Telecommunications (Universal Service Fund) Guidelines 2009 provides for its management and usage. The USF was expected to accumulate EC$ 2.7 million by end 2009, of which EC$ 2.593 million will fund USF projects directly. Considerable work is in progress, including a country-wide survey, to determine priority projects for implementation from 2009 onwards. In order to promote the use of ICT for education, health and economic development, the Government has set goals of 70% for Households access to broadband, 80% access for Businesses and 100% access for Public Facilities - by 2015. However, the current goals of the USF have been identified as shown in the Table 1 below. 2010 USF GOALS # Goal 1 Introduce Internet Broadband services at the community level in each of the major communities north of the Dry River and north of Coull’s Hill (to achieve a 70% household penetration) 2 Outfit public institutions (health facilities and police stations) throughout SVG with computers and Internet access 3 Outfit public institutions with an emphasis on police stations with extra phone lines 4 Increase the cellular coverage in the Fancy, Sandy Bay, Overland and Owia villages 5 Place payphones along the main roads of all major communities throughout the island 6 Improve the maritime coverage of VHF and cellular phones around SVG 7 Increase Broadband penetration to households. 8 Improve access to computer devices for students and individuals. Table 1: USF Goals for 2010 Notwithstanding the good progress made under the Telecommunications Act of 2001, Government has recognised the urgent need to manage the converged communications environment, in particular to encompass electronic communications. A new Bill is under development in coordination with ECTEL Member States, and is titled, ‘Electronic Communications Bill’. It will replace the Telecommunications Act. The new bill is aimed at bringing ICT under the existing regulatory process, allowing a liberalised and non-discriminatory entry into the electronic communications sector and enabling a robust competitive environment in which there is fairness, transparency and accountability on the part of the regulators of the sector. Government has recognised the need to strengthen the internal capacity of the NTRC and St. Vincent & the Grenadines National ICT Strategy and Action Plan P a g e | 26 the Ministry for Telecommunications, Science, Technology and Innovation, and has therefore embarked on a telecommunications skills enhancement project at a cost of EC$ 512,068.