Shortage of contractors delays full restoration of USF public Wi-Fi network

FALMOUTH, Trelawny — The Universal Service Fund (USF) has fallen short of its target to restore all of its free public Wi-Fi sites destroyed by Hurricane Melissa within a year, with Chief Executive Officer Charlton McFarlane blaming a limited network of specialised suppliers for slowing the recovery. Hurricane Melissa affected 90 per cent of the 415 public Wi-Fi sites operated or managed by the USF across Jamaica. On Wednesday McFarlane told reporters that the USF has so far restored more than 80 per cent of these at a cost of $801 million as at the end of September, from the $863 million allocated to restore the network. He said the agency had hoped to achieve full restoration by the first anniversary of the Category 5 storm — which made landfall in Jamaica on October 28 last year — but was unable to meet that deadline because of the limited number of contractors capable of undertaking the specialised work. “One of the reasons why we have not been able to move faster is because the truth is to construct and to put in place this type of infrastructure…is a very specialised activity, not done by any type of supplier. So our network of supplier is limited… and they have their own capacity issues,” McFarlane explained.

Mayor of Falmouth Councillor C Junior Gager (right) greets CEO of the Universal Service Fund (USF) Charlton McFarlane, during the relaunch of free Wi-Fi by the USF in Water Square, Falmouth, on Wednesday. (Photo: Horace Hines)

He added that the USF often has to wait for contractors to complete work in one parish before moving on to another, contributing significantly to the delay. McFarlane was speaking to reporters in Water Square in Falmouth, Trelawny, on Wednesday following the relaunch of 14 free Wi-Fi sites across the parish, marking a major step in the agency’s recovery efforts one year after the hurricane. The 14 sites, spread across northern and southern Trelawny, represent an investment of approximately $28 million. McFarlane said the USF has contracts in place to restore the remaining portion of its network, with work now concentrated in the eastern end of the island. “Most of the work that was being done is in western Jamaica. What I will tell you is that we are now working on the eastern end of the island,” he said. The USF head pointed out that the restoration programme has already been completed in Manchester and St Elizabeth, while parish launches have also been held in Westmoreland, Hanover and St James. Following Trelawny, the agency is scheduled to complete the restoration of its network in St Ann and St Mary over the coming days. McFarlane pointed out that the USF had also incorporated measures to make its infrastructure more resilient to future disasters, reducing its dependence on traditional connectivity and electricity supplies. He said the agency has moved beyond relying solely on fibre-optic technology by incorporating satellite connectivity into its Wi-Fi network. Solar power has also been introduced at many sites. “So, in a real way, if by chance that the grid fails or the terrestrial fibre gets damaged, many of our sites will remain up because they are no longer relying on those type of technology,” he said. The restoration of the Trelawny sites was welcomed by political representatives, including Mayor of Falmouth Councillor C Junior Gager, Trelawny Northern Member of Parliament Tova Hamilton and Trelawny Southern Member of Parliament Marisa Dalrymple Philibert.