ETECSA, Internet and Cuban Society

ETECSA, Internet and Cuban Society / Anddy Sierra Alvarez
Posted on June 3, 2013

Some 0.004% of the Cuban population will connect to the Web.

Starting on June 4, 2013, 472 people (maximum) will be the daily human
traffic going to a NAUTA Internet cafe, approximately 0.004% of the
Cuban population.

The state-owned telephone company, ETECSA, is expanding its Internet
services to the "population" — 472 is the maximum that can be served
daily. The navigation speed will be 2 Mbps (megabytes per second) which
is equivalent to 2 mil, 48 Kbps (Kilobytes per second), a speed faster
than the 50 Kb on telephone connections and better than the satellite
connections can reach speeds on the Island of up to 300 Kbps.

According to the article published in the newspaper Granma, 118 rooms
will be opened, more than the 99 previously. The internet rooms will be
identified with the NAUTA stamp with which ETECSA is commercializing its
navigation services in the country.

All this has arisen with of the activation of the fiber optic cable
obtained from the Cuba-Venezuela economic agreements. Which brings a
space of freedom to the "supervised" world wide web. Where the majority
of users will be human rights defenders on the Island. Thus the
government is certain to control the population's use of this technology.

One measure that has come to light is the prohibition on voice traffic.
But it reflects the free navigation as well as the ups and downloads
with equal status. The cost will drop to 3 CUC (over $3 U.S.) equivalent
to 75 Cuban pesos.

The Cuban population has unreasonably delayed access to technology,
where all these technological changes itself bring social blockade. The
aging of the population will be a critical factor, as older people will
show little interest to the coming changes as reflected the inability of
people to navigate cyberspace.

3 June 2013

http://translatingcuba.com/etecsa-internet-and-cuban-society-anddy-sierra-alvarez/