BARBADOS – Cable & Wireless (Barbados) Limited’s Connect Barbados initiative which was launched Friday, June 23 at its Sports Club, Wildey, has been lauded by Minister of Economic Affairs and Development, Mia Mottley, as being a project that will help to change the path of Barbados’ development.
She said: “The project will come to be regarded as one of the first steps in helping to transform the 21st century development of this country. There is no doubt in my mind that unless Barbados can, as we build out a new economy to the next level, match it with the values that informed our development over the last 40 years, we will not be able to sustain the quality of life which each and everyone of us values so dearly.”
Connect Barbados, a joint undertaking between Cable and Wireless and a number of government agencies, is geared towards providing free broadband internet access to 16 community centers, three branch libraries and three children’s homes.
Noting that it was critical in a world dominated by knowledge based industries that access to information must be provided to each Barbadian citizen, Ms. Mottley pointed out that there was no doubt in her mind that “we must have an infrastructure that is world class in telecommunications”, since this industry had been responsible for the technological changes that have made size and geography irrelevant.
Indicating that government had already signaled its intention by not abiding with the digital divide that comes with a telecommunications infrastructure not being accessed by all citizens, the Minister said that with the significant resources already in place in communities, as part of the community technology program, the Connect Barbados initiative would be more meaningful and effective.
She observed: “I don’t know and you don’t know where the next genius is going to come from within this 166 square miles, and unless we create the platform that allows that genius to emerge, we will not get the best from our investment in the development of this country. “
President of Cable and Wireless, Donald Austin, said that his company had earmarked BDS$ 200,000 for the development of the project and it provided “another tangible example of his company’s commitment, not only to the delivery of state of the art services, but in the provision of access in the communities where people work and play in a most convenient way”.
He also disclosed that plans were afoot to introduce a related service that would target the unique business needs of micro-business owners.
