How Cubans Use WiFi Hotspots (Infographic)
HAVANA TIMES – Most Cubans using Internet outside their limited workplace connections take advantage of the new WiFi hotspots located in some public areas of Havana and the provincial capitals.
While uncomfortable, without proper facilities or places to plug in, and expensive, a survey carried out by the Irish mobile phone network Ding showed 70% of the WiFi users go at least once a week to use the service and 39% on a daily basis.
“WIFI hotspots provided through the government service, Nauta, allow Cuban residents internet access through permanent access accounts. According to the research, 51% of respondents to the survey did not have access to the internet prior to the introduction of Nauta,” notes Ding.
The survey of around 100 persons taken mostly in Havana, showed that 62% of Cuban public Internet users receive mobile recharges from abroad, understandable since the price of $2-3 USD for an hour is prohibitive for the low salaries averaging around 20 USD a month.
I am also confused about the financial and decision-making relationship between ETECSA and the Communication Ministry. I raised those questions in a blog post a while ago:
http://laredcubana.blogspot.com/2014/12/who-owns-etecsa-and-who-runs-show.html
but have never gotten answers.
List of the hotspots here: https://www.ding.com/countries/caribbean/cuba/nauta/nauta/nauta-wifi-hotspots-in-cuba
In 2011, Telecom Italia sold its 27% share of ETECSA to a company called Rafin, SA for $704 million. The widespread rumor is that Rafin, SA is owned by RA-ul and FI-del Castro. The Central Bank of Cuba describes Rafin SA as a non-banking financial institution. If Rafin SA owns 27% of ETECSA, what about the other 73%. Wikipedia reports that it belongs to the the Cuban government, but the Official Gazette of the Justice Minister cites the following equity shares: Telefónica Antillana SA, 51%, Universal Trade & Management Corporation SA (Utisa), 11%, Banco Financiero Internacional, 6.15%, Negocios en Telecomunicaciones, 3.8% and Banco Internacional de Comercio, 0.9%. If you add these percentages, it closely approximates the 73% that the Cuban government supposedly owns. Rafin SA and several of the other organizations listed above are described as “anonymous societies,” which are similar to “corporations” in the US. The others are banks and a corporation. Aren’t these capitalist organizations? Where did the Castros get $704 million? Viva la revolución!