Freetown residents grateful for free public Wi-Fi

Residents in the Woodford, Freetown district of St Andrew East Rural, located at an elevation of about 3,000 feet above sea level, are already celebrating the installation of the community Wi-Fi hotspot that was unveiled on Monday.

This was facilitated by the Government’s continued engagement with the Universal Service Fund to establish up to three community hotspots in each constituency.

The service, which is the first of its kind in the community, will be managed by IslandNet Jamaica, one of the island’s Internet service providers.

The Wi-Fi’s installation costs a total of $7.5 million. The Government will cover the cost of residents’ ongoing free access to the service on a monthly basis.

Paulette Fender, a Freetown resident who grew up in the area, told The Gleaner that she is immensely thankful for the community’s Wi-Fi.

“I’m feeling really really happy and blessed to see that this community for the first time received this community Wi-Fi for the benefit of us, especially for the children that do have access to Internet,” she said, as children are still in need for Internet to conduct effective research and to do homework.

With only a few people in the neighbourhood being able to purchase their own Internet service, Fender explained that it was out of reach for the majority as they could not afford it. So, like Orville Nicholson, another resident of the area who expressed gratitude for the Wi-Fi, they anticipate that it will greatly aid the vulnerable population in the area.

Juliet Holness, member of parliament for East Rural St Andrew, in her remarks, explained that the community was selected because it was mostly remote, has a large population and had no prior access or ability to get this kind of service due to its mountainous terrain.

Despite the sign depicting Woodford square as the point of access, Holness explained that the change of access was made to have it in Freetown because it was the town square where most people gathered.

“Because the range is not as far as we would want it..., we selected a space where we have whole heap a people and the children will be able to come out and come under the street light, or if they are close enough, be able to access the Internet from home,” she added.

Holness then cautioned residents that free Wi-Fi means that it is accessed by all and it is, therefore, not as secure as if it was their personal connections at home. She urged them to safeguard their information well to prevent hackers from stealing crucial information.

“Free Internet access mean that you also need to be careful with your information. It is not at your yard that you have it locked and nobody else can access. So, a part of understanding this great benefit is also appreciating the risk. So your bank account information must be under password, lock and key,” she exclaimed.

She further implored the children especially to use the technology to educate themselves and use it to access the world of knowledge that awaits them.

Daniel Dawes, chief executive officer at USF, said to have Wi-Fi access at this height above sea level is a great achievement.

Since the neighbourhood is recognised for being peaceful, with no homicides reported in the last two years, there are little fears of manipulation or theft of the equipment. He did, however, caution that if anyone in the area attempted to steal, they would face severe consequences.

He urged residents to take swift action in reporting any issues of criminality that may arise to the police, as the system in place now is expected to be kept for the children’s use, in particular, to enhance their academic skills.

“Just to note that it is not here for just a week, a month, a year. It is here to stay, but it must be taken care of by the people,” he said, as he continued in his warning for persons to not dismantle any part of the equipment or its enclosure that have been installed by the agency.

Christine Tapper, a teacher at the Woodford Primary School, in her remarks, said the installation of the Wi-Fi will create a balance between education and play for students.

“We believe that this will further prepare our citizens to become more knowledgeable beings,” she said, adding that the very timely gift will help to alleviate and bridge the learning gap that still plagues the educational sector while aiding students to access their respective online learning platforms.

“In a community that suffers a great loss from the Internet connectivity, our community will benefit immensely from this venture. The citizens of Woodford joyfully receive this, the USF’s free public Wi-Fi, to restore and renew hope in online learning and new and upcoming businesses,” said Tapper.

asha.wilks@gleanerjm.com