With a new promise - to start 2010 the assembly of computers in Panama and to provide a laptop computer to all Panamanians,
Panama's president Ricardo Martinelli yesterday inaugurated the new National Wireless Internet Network system. The official inauguration ceremony was held at the Orlando Winter gymnasium in San Miguelito, which was packed with students from the Instituto Dr. Alfredo Cantón, Martinelli activated the system that puts Panama as a world leaders when it comes to Internet access. Accompanied by the Secretary of the Presidency for Government Innovation, Eduardo Jaén; the National Secretary of Science, Technology and Innovation, Rubén Berrocal; and Panama's Minister of Education Lucy Molinar, president Martinelli asked students to use this new important tool to get the best use of it. "The Internet has everything - it's a mobile library," he said. On the national network program, Jaén explained that this started program started officially yesterday and that the first phase of implementation should be completed during the month of November which will cover eleven cities at a cost of $6.9 million dollars in equipment and $340,000 dollars per month in maintenance and operation. In this first phase a total of 572 connection points will be established in the cities of Penonomé, Colón, David, Chitré, Pesé, Las Tablas, Panamá, Arraiján, Santiago, La Chorerra and Soná. The second phase will be ready in 2010 and will cover another eleven cities in the country. It is expected that in the next five years the government will have invested $40 million dollars in this project. The places where you can connect will be marked with the logo of the National Internet Network.  
By Enrique L. Brathwaite for Mi Diario

SOURCE: www.panama-guide.com