Lions Club finalists get FLIPtops and free Internet from LIME

Recent survey findings from the UWI’s Mona School of Business indicate that more people would be online if they had access devices and access to the Internet.{{more}}

LIME, the region’s leading broadband service provider, is seeking to address this problem and is offering all six finalists in the Lions Club South/LIME Schools’ Public Speaking competition a FLIPtop laptop and FREE Internet access.

The FLIPtop PC comes with 1GB RAM, 160GBHard drive, Intel Atom 1.6GB CPU, 1.3 Meg pixel camera, Wi-Fi and Windows 7 operating system.

Over the last 28 years, the telecommunication provider has been partnering with the Lions Club South and the Ministry of Education to encourage and enhance the public speaking and debating skills of students here. Several notable public officials have come out of this competition, including Director of Public Prosecutions Colin Williams, LIME senior executive Cicyln Joseph, and Senator Vynnette Frederick.

“Internet access has become a normal part of everyday life ,and every home in St Vincent and the Grenadines should have access to Internet service. Affordability of the access device is part of the challenge that Vincentians face. Even though the government has embarked on its one laptop per child initiative, we still have a role to play in making sure these devices get into the hands of our young ones. We are breaking down these barriers, bit by bit, and our effort in making broadband more affordable is evident in our Student Megalite packages,” explained General Manager Leslie Jack.

Jack also pointed out that his company is especially pleased to introduce the FLIPtop laptop at this time as it will create enough excitement in the public as we get closer to Christmas where there will be a demand for them.

“Students have their taste buds whetted since the government initiative was implemented, and going forward they will not look back. They have tasted the sweetness of research and the World Wide Web experience. Every child in school, irrespective of background, should have Internet access – especially if we want to help them reach their full potential. So offering these FLIPtop PCs as prizes is timely and something that we have done over the last three years. Getting Internet service and this FLIPtop offer gives students access to unlimited educational resources to help with their overall academic performance, and parents will see the benefit,” he said.

This point is underscored by online reports from Gatlin International – an e-learning institute which serves 50 countries – which cited studies showing a connection between improved academic performance and Internet access. The studies, which were conducted in the US and the UK, revealed that students with access to the Internet performed better than those without. Jack also pointed to reports that show a direct correlation between high Internet penetration and GDP growth. “Noted economists have reported positive correlation between Internet penetration and GDP growth and that is the bigger picture we have in mind. Providing access to the Internet, in the way that we are proposing, is also about creating a knowledge-based, information and technology-oriented workforce that will in turn lead to increased economic growth for St Vincent and the Grenadines. For LIME, Internet access means using technology to enable a better way of life for people.”

All six finalists will each receive a FLIPtop laptop. The first prize winner will also receive one year free Internet access; the second prize winner will receive nine months free Internet access, and third prize winner will get six months free Internet from LIME.