MEDIA RELEASE: Emergency Phone booth and Payphone Project

The National Telecommunication Regulatory Commission, the (NTRC) has issued a request for tender proposals to be submitted by qualified telecommunications providers for the Supply and Implementation of an Emergency phone booth and Payphone network in St Vincent and the Grenadines.

A nation wide survey was conducted to ascertain the telecommunication status of the country in March of this year. Following this survey, several areas for development in the sector were identified.

This project is the first of a list of projects to be financed by The Universal Service Fund (USF), which was established to encourage efficient access to, and use of telecommunication networks and services throughout St Vincent and the Grenadines.

Within this project, new payphones and Emergency phone booths will be placed along the windward highway beginning at Stubbs and on the leeward highway beginning at Rillan Hill. These phones will be spaced approximately one (1) mile apart.

Payphones will also be placed at the fourteen (14) Tourism sites established by the Ministry of Tourism and the National Parks Authority and at eight (8) beaches, four on main land St Vincent and four in the Grenadines. At some of these beaches and tourism sites there will also be wireless broadband internet access.

This payphone and emergency phone booth project was designed with special focus on rural and under- served areas through out the country.

In the immediate future, the USF will be undertaking an internet project which will bring high speed internet access both wired and wireless to all of the learning Resource Centers throughout the country. Additionally, a project aimed at improving the Maritime coverage within St.Vincent and the Grenadines will be undertaken.

Other projects will be developed over the upcoming months and the public is invited to provide project ideas for projects to be implemented in the various villages and communities through out the country.