By Ashford W. Meikle, Staff Reporter 
"OVER THE years, Cable and Wireless has worked tirelessly to ensure that the people of the Caribbean can connect to each other and the rest of the world whenever and wherever they want," says the chief operating officer of Cable and Wireless, Len de Barros.
He was speaking at the launch of 'Max,' the telecommunications giant's new Internet solution. Cable and Wireless rolled out the product on Wednesday at the Bitter End Yacht Club in the British Virgin Islands.
Access to the Internet in the Caribbean is low with about three per cent of the population able to go online. Reflecting on this phenomenon, Mr. de Barros noted, "One of the big obstacles standing in the way of people getting online and connected is the high cost of a computer [and] the difficulty in setting up and using the computer."
IMPORT DUTIES
In addition, the import duties on computers put the product out of the reach of the average person. According to the Cable and Wireless chairman, "Max is the solution specifically designed to address these challenges."
According to Cable and Wireless, Max combines broadband Internet service with service with a personal Internet communicator (PIC) device. It comes complete with a monitor, keyboard, mouse and ADSL modem. Importantly, Max does not need a CPU.
However, it includes pre-installed software from Microsoft and has Internet browser, email, instant messaging, media player, spreadsheet as well as Microsoft Word.
EASY-TO-USE
Elaborating, Mr. de Barros said that Cable and Wireles has provided "an affordable, simple and easy-to-use solution for accessing the Internet [creating] the opportunity for more people in the Caribbean to enjoy the benefits of Internet access than ever before."
It was developed in collaboration with Advanced Micro Devices (AMD).
Available at Cable and Wireless stores, the solution uses Cable and Wireless' broadband technology, negating the need for a telephone. But the device can be used with dial-up Internet service. The telecommunications giant says the price of Max is "similar to that of a high-end mobile phone."
In his remarks, senior vice-president at AMD, Iain Morris, told the audience that Max represents "the launch of a new beginning... for scores of people who up until now have resided on the fringe of the technology revolution due
to affordability and accessibility constraints."
