Roundup: Cuba to expand public Internet access with Wi-Fi technology

Cuba's state-run telecommunications company Etecsa will open 35 areas for public Internet access with wireless technology throughout the country in a few weeks, an Etecsa official said Thursday.

The public Wi-Fi access will be ready in the first days of July, Luis Diaz Naranjo, Etecsa's director of public relations, was quoted by the Cuban official daily Juventud Rebelde as saying.

"Right now the company is committed to the final settings of the center in charge of operating this type of wireless network technology, aiming to ensure the quality of the service," he said.

These networks, called WIFI_ETECSA, can be accessed by anyone after hiring one of the temporary or permanent Nauta access accounts run by the company. They will be accessible on mobile devices, personal computers or tablets with Wi-Fi capabilities.

The 35 areas, including boulevards, parks and main avenues in several cities of the island nation, are not directly linked to hotels or Etecsa cybercafes.

Diaz Naranjo said this is the first step in his company's strategy for increasing Internet access. Public Wi-Fi has been long-awaited by consumers since the first cybercafes were opened in Cuba in June 2013.

Adding to the announcement, he said that from July 1, the price per hour for Internet services provided by Etecsa will lower to 2 Convertible Pesos, or CUC, (about 2 U.S. dollars), an over 50 percent decrease from the original price two years ago.

Cuba has two currencies, the official Cuban Pesos (CUP) used for paying state wages and some services, and the stronger CUC, equivalent to the U.S. dollar. In terms of the exchange rate, currently one CUC is equal to 25 CUP.

Diaz Naranjo recognized that two CUC for an hour is not yet the desired cost as Cuba's average monthly salary is 20 CUC, but he said the new price would contribute to bringing Internet services closer to common consumers.

Thursday's announcement came as a relief to many Cubans who have to stand in a long queue whenever they want to access Etecsa's cybercafes.

Wealthier citizens who prefer not to wait will pay the overrated price of eight dollars per hour in hotels and tourist places. However, they always complain about the high price.

Etecsa charges 4.5 CUC per hour but the fees in hotels are set by hotel managers.

Arlena Acosta, a 16-year-old student, is one of the many young people often seen around the Presidente Hotel using its Wi-Fi service.

"Well now at least I can connect directly with my cell phone but the point is that, as soon as word spreads, these places will fill up with over 100 people, so the connection will continue to be difficult until the infrastructure gets better," she told Xinhua.

Cuba is one of the countries with the lowest Internet connectivity rate at only 5 percent. When talking about broadband, connectivity decreases to 1 percent.

After Cuba-U.S. relations began to thaw in December 2014, inhabitants raised their expectations for the improvement of the island's Internet access.

Since talks began to reestablish Cuba-U.S. diplomatic ties, U.S. on-demand streaming media provider Netflix has launched its service on the island. The service has been available since February from eight dollars a month to residents with credit cards and access to high-speed Internet.

However, with Cuba's low access to fixed broadband, the service won't significantly increase the U.S. company's profits, according to the World Bank.

But Netflix's early move into Cuba indicated that it is committed to expanding globally, even in countries with poor infrastructure and other obstacles.

Meanwhile, several other U.S. companies have shown their interest in developing joint telecommunications projects with local counterparts to improve the island's infrastructure.

Executives of tech titan Google have said Cuba should take into account its technological delay in terms of infrastructure and move directly toward wireless services, Wi-Fi technology, cell phones and tablets, according to the online journal "On Cuba".

Last week, some U.S. media reported that Google has offered to participate in infrastructure investments in Cuba. The company is waiting for approval from the Cuban government, "On Cuba" said. Endi