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Charlotte Amalie
Thursday, March 28, 2024
HomeNewsArchivesviNGN Broadband Project Picking Up Speed, Officials Say

viNGN Broadband Project Picking Up Speed, Officials Say

In a brief meeting Tuesday, Virgin Islands Next Generation Network board members were told the government’s territorywide broadband project is continuing to move forward quickly.

According to viNGN officials, public computer centers on St. Thomas-St. John are up and running, including sites at the the Boys and Girls Club of the Virgin Islands, the Michael J. Kirwan Terrace Community Center, the Charles Wesley Turnbull Regional Library, the Seventh-day Adventist Church, the Police Athletic League facility in Anna’s Retreat, St. Andrew’s Church in Contant Knolls, the Department of Labor, the V.I. Resource Center for the Disabled, the Long Path community center and Winston Raymo recreation center, the Lovenland community center and the Wesley Methodist Church.

Centers still in the works will be at the Philadelphia Seventh-day Adventist Church, the Lucinda Millin Home, the Strive Center and a final location in Estate Bovoni.

On St. John, public computer centers can be found at the Enid Sprauve Public Library and the Adrian Center.

On St. Croix, public computer centers are now open at the Athalie M. Petersen Public Library, Luis E. Brown Villas, the Aureo Diaz Housing Community Center, the Boys and Girls Club, St. Patrick’s Alumni Association, David C. Canegata Multi-Purpose Center, the Virgin Islands Regional Library for the Blind, the Florence Williams Public Library, and the Department of Labor.

Still to be opened are sites in Mon Bijou and the Central Seventh-day Adventist Church.

Officials also said they will continue to partner with the V.I. Small Business Development Center on a viNGN-BetterWorld/Connectspace.vi workshop for community members interested in starting their own online businesses. The partnership was first announced in August, with workshops taking place on both St. Thomas and St. Croix – the latest workshop will be held Friday at the SBDC office on St. Croix.

Meanwhile, BetterWorld/Connectspace.vi is rolling out a test group of approximately 20 residents to work on a Pizza Hut account with client ContractWorld.jobs. Once complete, the testing could lead to the availability of about 500 contract positions, according to viNGN officials.

The viNGN announced its partnership with BetterWorld/Connectspace.vi earlier this year, and advertised 80 new work at home jobs available for local residents. The jobs were with the firm Support.com, and viNGN members said they were looking to meet with other companies that could offer similar tele-network jobs.

At Tuesday’s meeting, officials also said that BetterWorld/Connectspace.vi has been working with Support.com to modify the on-line exam for the tele-network jobs. The test has been simplified and made less challenging, they said.

Officials also said that viNGN is working with the University of the Virgin Islands to offer a digital literacy training test or course as part of the university’s curriculum.

Residents have been able to take an eight-week “Digital Literacy Training” course offered at the public computers centers, which introduces general computer and Internet skills. The course is made available through a partnership with viNGN, CyberLearning Inc. and the National Education Foundation. At the end of the training, participants receive a certificate issued by the State University of New York.

After completing the Digital Literacy class, users will be able to access other training courses. To boost the numbers of residents taking and completing the course, viNGN will advertise over the radio beginning in the next week and has approached large government agencies, such as the Department of Education, and asked them to participate.

Meanwhile, viNGN has continued meeting with potential service providers and government agencies to look at connectivity issues. Meetings with the V.I. Water and Power Authority and the Lieutenant Governor’s Office – which are both looking at Smart Grid and street mapping projects that could connect to the network – are also ongoing, officials said.

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