Highlights
– Cuba announces fiber-optics connection with Venezuela to be completed by 2010
– Increased connectivity will not translate into increased citizen usage, without price reductions for hardware procurement
– Access will continue to be filtered and blocked by Cuban government
According to information released by the Cuban News Agency (ACN) on July 18, 2008, two pairs of fiber-optics cables will connect Cuba and Venezuela by 2010, providing Cuba with faster Internet capabilities. According to the press release, Venezuelan and Cuban telecommunications specialists have finished mapping a 1,550 kilometer cable highway, which will link the Venezuelan state of Vargas to the province of Santiago de Cuba. Additional reporting on Wikileaks—which also posted copies of documents allegedly signed in 2006 by officials from Cuba and Venezuela—indicates the proposed connection is a direct response to the ongoing United States (US) economic embargo. By partnering with Venezuela, Cuba will be able to acquire faster and increased Internet connections, instead of its current use of limited satellite links for most Internet connections.
Despite this news of connectivity enhancements and increased Internet capacity, most Cuban citizens will likely remain unable to afford equipment and access to utilize the new technology, and those that can will continue to have content filtered and monitored by Cuban government assets.
Scarce Hardware
The Cuban government recently released a report through the Cuba National Statistics Office providing 2007 telecommunications statistics, which show the number of telephone lines and computers has doubled within Cuba since 2002. Just a few months after Raul Castro legalized Cuban citizens to purchase and use cellular phones and computers.
• The total number of mobile phones is currently at roughly 330,000.
• Reportedly the number of computers averages 4.5 personal computers per 100 residents, however the majority of this number reflect those computers that are in use in government offices, health facilities and schools.
• For basic phone service, the Cuban government statistical data indicates that there are approximately 1.231 million telephone lines, of which 910,000 are residential lines for the approximate 11.2 million inhabitants. The remaining lines are believed to be in state government use.
Prior to lifting the selling and use ban, Cuban citizens primarily acquired computers and cell phones via black market trade or through foreign visitors. (Previous Report) Although legitimate sources are now available for consumption, the rate of acquisition still remains behind those of other Latin American countries. For instance according to World Bank 2006 statistics, neighboring Mexico had approximately 13.6 computers and 17.5 Internet users for every 100 people.
Bans and Filters Likely to Continue
Despite the outward appearance of increased availability and usage of all telecommunications devices within Cuba, the reality remains that most services will continue to be monitored and filtered for the average citizen.
• For instance in March 2008, Cuba’s most-read blogger, Yoani Sanchez, was censored; assumedly by government officials, who blocked internal access to the blog.
Since no independent media exists in Cuba, and the press remains controlled by the government, the Internet has provided a means for a small contingent of residents to describe daily living conditions without much government oversight. However, such messages have been increasingly harder to deliver, especially within Cuba, as the government has increased its Internet monitoring activities, in coordination with increased usage and availability of hardware. Such efforts are likely to continue to grow as more ordinary citizens obtain access to the outside world.
As projected, technological developments within Cuba will result in increased capacity to both the Internet and telecommunications industry. However, Cuban citizens will likely be slow to take advantage of these improvements, as most high-tech goods will remain economically out of reach. For those that can afford to purchase necessary hardware and connections, Cuba’s government will likely continue efforts to control access and content in the mid to long-term.
