Cuba has begun to focus on updating its small, out-of-date internet network. Described as “an internet-free zone” by some, the country has the lowest internet connectivity in Latin America. To fight this, the country has built up an internet infrastructure in recent years that involves a handful of Wi-Fi hotspots within cities. However, Larry Press, a professor of Computer Science in California, says that the development is “20 years too late”, and “what they are doing mirrors the course of action in Latin America and Africa 15 years ago”. Whilst Press believes that retail competition would speed up the process, telecommunications are currently controlled by authorities who are unlikely to give it up. Meanwhile, the state telecom company ETECSA has also recently announced a plan to provide internet to individual homes, at no charge for some already-selected consumers.Â
