Dell and Illuminat Jamaica have emerged as preferred bidders for the billing out of a broadband-wide area network (WAN) and the provision of information technology equipment to the much-touted e-learning project to bring universal access to Jamaican schools.

The contracts together totalled close to US$28.2 million ($1.86 billion).

Three-year phase

The service is to be rolled out in phases over three years, with 20 schools being targeted in the first year, 60 in year two, while another 70 schools are to come on stream in the third year.

Avril Crawford, chief executive officer and project manager of e-Learning Jamaica Company Limited, said, "The main goal is to improve the passes at the CXC level." She continued, "A more educated populace will stir up demand for Internet and data-related services."