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Cuba is getting island-wide WiFi hotspots next month
Cuba's making it easier and cheaper for its citizens to get online by building out an island-wide network of WiFi hotspots. According to local paper Juventud Rebelde, the nation's state-run telecommunications company will open up internet access in 35 locations that should be available from the start of July. The move will also cut the price of getting online in half, with an hour of connection pegged to cost $2 per hour. According to Cuba's director of telecommunications, Luis Manuel Diaz, that's still too expensive for the bulk of the island's citizens. It's hardly a surprise, either, since the cost of a Netflix subscription in the country is around a third of the average monthly wage.
Boost Mobile goes after Cuban-Americans with new prepaid plan
Now that the political relations between the US and Cuba have taken a turn for the better, American companies are pushing out marketing schemes to fit the bill. Today, Boost Mobile, Sprint's prepaid branch, announced a monthly plan that's geared toward customers who have loved ones in Cuba. The caveat, unfortunately, is that it's only available in Miami right now -- but the strategy makes sense, since it's a city with a dense population of Cuban-Americans. If you're there, $50 a month gets you unlimited text and 15 talk minutes to Cuba at 33 cents per minute -- which the company claims to be the lowest rate among prepaid carriers. Boost's Cuba Monthly Connection deal also includes 5GB of data and all-you-can-have texting and calling within the US, while $10 more monthly doubles your data.
Cuba edges toward a more connected future as the world watches
It's been less than four months since President Barack Obama renewed diplomatic ties between the US and Cuba, and the slow invasion of American companies is already underway. Netflix swooped in and started offering its catalog of streaming content for $8 USD per month to the country's financially fortunate. Then there's Airbnb -- the home-sharing startup that's apparently valued at $20 billion -- which just opened up more than a thousand of Cuba's casas particulares (private homestays) to would-be American tourists. More US tech companies will start reaching for the country now that relations have defrosted, but let's not forget the seeds needed for a homegrown Cuban tech scene have started to take root too... albeit very slowly. The one big thing holding that fledgling economy down? Infrastructure.
Coding marathon will help Cubans skirt internet restrictions
Cuba's government might be loosening its grip on internet access in the country, but non-profit group Roots of Hope isn't waiting around for that trickle of information to turn into a flood. It's holding a Code for Cuba hackathon to develop tools that help residents get things done while dodging online restrictions. The event, which kicks off April 25th at Facebook's headquarters, will give prizes to those with solutions that are not only effective, but deal with a tough Cuban reality where connections are slow, scarce and heavily censored.
Airbnb arrives in Cuba with US-only listings
Airbnb has joined Netflix and other American companies doing business in Cuba. The move marks the most significant US business expansion to the Caribbean island since the Obama administration began normalizing relations with the nation, according to the Associated Press. The private rental outfit has high hopes for the region, saying "we believe that Cuba could become one of Airbnb's biggest markets in Latin America." Over 1,000 listings are now up on the site, with 40 percent of those in Havana and the rest in nearby tourist spots on the Southern coast.
Cuba approves its first free public WiFi
Public internet access in Cuba usually comes at a steep price -- a local may have to use a week's wages just to spend an hour emailing their family overseas. However, they now have a much, much more reasonable option. The country's state-run telecom, ETECSA, recently approved the country's first free public WiFi. Cubans who can reach a cultural center in Havana can now use the shared DSL line of a well-known artist (Kcho) as much as they want. The 2Mbps connection is pokey by most standards, but the no-cost approach means that locals don't have to give up what spending power they have just to get online.
Netflix in Cuba costs a third of the average monthly wage
Two months after the United States renewed diplomatic ties with Cuba, Netflix is planting a flag on the island. A subscription requires an internet connection and starts at $8, the same as in the US and even across Latin America, where Netflix counts 5 million members since 2011. However, these requirements may limit Netflix's reach in Cuba: About five percent of residents have internet access, and the average monthly wage was just $20 in 2013. Additionally, Cuba's internet infrastructure is growing, but it's still a luxury for many residents. In January, the country's state-owned telecom, ETECSA, launched the first public WiFi facility in Santiago de Cuba, charging $4.50 an hour -- and that's for those who already own WiFi-capable devices. Hopefully Netflix isn't banking on Cuba to boost its subscription numbers too much. [Image credit: Phil Guest, Flickr]
Cubans can finally buy American phones and PCs
The White House promised warmer relations with Cuba that would provide easier access to US technology (among many other things), and it's delivering in spades. As of January 16th, American companies can legally sell consumer tech to everyday Cubans. That includes cellphones, PCs, TVs and anything else that will "enable the flow of information" for the public. It's not that generous of a gesture however, when you consider that the island's population can't usually afford these gadgets. The average Cuban earned just $20 per month in 2013. It'll expand the selection of items they can afford, however, and it'll boost sales to visitors (who'll also see fewer restrictions on US credit and debit cards).
Cuba rolls out public WiFi internet access, at a steep cost
It's not too hard for Cubans to get WiFi connections if they swing by hotels and offices with less-than-secure hotspots, but they're technically breaking the law -- unless you're in a privileged job, you're supposed to plug in or use a terminal. However, the country is loosening its grip on the airwaves. The island's state-owned telecom, ETECSA, is launching its own public WiFi internet access in Santiago de Cuba (the nation's second-largest city) this month. People who visit the lone facility can browse the web from their own wireless devices rather than settling for the desktops at their usual internet center.
Cuba's renewed US relations will bring internet upgrades
It would be an understatement to call Cuba's existing telecoms modest -- roughly five percent of residents have internet access, and cellphone access is pricey at best. The US may just turn that situation around through its new deal with Cuba, though. As part of the warmer relations, American internet and phone carriers are allowed to set up shop in the Caribbean nation. Companies will also have permission to export devices and apps that help Cubans get in touch with the rest of the world.
Google Chrome now freely available in Cuba
If Chrome were human, he'd/she'd be puffing on authentic Cuban cigars right about now. The browser's finally made its way to the Caribbean country, where it was blocked, along with other Google services, for the longest time. While Mountain View didn't directly blame US trade sanctions for the delay, the company intimates in its announcement post that it's the reason why the country's residents couldn't officially install the browser. Of course, enterprising Cubanos have likely found a way to download Chrome long ago, but now people can easily install it across platforms (iOS, Android, Windows, Mac OS X, etc.) by accessing a special portal.
Cuba's first independent digital news will be sent via cellphones and flash drives
Cubans haven't had an above-ground, independent digital news outlet in their country so far -- not surprising when their government only allowed personal cellphone and computer sales six years ago. However, all that's set to change when blogger Yoani Sanchez launches her digital newspaper 14ymedio on May 21st. Rather than simply publish news on the web, the team will get the word out through whatever technology Cubans can use: cellphones, email, CDs and even USB flash drives are fair game.
US funds networks that help dissidents avoid internet spying
The US doesn't mind dealing in irony, it seems. While many criticize the country for its aggressive internet surveillance, it's also pledging millions of dollars towards mesh networks in Cuba and Tunisia that help dissidents avoid online snooping. As with earlier efforts, these automatic, ad hoc grids aren't connected to the internet; they exist to help locals communicate without fear that the government will watch or block what they're doing. They're not completely spy-proof, but they're designed from the start with secure services in mind.
US denies that 'Cuban Twitter' was developed to create political unrest
Last week, we brought you the story of ZunZuneo, an oddly-named startup that sought to launch a social network like Twitter in Cuba. The twist in the tale, is that it was built and funded by the United States Agency of International Development, allegedly as a way to slowly turn the island's youth away from rum and cigars and toward a local version of the Arab Spring. Naturally, the agency denies this, posting a rebuttal online that says the project was designed to circumvent the "information blockade" to connect people who have been cut off from the outside world. At a hearing on Capitol Hill, USAID head Rajiv Shah publicly denied the allegations, saying that "working to improve platforms of communication is a core part of what USAID works to do." We're sure that this story is going to run and run, at least until it forms the plot of the next Jason Bourne movie.
The US started a social network in Cuba to foster dissent
At first glance, ZunZuneo had all the markings of your average Silicon Valley startup: a silly name, a focus on messaging and plans to make a splash abroad. That wasn't exactly the case though, as the Associated Press reports. No, ZunZuneo was a social messaging service (think of it as Twitter over SMS) cooked up by the US Agency for International Development to help foment political unrest in Cuba. The plan? To hook users on a steady stream "non-controversial" updates on banal topics, before subtly injecting political messages into the mix in hopes of sparking a movement.
Over 100 internet centers open in Cuba, prove time really is money
When you're reading angry tweets about dropping to 3G in an LTE dead zone, it's easy to forget that for some people, getting online isn't even an option. In Cuba, internet access is extremely limited and out of financial reach for most, but news early this year of an undersea cable to Venezuela suggested the country might, with time, become better connected. As it turns out, that link has already made something of an impact, as the Associated Press is reporting that 118 government-run centers where one can swap cash for web time have just opened. That doesn't mean all Cubans will be able to while away hours on YouTube from now on, though, as the cost of full access at one of these centers is $4.50 per hour, or in other words, roughly a quarter of the average monthly wage (AP pegs a typical salary at around $20 per month). We guess really expensive internet is better than none, and if Cuba's vice minister of communications Wilfredo Gonzalez is to be believed, mobile internet is said to be arriving in "a relatively near future." [Image credit: Franklin Reyes, Associated Press]
Cuba confirms Alba-1 fiber hook-up to Venezuela, internet remains on lockdown
Cuba may only be positioned 100 or so miles from Key West, but the US embargo meant an undersea fiber link to North America hasn't been a possibility. Earlier this week, though, we began to see discussion regarding traffic passing through a connection to Venezuela, and ETECSA, a government-owned telecom provider, has now confirmed that a 994-mile cable has been operational since August, though in a limited capacity. On January 10th, ETECSA stepped up its utilization, testing the connection using "real traffic." The $70-million Alba-1 cable, which has a reported lifespan of 25 years, was completed in February 2011, though it's not clear when, or if, citizens will see any benefit -- a statement explained that it "will not automatically mean an increase in access." That's not great news for Cubans, but at least Hugo Chavez now has the possibility of a direct link to his home country -- with a Netflix subscription and a VPN tunnel to the good ole US of A, his recovery could be a little more speedy.
Cuba's undersea fiber cable potentially sees consumer internet use for first time
An underwater fiber cable linking Cuba and Venezuela has given the island a hard connection to the internet since 2011, but reports have said that only government bodies from both countries have used the line. According to internet and network analysis firm Renesys, the cable lit up with activity last week with data flowing through it between Telefonica and the nation's state telecom company, Empresa de Telecomunicaciones de Cuba S.A. (ETECSA). Presumably, this could signal use by the average joe. Traceroutes into Cuba through the new Telefonica path show markedly lower latencies than the Caribbean country's existing satellite-reliant connections, hinting that the cable has been flipped on -- at least in one direction. It appears that the ETECSA is using the line for inbound data while leaning on satellites for outbound traffic. Despite the clues, a GlobalPost correspondent in Cuba says there has been no perceptible improvement in internet speeds as of yet. Castro and Co. may not have said a peep about the development, but the new Telefonica path surfaced the very same day Cuba nixed the requirement of exit visas for citizens to travel outside its borders. Hit the source link for network stats and the nitty gritty details. [Image credit: Phil Guest, Flickr]
Cuban government site deems Call of Duty: Black Ops 'perverse'
Since Call of Duty: Black Ops is still fresh off the press, we're going to do our very best to avoid spoilers here, so bear with us. Okay, who's the most famous Cuban guy you know? No, not Andy Garcia. Not Daisy Fuentes either, she's a girl. The other one, with the beard. Rhymes with Lastro. ... Right! So in the first mission of the game you're tasked with finding him and ... hurting him. Maybe hurting him so badly that he will be, like, the opposite of alive. Hint, hint. That's predictably peeved some folks in Cuba. According to a Guardian translation, a recent story on government-run website cubadebate read, "What the United States government did not achieve in more than 50 years, it now tries to do virtually. This new video game is doubly perverse. On the one hand, it glorifies the illegal assassination attempts the United States government planned against the Cuban leader ... and on the other, it stimulates sociopathic attitudes in North American children and adolescents." We had reserved this space to make fun of whatever crazy thing the Cuban paper said, but they kinda nailed it, right?
Cuba launches its own Linux variant, Fidel reportedly cool with it
It hasn't been a year since Cuba lifted the ban on PCs for the majority of its citizens, and now it looks like ou neighbor to the south has been giving some serious thought to the implications of open source operating systems. To this end, the nation has recently announced Nova -- its own Linux variant -- at a conference on technological sovereignty in Havana. Not only does the nation see reliance on Microsoft Windows a security threat, but the U.S. trade embargo makes it virtually impossible for folks on the island to get the software legally. According to Hector Rodriguez of Cuba's University of Information Sciences, about twenty percent of machines in Cuba are using Linux -- a number he would like to see climb as high as fifty percent in five years. "The free software movement," he says, "is closer to the ideology of the Cuban people, above all for the independence and sovereignty." Be sure to check out the video of this latest weapon in the battle against U.S. software hegemony after the break (music by Jaco Pastorius and The Weather Report).
