Over 170 Free WIFI Zones will be launched across the country in the days to come, representing a defining step in the ICT landscape in Mauritius. The first launch is scheduled for 19 August 2014 on the site of the Victoria Bus Terminal in Port Louis.
This was announced by the Minister of Information and Communication Technology, Mr Tassarajen Pillay Chedumbrum, yesterday at Ebène Cyber-city. The Minister was speaking at the unveiling ceremony of the logo of the Intelligent Mauritius Partnership Programme (IMPP), a programme aiming at converging efforts in collaboration with private sector operators to facilitate the uptake of ICT adoption by a larger number of citizens.
A logo competition was organised for the programme under the theme Wireless Internet Fidelity (WIFI). The logo, representative of innovation, will be used to showcase and brand the IMPP and bring awareness of free WIFI zones to the citizens.
In his address, Minister Pillay Chedumbrum said that Government is aware that knowledge provides powerful means to create wealth and improve the quality of life of people. Future economic progress will be driven by innovation, invention and application to new technologies and this can only be possible if we have accessibility and connectivity, he stressed.
According to the Minister in line with its vision to make of ICT an important engine of economic growth, Government has set the necessary and required infrastructure in terms of policies and strategies as well as legal frameworks, to move towards I-Mauritius (Intelligent Mauritius concept).
Over the recent years, said the Minister, the ICT sector has experienced a rapid and sustained growth and is gradually emerging. An increasing number of foreign companies from some 300 in 2008 to more than 600 today are also setting up their bases in Mauritius which generate some 19,000 jobs to which our highly educated youth aspire to, he pointed out.
The IMPP initiative
The IMPP, while helping to bridge the digital divide through an integrated approach, will also assist towards shaping the I-Mauritius concept. As such, ICT technology through a wider adoption in daily life will become a fundamental driver for spurring innovation and creating economic opportunities for Mauritian citizens.
In this context several Free WIFI Zones have been carpeted around the island. The University of Mauritius and the University of Technology, Mauritius have also been provided with free WIFI access. More than 250 Computer clubs are already operational and the Mauritius Post Ltd is also providing free Internet facilities to the public.
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