Broadband? Forget it, mon!
My recent business trip to Jamaica was the usual combination of fun-exciting-new-experience and tiring-difficult-constrained.
First, the airline connections are a huge challenge. I had to take a red-eye flight to the East Coast two days before I was scheduled to work, because most connecting flights to Jamaica leave the East Coast in the morning. Sleeping on an airplane is a real trick that I only master on occasion. This wasn't one.
Second, logistics in a foreign country are usually a challenge. If you're on vacation, these can turn into an adventure, but if you're working, they can be a real pain. The bus ride to the hotel from the airport took nearly three hours. Sheesh !!
Finally, the icing on the cake was the lack of access to reliable and affordable broadband. Sure the resort hotel had a business center with rent-a-computer stations. But working all day restricted how often I could access the service within their limited hours of operation. Ten there was the price ... $6 (US) for 30 minutes. Yikes !!
Sure I could chalk this up to a necessary business expense, but working on borrowed computers also restricts your ability to access needed files, write, prepare spreadsheets, create PDFs, and the whole array of computing chores that accompany my normal Internet-access routine.
What was the alternative? Use your laptop in the hotel lobby to access a wireless network that was not available in your room. Sound reasonable? Sure, for a mere $24 a crack for 24 hours access. And did I mention that the lobby also housed the open air lobby bar and rotating musical entertainment? Double yikes !!
As a consequence, I had a few windows of opportunity to check and respond to email during a six-day trip, and most of this consisted of copying and pasting an apology response and asking to postpone action until I returned. I had hoped to do some catch-up at the airport before my flight but there were no electric outlets to charge my laptop and even though there was wireless access they charged $16 an hour despite a sign that announced free wireless service. Since my laptop battery was low, I didn't take the chance.
To compound these inconveniences, I now return to an email-box full of dozens of urgent replies. Grrrrr.
On the plus side, the project was successful, the weather was wonderful and I got to enjoy the resort amenities between chores. The Jamaican people are lovely and accommodating, but I didn't get a chance to explore or even leave the resort compound to reconnoiter.
There is a lot to be said about the benefits of a good telecommunications infrastructure, but even physical access to broadband should include some attention to affordability. I can afford it, even if I don't like the price, and I was grateful when I was able to connect. But what about average Jamaicans and kids? I doubt that they are able to harness the Internet to improve their future.
Chris Crawford
www.justiceserved.com