Although some people are unable to take advantage of Cable & Wireless' (C&W) broadband service, Barbados still ranks among the world's top four countries when it comes to Internet services.

Donald Austin, president of C&W (Barbados) told of this yesterday at the launch of Connect Barbados, a project to provide free Internet access to community centres, libraries and children's homes.

"If you look at the growth of the Internet over the last three years in Barbados, we should all be proud because as a nation we have over 55 per cent penetration by households of Internet services, of which broadband is 35 to 37 per cent.

"We therefore lead many countries that are considered developed in terms of the level of our broadband penetration," Austin said.

The launch was held at Drax Hall Community Centre, St George, and Austin said C&W had spent more than $200 000 on the project.

Austin said the company had started talking with organisations that work with the disabled to offer them broadband as well.

The company would also work with the public library in Independence Square when the service became available.

Manager of regulatory affairs, Claire Downes-Haynes, said C&W was a little behind schedule with the programme as it had to do site visits and retrofit some of the centres but had installed broadband at Gall Hill library in St John, St Elizabeth Village Community Centre in St Joseph and Northstars Centre in St Lucy, among others.

Minister of Community Development and Culture Steve Blackett said: "The Community Development Department has been mandated to ensure that every Barbadian community has access to computer training and the Internet.

"To achieve this, the Government of Barbados has facilitated the building and retrofitting of community resource centres across the island."

Blackett said 14 centres had already been opened with a 15th to come this year at Rices, St Philip.

He said they would also be speaking with the National Disabilities Unit to accommodate the disabled.

Minister of Family, Youth Affairs, Sports and the Environment Dr Esther Byer-Suckoo said there were not enough resource centres in St George South, her constituency, and outlined plans for a homework club. (CA)