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What I think about the TTWiFi project

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What is TTWiFi? This is a government project to provide free internet access in public places. This is linked to reducing the digital divide in Trinidad and Tobago. It is currently available at some transport hubs and some libraries. You can get more info from their website at http://www.ttwifi.gov.tt/. This website does not use https encryption which is not a good first impression to me. When I did a Twitter search I saw that TTWifi is also the name of a virus. Just something to keep in mind and makes me wonder if there was another name that could have been chosen.

One of the places I like to see free WiFi is on public transport since that is some free time available. There is a project between PTSC and bmobile to provide wifi on the buses and some maxi taxis have WiFi. The major issue I see with these is the reliability, reach and upkeep. Flow has their customer hotspots that I have used successfully in Chaguanas around Mid Center Mall on some occasions.

I remember feeling excited and hopeful when TTWiFi was first launched back in 2016. Nowadays I am not travelling much and I am content being without internet the few times I have to be out the house and mostly in Chaguanas running errands. That is my situation but there are many who would appreciate this facility. I think it is a good idea and project and deserves our encouragement.

One concern is what is the cost to the taxpayers and are we getting value for money. This is something that I asked on their facebook page and I am waiting on a response. Another concern is the level of security at these hotspots. I would advise caution in using any public hotspot. Under their FAQs they state that the tech is secure but public wifi is inherently risky and should not be used for sensitive transactions like banking and shopping. I must congratulate them on having an informative FAQ page.

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