Cuba lags region in telecoms, Internet access

In a move in April easing some aspects of Washington's 47-year-old embargo against Cuba, President Barack Obama allowed U.S. telecommunications firms to offer services in Cuba as part of a strategy to try to increase "people to people" contact.

The White House said in April that U.S. telecoms companies would be allowed to set up fiber-optic cable and satellite links with Cuba, start roaming service agreements and permit U.S. residents to pay for telecoms, satellite radio and television services provided to Cubans.

While Cuba's leaders welcomed the move as a step in the right direction, they reiterated their demand that Washington completely lift the embargo, suggesting the new telecoms overtures would not prosper.

Cuba's failure to embrace modern telecoms is a major complaint among citizens under 50 years old, who cite it as one of the reasons they seek to migrate abroad.

"There is very little Internet access, and what there is the government controls. Even having a telephone is difficult, and one can't even dream of having a computer or Internet," said Denis Ferrer, a young restaurant employee.

The Cuban state monopolizes communications and dominates the economy where the average government wage is around 420 domestic pesos, or around 18 convertible pesos ($20), a month.

A cellular telephone line costs 30 CUCs and the cheapest cellular phone is priced at 60 CUCs. A minute's use of a cell phone calling out or receiving averages half a CUC, or more than half a day's state wages, while a 160 character text message costs 0.16 CUC to send.

About 60 percent of Cuba's population has some access to convertible pesos through money sent to them by relatives abroad, tourism tips, state bonuses, or the black market.

Cuban officials blame the U.S. trade embargo against the island for the country's poor communications.

They insist the data for individual use and ownership is misleading as priority is given to social use of telecoms technology, from health and education, to government-operated computer clubs in every municipality.