Bandwidth on the Island is multiplied by 20 times

The arrival of the Internet on the island is a latecomer compared to global access, although in the five years since its opening to the public in 2013, international bandwidth and quality have increased more than twentyfold. The operation of the ALBA-1 submarine cable, originating in Venezuela, is already enabling the expansion of all types of this service.

According to Ernesto Rodríguez Hernández, Vice Minister of Communications, during the Internet Governance Forum, based in the Havana Convention Center, public use of the network is systematically improved and there are now Wi-Fi hotspots in all the country's municipalities, for a total of 670. In addition to the introduction of the so-called Nauta Hogar, in more than 80 homes, although it was not clarified how many of these are within the budgeted sector, such as in the cases of state officials or journalists.

Regarding mobile data access, he reported that there are more than 2 million users of this service, the most expensive, yet most convenient, although you don't have to travel anywhere to stay connected or informed. Rodríguez Hernández believes these figures do not satisfy the Ministry, given that the infrastructure needs to continue modernizing to improve the quality of this service and, to the extent possible, reduce the cost of access.

The official also reported on internet access in the country's educational centers, which closed 2018 with 24 percent of schools connected. Rodríguez specified that by the end of this year, this figure is expected to increase to 38%. This also leaves little satisfaction for the education sector on the island, although the increase is favorable. Another complaint from the Ministry is the low production of digital services for the population, although one application such as Todus.

Regarding e-commerce on the island, Rodríguez pointed out that although channels for this purpose are diversifying and gaining support among the population, progress is not being made at the fastest pace. In fact, although the country has more than five million magnetic cards, there are only 200 Mobile Banking users, and although digital transactions are increasing, more than 90% of use is strictly associated with cash withdrawals. For the leaders of this organization, it is essential to remove obstacles to this process so that the population recognizes it as a more expeditious means than the traditional one and its use increases.

Regarding the so-called e-government, the official stated at the Forum that all of the country's administrative bodies and provincial structures have their websites, although this does not imply a systematized process of digital governance. In reality, the exchange of requests or issues between citizens and their leaders through these portals is minimal, thus failing to meet the standards of a government to which one aspires. Based on this, it is necessary to computerize all processes linked to digital government, both in government structures and in the public registries that serve the citizens of the Island.

Another space where the e-government Cuba seeks should be more widely utilized is social media, where the greatest exchange of information and citizen complaints currently occur. The fact that the country's leaders have accounts on these platforms does not exempt them from the ideal scenario, which is interaction with the population, not the mere dumping of ideas.