Cuba News 2015: Communist Country Reduces Cost of Internet Access, But Many Cuban's Don't Know About It
In Cuba, Internet access is expensive and residents have to go outside of their homes to get it because it is illegal in most homes. Now, the country has temporarily cut the costs of Internet access at state-run Internet cafes.
NBC News reports President Obama encouraged Cuba to provide more Internet access to its citizens. Cuba promised they would but did not provide specifics on when.
Most Cubans cannot just hook up a modem and start browsing at their homes. Instead, they have to go to Internet cafes that are run by the government. The government dictates the prices at the Internet cafes, and the rate for an hour of Internet access was about 10 percent of a Cuban's monthly average income of $20.
Now, until April 10, the rate for over two hours of Internet access will be only $5; in the past, one hour costed $4.50.
"The cut is something that's really positive," Dimas Bencomo, an artist who goes nearly every day to one of the 155 cyber-cafes opened in 2013, told NBC News. "They should be charging even less, and it would be much better to have a connection in my house."
Not all residents of Cuba know about the price reduction for Internet access, as it is not being advertised. The only way Cubans know about the cheaper Internet is by word of mouth. Because word of the price reduction is taking a while to spread, Internet cafes are not yet seeing an increase in customers.
Meanwhile, hotels have not reduced their price and are still charging $8 per hour.
Last month, Cuba announced that it will open 136 more Internet cafes in the country this year.
The Cuban government blames the U.S. trade embargo on Cuba for its lack of connectivity and technology.
Experts tend to disagree. They say that Cuba has a connection to Venezuela through a high-speed fiber optic cable and that the government fears the Internet is a tool for social change and has been underfunding it.
Things seem to be getting better in Cuba with technology, however. For example, Netflix recently started allowing Cubans access to the streaming video service.
Do you think Cuba can continue allowing affordable Internet to its residents?
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