Internet in Cuba - Status

Status

Cuba’s domestic telecommunications infrastructure is limited in scope and is only appropriate for the early days of the Internet. There is virtually no broadband Internet access in Cuba. Cuba’s mobile network is limited in coverage and uses “second generation” technology, suited to voice conversations and text messaging, but not Internet applications. Telecommunications between Cuba and the rest of the world is limited to the Intersputnik system and aging telephone lines connecting with the United States. Total bandwidth between Cuba and the global Internet is just 209 Mbit/s upstream and 379 downstream.

Roughly 12% percent of the population (1.6 million users, 79th in the world) have access to the Internet. Internet connections are through satellite leading the cost of accessing the Internet to be high. The average cost of a one-hour cybercafé connection is about $1.50 U.S. dollars for the national network and $5 to $7 U.S. dollars for the international network, while the average monthly salary is just $20 U.S. dollars. Private ownership of a computer or cell phone required a difficult to obtain government permit until 2007 and creating a Wi-Fi network still does. Because of limited bandwidth, authorities give preference to use from locations where Internet access is used on a collective basis, such as in work places, schools, and research centers, where many people have access to the same computers or network.

A new undersea fiber-optic link to Venezuela (ALBA-1) was scheduled for 2011. In February 2011 the fiber optic cable linking Cuba to Jamaica and Venezuela arrived and was expected to provide download speeds up to 3,000 times faster than previously available. The fiber optic cable was expected to be in operation by the summer of 2011, but reports in October 2011 stated that the fiber optic cable was not yet in place. The government has not commented on the issue, which has led citizens to believe that the project was never completed due to corruption in the Cuban government. In May 2012 there were reports that the cable was operational, but with use restricted to Cuban and Venezuelan government entities. Internet access by the general public still uses the slower and more expensive satellite links, until January 2013 when internet speeds increased.

Most access is to a national intranet which consists of an in-country e-mail system, a Cuban encyclopedia, and websites that are supportive of the government. Such a network, similar to the Kwangmyong used by North Korea, prevents unwanted information from outside of the country getting into the closed system. One network link connects to the global internet and is used by government officials and tourists, while another connection for use by the general public has restricted content. Myanmar uses and Iran has plans to implement a similar system.