Unions pledge support for Wi-Fi initiative
Thursday August 04 2011 | 04:06 AM

IT IS imperative that the importance of having free Wi-Fi connectivity right across is fully promoted.

That is the view of the General Secretary of the Congress of Trade Unions and Staff Associations (CTUSAB), Denis Depeiza. His comments came at a press conference earlier this week as he pledged the Union’s support for the Barbados Entrepreneurship Foundation’s free Wi-Fi project, through which it intends to have free Wi-Fi available throughout Barbados by November 11, 2011.

“As a service-driven economy and we are talking about making Barbados the best place to live, work and play, how else can we sell ourselves as a premiere and provide the world with the services that they can explore as they come to our shore?” he said.

He continued, “We need to look at the capacity building of our country and that is why it is important for the providers to assist this cause. Although we know that we will be unlocking the gates at the end of the day, those who have the mantle in their hands can also assist the process because we are talking about educational development. There is no way in this country, at this time as we progress, that we should not have Wi-Fi open to every educational institution because that is the resource base – our people.”

Access to free Wi-Fi he contended would ensure that persons have access to information to be able to ensure that they can come up with new initiatives as well as consolidate what they have to make this country the type of place that business can always be on the cutting edge.

“So we are speaking to making a new [and]...progressive Barbados,” he added.
With that in mind, Depeiza is urging all Barbadians, organisations and businesses alike to support the project and to see it as a national initiative.

“We have already spoken clearly to making Barbados the entrepreneurship hub of the world by 2020, it is a vision. But, our vision has to be broadened by looking at things that we need to drive that vision. It cannot stand on its own and we cannot believe that we will reach there if we do not put the other components together that would lend and make sure that Barbados is positioned to make the strides we are expecting to make,” he maintained.