As the Government continues to roll out free secured Wi-Fi hotspots in communities across the island, citizens are being urged to make use of the service to transform their lives.

Member of Parliament for St. Andrew East Rural, the Most. Hon. Juliet Holness, made the call while addressing the recent launch of the Woodford Wi-Fi hotspot in her constituency.

The hotspot programme, being undertaken by the Universal Service Fund (USF), aims to bridge the digital gap, particularly for individuals in deep rural areas who are unable to obtain Internet service.

Mrs. Holness noted that persons can use the service to access educational resources.

“The Internet can literally transform us as human beings, because the world of knowledge is now accessible to us,” she pointed out.

Mrs. Holness also urged residents as they use the Internet to conduct business, to ensure that their personal details, including banking information, are “under password lock and key”.

She noted that there are persons who are using the Internet to carry out illegal activities.

“All of your private stuff, everything that you don’t want anybody else to have, put it under a strong password lock,” she stressed.

Chief Executive Officer of the USF, Daniel Dawes, in his address told the residents that they have a duty to ensure that the facility lasts so that it can serve their needs for a long time.

Teacher at the Woodford Primary School, Christine Tapper, welcomed the free Wi-Fi service, which will benefit students, as a demonstration of commitment by the Government to build excellence in the community through education.

“We believe that this will further prepare our citizens to become more knowledgeable human beings,” she said.

President of the Woodford Community Development Council, Cedric Pascoe, called on the residents to play their part in protecting the facility.

The USF is an agency of the Ministry of Science, Energy and Technology.

Source: JIS

The first community wi-fi hotspot for the St Andrew West Rural constituency was installed at the Golden Spring Square by the Universal Service Fund (USF).

According to a release, the hotspot was stationed Thursday, February 17, in efforts by the Government to increase access to information through the internet, island-wide.

The overall cost of the installation was $7.5 million.

It will be the first of three that will be established in the constituency. The other two locations are the Lawrence Tavern Centre and Red Hills Square.

The wi-fi hotspot is situated in a commercial area which includes an early childhood centre, a health centre, three churches and several businesses and vending areas. All are expected to benefit.

In her remarks, Member of Parliament for St. Andrew West Rural, Juliet Cuthbert Flynn, said she commends the Government because “rural Jamaica is not left out. We’re not put on the back burner.”

“So throughout the various programmes, we saw the Ministry of Education and Youth distributing tablets [and] laptops to vulnerable students, and we also saw public and private partnership to make sure that our kids were learning. So today, I am very excited for this wi-fi connectivity, here in Golden Spring Square,” she said adding that several teachers who were using their personal internet connections to conduct lessons, will now be supported.

“Let us not forget there is a health centre right across the street that will also benefit lots of people. At least 150 persons visit that health centre on a daily basis,” she also pointed out.

Additionally, Cuthbert Flynn encouraged her constituents to visit the Rocky Valley Community Centre in the constituency, to gain access to 11 brand new computers, which are free to use. They were also instituted by the USF.

Chief Executive Officer of USF, Daniel Dawes, said the Fund will continue to pursue its mandate of bridging the connectivity gap across the island.

The USF is aiming to install 189 wi-fi hotspots by March 31. Dawes, however, has disclosed disapproval in the recent theft of one of the connectivity posts that was installed in the Golden Spring community.

“We have been rolling out throughout Jamaica, [and] we never had one case of anybody taking what is not theirs,” he said.

Corporal at the Stony Hill Police Station, Gregory Bennett, urged the community to “take greater steps in showing appreciation for the project.

“This project is something that should be helping the members of the community to bring them and stakeholders together, so that we can work to have a safer, more progressive, Stony Hill, Golden Spring [and] Lawrence Tavern community,” he said.

Source: Jamaica Observer

Minister of Education and Youth, Fayval Williams, says the Government is taking steps to ensure that children are protected from misleading information disseminated over the Internet.

The minister, who was delivering the keynote address at the recent launch of a free secured Wi-Fi hotspot for the community of Tavern, St Andrew, said a goal of the Administration is to ensure that people in all sections of the country have access to the Internet, but negative messages and lies must be countered with truths.

She said more than 150,000 computer devices have been distributed for children to access education, and that it will continue until “all our students have a device”.

The ministry said, however, has to teach safety to them while they are online, as individuals are exploiting the cyberspace for personal gains through criminality and from distorting information on the COVID-19 vaccines.

“We are going to be teaching them how to be safe while online, because there are many sites that we don’t want them to have access to,” the minister said, adding that teaching will also be done “on how to be discerning, how to know what truth is versus lies”.

“There is a lot of false information about the vaccines, and a lot of people believe it, not knowing that none of what those people are saying is true, so we have a lot of educating to do,” Williams said.

She encouraged the residents to use the Wi-Fi facility with responsibility, and where it is for fun, “make sure that it is the kind of pleasure that will enrich your lives”.

The free Internet facility was installed by the Universal Service Fund (USF), an agency of the Ministry of Science, Energy and Technology. It will commission 10 new Community Access Points (CAPS) across the island by the end of February.

CAPS are Internet service facilities established in collaboration with community organisations and funded by the agency in furtherance of the Government’s Universal Service Obligation (USO).

They ensure the provision of computers and associated equipment and that Internet access is provided free of cost to communities challenged in this regard.

Since 2007, the USF has outfitted more than 300 communities with Internet service. They have a mandate to ensure access to information and communication tools, to facilitate development.

Source: Jamaica Observer

The joy of receiving technological devices were evident on the faces of children and educators at Salvation Army School for the Blind in St Andrew on Wednesday.

The institution was presented with 21 computers, a multipurpose printer and a projector, valued at $5.2 million, from the Universal Service Fund (USF).

Principal of the school Iyeke Erharuyi told the Jamaica Observer that the devices were well needed as the 20 computers at the school were in use for many years.

“This was a big relief, especially at a time when the use of technology for the blind is becoming more important than usual, considering the COVID-19 pandemic,” Erharuyi told the Observer after the launch of the special groups programme held at the institution in St Andrew.

“When the students had access before, they would need volunteers to read and write for them,” said Erharuyi, noting that the new computers are equipped with screen reading software.

Head Girl Nicola Anderson, who is in grade 11, was overjoyed for the new computers.

“I am so happy knowing that we have them as they will be better in facilitating us in online learning,” said Anderson.

Another grade 11 student, Allana Merrick, argued that before receiving the new devices, she and her colleagues struggled to do work online.

“When we usually come in the computer room, there were not enough computers in here to use. Now, I am feeling good because we have more, so we can each use one,” said Merrick.

Janalee Cole, who is in grade 9, added: “I am glad I can get access to use the Internet independently.”

Pledging that each student at the institution will receive their own device, CEO of USF Daniel Dawes said, “The USF will commit to give every child a laptop. I am also committing where every entrant, will also for the years to come, be given a laptop. We must seek to enable the youths to do what they must do.”

The organisation also launched a community access point at Sir Howard Cooke Community Centre in Nannyville, Kingston, Wednesday evening.

Community access points are Internet service facilities established in collaboration with community organisations and funded by the USF in the advancement of Government’s universal service obligation.

Computers, associated equipment, and Internet access are provided free of cost at these facilities to allow Jamaican residents to access the Internet. Since 2007 the USF has outfitted more than 300 communities.

Source: Jamaica Observer