4G for Montego Bay
Published:Sunday | August 29, 2010 | 12:00 AM
WESTERN BUREAU:
Tourists in Montego Bay are among the thousands of Montegonians who can now access Jamaica's fastest wireless broadband service with the roll-out of Digicel's 4G broadband in the Second City.
The telecommunications giant officially launched the latest innovation to hundreds of locals at its futuristic-themed 'Plug, Pay and Go' party at the historic Rose Hall Great House last Friday night.
Boasting that 4G was actually 10 times faster than 3G, Digicel's CEO, Mark Linehan, said that hoteliers could add this to the number of services that they currently offer, as, "not only is 4G going to change the broadband landscape within Jamaica, but within that sector".
Tourism remains the island's number one industry, attracting over 1.8 million stopover visitors in 2009.
For the mobile giant, the industry that oils the economy will become more efficient by using technology, and it will change the way they do business. He said the drawing card for the industry would be 4G's speed.
Changing lifestyles
But the tourist industry is easily a miniscule part of the market that Digicel hopes to capture with its 21st-century wireless access. With coverage of some 60 per cent of the island, Linehan predicts that 4G will change how children do research, teachers prepare for classes, and how people are entertained.
Lauding Jamaica for its strides in terms of information technonoly and access to the Internet, Linehan remarked that the only other Caribbean that came close was Cayman.
In fact, Jamaica is outpacing many North American cities in this area. In many locations in the United States, for example, there are persons who still have problems getting basic coverage.
"Jamaica is leading the way," said the Digicel CEO.
He disclosed that his company had provided pre-accessibility for its 4G network through the National Com-mercial Bank, credit unions islandwide, and Courts stores. They offer financing to consumers who can buy a laptop and pay for it over 12 months, depending on their circum-stances. "That allows people to get the actual machine and Digicel broadband," he stated.
Moving into schools
A number of the island's schools may also become recipients soon, as although he did not reveal much aboutthe plans for the educational institutions, Linehan said, in collaboration with the Digicel Foundation, they were prepared to help schools become 4G broadband-equipped.
In the meantime, Montegonians who want the service will be happy to know that the set-up is quick and easy. The company says there is no need for expensive cable or landline access. With Digicel 4G broadband, customers can unleash the power of superfast Internet simply by plugging in their Digicel 4G broadband wireless modem to their computer or laptop and registering their details online.