Cuba Announces Old Havana Test Project for Home Internet

HAVANA TIMES — Cuban authorities will begin testing later this year in two neighborhoods of Old Havana to allow Internet access from homes, something previously prohibited for ordinary citizens, reported dpa news.

This year, the state telecommunications monopoly, ETECSA, will launch a “pilot test” in two neighborhoods of Old Havana, the Cuban News Agency (ACN) informed on Sunday.

Test connections will be carried out “with fiber optical cable through an agreement with China’s Huawei Corporation,” said the text, which did not disclose the price of the service.

The information does not specify when exactly the project will begin, only that it is part of a further improvement of Internet access in Cuba, which has one of the lowest connectivity rates in the world.

According to figures from the UN agency International Telecommunication Union (ITU), in 2013 only 3.4 percent of Cuban households were connected to the Internet, most of them with an extremely slow dial-up connection.

The government of Raul Castro said it gives priority to “social and public use” of the Internet. Meanwhile, international organizations and government opponents accuse the authorities of restricting access to the network for political reasons.

More Pay-for Wifi Hot Spots in Havana

Etecsa plans to create another 30 areas for pay-for wireless Internet access in the capital in public parks, according to the announcement. Odalys Rodriguez, the company director for Havana, also said that in the future Etecsa plans to offer Internet access to cafes, bars and restaurants that request the service.

Etecsa began offering the Wi-Fi service at Havana parks or public squares in July of last year, since expanded to all provinces. The price is 2 CUC (2.30 USD) per hour, ten percent of an average wage in Cuba.

Etecsa also offers limited email access from mobile phones.