Wi-Fi in Santiago de Cuba at Killer Prices
By Circles Robinson
HAVANA TIMES — The Cuban monopoly telecommunication’s company ETECSA announces that an experimental WiFi conecction will become available in Santiago de Cuba during January. The price will be 4.50 CUC (5.00 USD) per hour, the equivalent of an average week’s salary on the island.
The news that WiFi will be installed at a locale near the Ferreiro Park in Cuba’s second largest city was given by the official journalist’s association, UPEC, on their website cubaperiodistas.cu.
Users will be allowed to upload and download files on their cell phones, tablets or laptops and the initial speed will be one megabyte per second, states the announcement.
Similar WiFi service exists at even higher prices at some hotels in Havana and Varadero.
Hackers able to obtain the corresponding passwords may also be able to make use of the service free of charge, as is already taking place in Havana.
—–
Editors Note: On Monday the Cuban state monopoly telecommunications company ETECSA contradicted UPEC stating that the only service to be offered would be the island’s limited Intranet not the global Internet network. See: ETECSA Says No Wi-Fi with Internet in Santiago de Cuba
It came from the official journalist union: http://www.cubaperiodistas.cu/noticias/enero15/08/07.htm
Where is the announcement? I see nothing on the ETECSA website.
The wealthiest countries in the world don’t pay this rates ….and one to the poorest wants to charge them? And you wonder why Cubq is a disaster!
Indeed expensive……
Editorializing and comparing Cuba’s economic measurement with the US as well as using capitalists terms is absurd when writing about Cuba. It serves little in educating the reader and much in misinformation and propaganda. The good news is that Cuba telecomunication is experimenting with wide spread access. Hopefully the USA will remove the internet communication restrictions it places on Cuba
What’s the point? Who could afford that? I wouldn’t even consider paying that in the US. In fact those prices are outrageous anywhere in the world!