Cuba Announces Pilot Project To Bring Broadband Internet Into Homes

Cuba Announces Pilot Project To Bring Broadband Internet Into Homes
BY HIMANSHU GOENKA ON 02/01/16 AT 4:24 AM

Cuba's state-run telecommunications company, ETECSA, reportedly
announced late Sunday a pilot project to bring broadband internet into
homes in Havana. According to the announcement, cafes, bars and
restaurants would also be allowed to have broadband connections, which
would be offered through fiber optic cables.

Odalys Rodríguez del Toro, director for Havana at ETECSA, made the
announcement, adding that three parks would also receive wireless
internet services, according to a report in the Cuba Journal. The new
broadband services would be made available through fiber optic
connections which are operated by Chinese telecom operator Huawei, Cuba
Journal reported.

Del Toro did not provide a timeline for when the pilot project would be
rolled out, or when larger-scale access could be provided to the public,
the Associated Press (AP) reported. He also said prices for the proposed
project would be announced later.

At present, the only legal home broadband connections in Cuba are with
diplomats and employees of foreign companies who pay large sums of money
for speeds that are slower than the average in other countries,
according to AP. Some Cubans have restricted internet access through
dial-up or mobile connections which allows them to use a state-run email
service.

General public access to the internet began last year in Cuba when
dozens of public Wi-Fi hotspots were set up. They cost $2, which
was reportedly about a tenth of the average monthly salary in Cuba, for
an hour of usage. Del Toro said 20 more Wi-Fi spots would be opened in
Havana during 2016, with many more to come up in the rest of the country.

Source: Cuba Announces Pilot Project To Bring Broadband Internet Into
Homes -
http://www.ibtimes.com/cuba-announces-pilot-project-bring-broadband-internet-homes-2287844