The Cuban regime gave another sign of change when a member of the Government, Ramiro Valdés, admitted that restrictions on the use of the Internet may be lifted soon. The minister of informatics even said that the limitations on this release are only of a technical and economic nature and took the opportunity to give political weight to the matter.
The official assured the press that the United States’ commercial embargo on Cubo is the main reason why restrictions on Internet access in the country must be maintained, as it prevents Cuba from connecting to the submarine cables that pass in front of its and require the use of more expensive satellite connections. That is why access remains restricted, almost exclusively, to civil servants and university students.
Resolving the issue of access and scarcity of broadband depends on the person responsible for an agreement with Venezuela that will link the two countries. This 1,500 kilometer cable is expected to be operational by 2010.
The end of the limitations on access to the Internet is planned at a time when the restrictions imposed for years by the regime on the use of mobile phones and other technological goods, such as the computer, for example, have ended.
