Minister of Energy, Transport and Telecommunications, Hon. Daryl Vaz, has welcomed the launch of the island’s first 5G network by FLOW Jamaica as a national development moment.
“It is a significant moment. This is more than a faster network. It is the foundation for a smarter economy and a more connected society,” he said.
Addressing the launch event on Thursday (June 11) at FLOW’s head office on Half Way Tree Road, St. Andrew, Minister Vaz stated that the Government was pleased to have facilitated the rollout by providing critical spectrum support.
“The launch of FLOW’s 5G network today reflects a shared commitment to Jamaica’s future. We applaud FLOW for its substantial investment in our telecoms infrastructure, rebuilding after hurricanes and now introducing cutting-edge technology,” he said.
“Such investments are in line with Jamaica’s goal to be the place of choice to live, work, raise families and do business. This Government will continue to work closely with FLOW, our regulators, and other stakeholders to create an environment that fosters competition, innovation and resilience,” he added.
Vice President and General Manager of FLOW, Stephen Price, said that 70 per cent of the population within the FLOW network have access to 5G service, with the network now live across Kingston, Portmore, Spanish Town, May Pen and the North Coast.
Deployment is taking place in additional areas with Mandeville, Santa Cruz, Black River, Savanna-La-Mar, Bull Bay and Morant Bay scheduled for roll out by the end of the month.
“When we said after the hurricane that we were investing for the future, this is it. This is the materialisation of that dream and that vision. What does this now mean for Jamaica? It means that already, 70 per cent of the population are now being served by mobile sites enabled with 5G. We now have the most advanced network we have ever built,” Mr. Price said.
He noted that it is also a stronger network with Voice Over Wi-Fi for improved indoor and roaming connectivity, and Voice Over LTE (VoLTE) for clearer calls.
There is also increased resilience with satellite and standby power at over 60 per cent of mobile sites and those without generators have battery backup.
