. The connectivity is courtesy of
the Universal Service Fund under its Connect JA Free Public Wi-Fi project.
Under
Connect JA, seven (7) free public Wi-Fi hot spots have been established at a
cost of JA $124 million. The project complements the USF’s Community Access
Point initiative which has seen to the establishment of 271 internet cafes in
underserved communities island-wide.
Chief
Executive Officer of the Universal Service Fund Suzette Buchanan said the drive
to establish free public Wi-Fi hotspots is in keeping with the Agency’s
expanded mandate as outlined in the Telecommunications (Amendment) Act 2012.
The
USF was established by ministerial order in 2005 as the Universal Access Fund
Company Limited and was given the mandate of ensuring communal access to the
internet at centralized locations such as computer labs. The USF was also
established to finance web and computer based educational programmes being
executed through E-Learning Jamaica. “Today, as the Universal Service Fund, we are
also tasked with providing internet service at the individual level through the
provision of devices and Wi-Fi internet access” Buchanan said.
Buchanan
said Connect JA, which began in 2016, was also crafted in response to global
trends which have seen the proliferation of wireless broadband service. She added
that the project aligns with the internet usage patterns of Jamaicans, many of
whom are primarily using smart phones and other mobile devices to access the
internet.
“Today, more Jamaicans are banking, learning,
shopping and communicating online, while on the go. Through these free public
Wi-Fi Hotspots, the Universal Service Fund is empowering Jamaicans to access
information and services that can improve their quality of life without the
burden of internet costs.” Buchanan said.
According
to the International Telecommunications Union, 45% of Jamaicans use the
internet on a regular basis, just one percent less than the global average.
With
ICT and by extension, access to the internet, globally considered as a key
enabler of economic and social development, the USF has a pivotal role in Jamaica’s
efforts to bridge the digital divide and in fostering an inclusive digital
economy.
Six
Public Wi-Fi hotspots have already been strategically established in high
traffic areas in Kingston and St. Andrew, Manchester and St. Elizabeth.
By
December 2019 the USF will also establish free Wi-Fi hotspots in the old
capital of Spanish Town, St. Catherine and the second city of Montego Bay, St. James.
Over the next three years the Agency will continue to expand its network to
ensure there is at least one hotspot in each parish.
About the USF
The Universal Service Fund is an Agency under the Ministry of Science,
Energy and Technology mandated to ensure access to information and
communication tools to facilitate development.
In 2005, the USF began operation as the Universal Access Company Limited
following a Ministerial Order which mandated that all domestic
telecommunications providers are obligated to collect a universal service levy
on all inbound telephone calls.
The levy is imposed on International calls terminating on local
networks.
Calls terminating on fixed lines incur a levy of US$0.03 and US$0.02 on
mobile lines. The funding acquired from this levy is used to further our
mission to provide universal access to all Jamaicans, regardless of age, class
or geographic location.