More Than 380 Wi-Fi Hotspots Established Islandwide

More than 380 community Wi-Fi hotspots have been established across the island, benefiting hundreds of thousands of residents in underserved areas, as the Universal Service Fund (USF) works to further expand Jamaica’s digital reach.

Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Charlton McFarlane, provided the update recently while speaking to JIS News.

“The USF has retrofitted and furnished over 300 Community Access Point (CAP) sites islandwide,” Mr. McFarlane noted.

The Community Wi-Fi Programme was launched in 2020 to address the urgent need of connectivity, brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, to ensure that Jamaicans could continue to access education, conduct business, and stay connected.

To date, the programme has seen an impressive daily usage of approximately 250,000 users, with an estimated reach of more than 700,000 people across the island.

“This programme is structured so that each year, each Member of Parliament selects at least one community to receive a Wi-Fi installation. We are now entering the seventh phase of the initiative,” the CEO said.

“The USF’s mandate is to target unserved and underserved communities that suffer from infrastructural challenges or where residents cannot afford monthly internet costs. Our commercial partners may not find it financially viable to serve these areas, but the USF steps in to fill that gap,” he added.

In addition to building the infrastructure, the USF also covers ongoing operational expenses, a crucial part of sustaining digital access for the communities, Mr. McFarlane said.

He emphasised that the USF continues to work towards its goal of nationwide connectivity, ensuring that every Jamaican, regardless of location or financial means, has access to the digital world.