Cuba’s telecommunications company says that it will offer Wi-Fi service in a public park in the country’s far east, but only for access to the island’s restricted Cuba-only intranet.
Cuba’s official journalists’ union said on Monday that the government would offer Wi-Fi Internet access in a park in the city of Santiago for US$4.50 an hour. State-run Internet company Etecsa said later that the system would offer only intranet.
Most Cubans earn under US$20 a month.
Photo: AFP
Cuba, the only communist-run country in the Americas, allows some locals, such as journalists, doctors and athletes to have Internet access at home.
However, anyone who wants their own router — for a Wi-Fi signal — needs permission from the Cuban Ministry of Information and Communication first.
Tech-savvy young Cubans often piggy-back on the signals of hotels and government offices.
US officials have said they hope the detente declared with Cuba last month will help make Internet more available on the island. Part of the deal involves allowing US companies to sell Internet equipment to Cuba.
The US says Cuba has agreed to increase Internet access, although it has not been clear what agreement US President Barack Obama’s administration has been referring to.
Last year, 3.4 percent of homes in Cuba had Internet access — one of the world’s lowest rates, according to international technology authorities.
Additional reporting by AFP
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