Since Cuba and the United States announced they would re-establish relations on December 2014, many have hypothesized that this would open the Caribbean nation to the rest of the world. But as long as the nation remains offline, no amount of mending fences will fully connect Cubans to global culture and economy. Currently, getting on the Internet in Cuba remains difficult – only 25-30 percent of Cubans can access Cuba’s intranet, and an hour of Internet can cost citizens 10 percent of their about $25/month wage – but this may change now that Cuba is set to gets its first-ever broadband hookup for homes.
On Sunday, the Telecommunications Company of Cuba announced that Chinese-based company Huawei would offer broadband connection in two Havana neighborhoods, according to Newsweek. There are still no details as to when this broadband will get rolled out or how much it will cost – and with the government still controlling access one can assume the censorship will remain tight.
As of now, broadband connections have been limited to diplomats or employees of foreign companies who can afford the cost, according to The Associated Press. The new broadband service will allow restaurants, cafes, and bars to access the Internet as well.