» Cuba, Internet Access and Social Media CUBAN TRANSITIONS

Cuba, Internet Access and Social Media

March 2, 2012 by admin

Staying connected to friends, family, the media and the outside world is easier and faster than ever. Some people even experience withdrawals when they leave their phones at home or can’t connect to the internet. The citizens of Cuba do not have that problem. As being one of the least-connected countries in the world, many Cuban citizens have a hard time finding a computer and receiving internet access. The government first introduced the internet solely for the purpose of making their state run companies more competitive (Coté 161). According to the World Bank, in 2001 there were twenty personal computers to every 1,000 Cubans, with internet access restricted to foreigners, company executives and state officials (Coté 161).

Foreigners have to pay five dollars an hour to use a computer with internet access. Even if Cubans can afford the pay the five dollar an hour rate, they might still not be allowed to use the computer (Coté 164). The limited resources for internet and computer use have created a large black market full of computer parts and stolen access codes. Herrera, a young writer describes how in her world “pretty much everybody has black-market access” (Coté 166). The black market lets informáticos like Herrera to receive cheap and safe internet. Under the unlikely event of government internet approval, individuals have to pay a “prohibitively expensive” fee combined with the lost of anonymity (Coté 166). Purchasing internet is expensive, a computer even more so. Coté describes how “a Pentium III system with a CD-ROM, modem, and speakers would cost just over 2,000 dollars – more than double the price in the United States” (171). Unless received as gifts from abroad, access to a personal computer is a luxury.

Julia E. Sweig describes how there is an ongoing debate within the government about whether or not to allow popular access to the Internet. The government understands that “Cuba’s exposure to all things global and technological is recognized as inevitable” (Sweig 215). Schools, clubs and organizations in Cuba are realizing the importance of attaining computer skills in the global market. Clubs hold sessions to teach students how to work Windows, Word, Web design and other programs. (Coté 171). It appears that the Cuban government, while originally hesitant, is slowly opening up opportunities for popular internet access. A National Public Radio (NPR) report titled “In Cuba, Dial-Up Internet Is A Luxury by Nick Miroff” details how a government-run television newscast “extolled the virtues of social networking as a source of real-time alternative information.” After the Arab Spring events and the influential role that social networking sites, such as Twitter and Facebook, played in the rebellions, one would expect Cuba to be hesitant about allowing easy access. Rolando García, a café manager, does not believe that greater Internet access would promote social change or social rebellion in Cuba. García declares that “the revolution isn’t afraid of this” (Coté 164). In accordance with García, government does not seem afraid of social media. The creation of a new, government hosted website called The Social Network, the Cuban version of Facebook, demonstrates just how unafraid the government is (Miroff). Even though the government seems to be taking steps in increasing popular internet access in Cuba, many Cubans are still without access.

Coté, John. “Cubans Log On Behind Castro’s Back.” Capitalism, God, and a Good Cigar: Cuba Enters the 21st Century. Ed. Lydia Chávez. Durham, NC: Duke UP, 2005. 160-73. Print.
Miroff, Nick. “In Cuba, Dial-Up Internet Is A Luxury.” NPR. NPR, 14 Dec. 2011. Web. 20 Feb. 2012. <http://www.npr.org/2011/12/14/143721874/in-cuba-dial-up-internet-is-a-luxury>.
Sweig, Julia E. Cuba: What Everyone Needs to Know. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2009. Print.

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