– President Ramotar
PRESIDENT Donald Ramotar yesterday said a lot of work has been done with regard to the laying of the fibre optic cables, which will come on stream shortly. He was at the time responding to a question at a news conference he hosted yesterday,  as to why the laptops were being distributed when the fibre optic cables have not yet come into operation.
The President explained that since the laptops are already in the country, it is not practical to keep them locked away until the cables are ready, as this would lead to a lot of unnecessary logistical problems such as storage.
He added too, that by receiving the laptops now, people can start making use of them; while those that are not versed in its usage, have the opportunity to take full advantage of the various training hubs.
“The cable is on its way and it will be here soon, in fact a lot of work has been done already and it has gone a far way and we would not have to wait much longer,” the Head of State reassured.
Meanwhile, the One  Laptop Per Family (OLPF) secretariat is pushing ahead full steam with the distribution of the Haier laptops with the latest beneficiaries being drawn from Cane Grove in Mahaica, Vergenoegen, East Bank Essequibo and several villages in Berbice.
The OPLF programme, together with the fibre optic cables, is also aimed at modernising Government services,including  a number of public facilities such as hospitals, schools, and police stations among others.
A WIMAX system will be developed in the city and other populated areas, while another type of technology called EVDO,  will enable over 80,000 people to have access to internet connectivity.
Further, health, education, e-government, and security applications will be installed on the fibre optic backbone.