As of Friday, Barbados will become the only nation with free Wi-Fi access, from bus stop to rum shop, as part of an agenda to expand technology to the locals, boost entrepreneurship and create a better tourism product.
The project, called 11.11.11 ON, was initiated by the Barbados Entrepreneurship Foundation (BEF) in its quest to make Barbados the number one entrepreneurial hub in the world by 2020.
To set the project in motion, BEF is relying on the local business community to open up their network to guests. The Wi-Fi hot spots are not required to provide large bandwidths to its users, but instead open essential communication paths between customers, businesses and tourists so that Barbados can grow as a productive 21st century community.
According to the Barbados Tourism Authority, some positive outcomes that could arise from the project include demonstrating to the world that Barbados prioritizes technology and global business; the ability for Bajan entrepreneurs to better manage their business by enhanced customer communication, team communications and digital communication with suppliers; opening up the island to a global market place; an improved tourism product and more.
Visit www.barbadosentrepreneurshipfoundation.org and www.visitbarbados.org