The Cuban Internet – past, present and future

Larry Press, lpress@csudh.edu

32% of Caribbean international trafficMore accounts than the rest of the Caribbean combined

• CENIAI – Soviet connection• Tinored – Youth computer clubs• CIGBnet – Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology• InfoMed – National System of Health Information

Pre-Internet networking

“I have great satisfaction to announce that our beloved Cuba, our ‘caiman of the Indies,’ has been connected to the Internet … A new era has just begun for us”

Jesus Martinez, Director, CENIAI

September 9, 1996

Mosaic Group analysis framework -- Cuba

Cuban ICT indicators

2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

PCs (1,000) 377.0 430.0 509.0 630.0 700.0 724.0

PCs on the Internet (1,000) 243.3 258.0 330.0 400.0 455.0 434.4

Users of Internet services (1,000) 1,090.0 1,250.0 1,310.0 1,450.0 1,600.0 1,790.0

Internet (Web) sites (1,000) 2.5 2.9 3.4 … … …

PCs per 1,000 population 34 38 45 56 62 64

Internet users per 1,000 population 97 111 117 129 142 159

Number of names in the .cu domain 1,351 1,389 1,431 2,168 2,331 2,225

Mobile phone subscriptions (1,000) 135.5 152.7 198.3 330.0 621.2 1 003,2

Population with mobile coverage (%) 71.0 71.0 77.2 75.8 77.5 78.0

The Cuban Internet today

Slow RestrictedExpensive

International links

Access network

Domestic backbone

Ping times from the US

www.jovenclub.cu .634 secwww.uchile.cl .199 secwww.ford.com .079 secwww.google.com .023 secwww.ucla.edu .019 sec

Ping times from Cuba to Google

Within Cuba .110Cuba to Florida .580Florida to Google .020

CUC per hour

ETECSA Internet centers 6

Cybercafés 6-12

Hotel WiFi 8

Embassy Free

Work or school Free

Hourly rates

1 CUC = $1.08

CUC per month

10 hours, dial up Internet 15

15 hours international email and national Web 15

10 hours national email and Web 20

Selected home prices

Speed National International19.2 120 33028.8 160 47564.0 340 1,030

128.0 630 1,800144.0 680 2,020256.0 1,070 3,560512.0 2,075 6,015

1,024.0 3,930 12,5002,048.0 7,295 24,170

Dedicated Internet connections

Post Office YCC Univ. Work Hotel Home

Domestic email Y Y Y Y Y Y

International email Y N Y Y/N Y Y

Visit domestic Web pages Y Y Y Y Y Y

International access N N N N N N

Restricted international access Y N Y Y Y Y

Access restrictions

No mobile Internet

Web 1.0

What went wrong?

US embargo Dictator’s dilemmaSoviet collapse

Year US $ Change1990 2,7061991 2,279 -16%1992 2,056 -10%1993 2,070 1%1994 2,620 27%1995 2,789 6%1996 2,284 -18%1997 2,307 1%1998 2,334 1%

Cuban GDP per capita

Cyberwar

Undersea cable Aging leadersChinese role Cuban values

Shaping the future

Total Clinics Hospitals Institutes

Health centers 730 498 219 13

Number of computers 12,684 8,796 3,264 624

In fundamental activities 12,684 8,796 3,264 624

With Internet access 4,291 2,600 1,236 455

In information projects 12,684 8,796 3,264 624

Number of computer using workers 133,705 74,505 53,000 6,200

With Internet access 131,805 74,505 53,000 4,300

Access from home 58,920 30,400 24,900 3,620

ICT use in the health sector

The Cuban Internet – past, present and future

Larry Press, lpress@csudh.edu

For more detail and references, see:Press, Larry, The state of the Internet in Cuba, January 2011http://som.csudh.edu/fac/lpress/cuba/chapters/lpdraft2.docx

For updates on the state of the Cuban Internet, subscribe to the blog at:http://laredcubana.blogspot.com