#connecting

Since July 2015, Cuba has opened 35 Wi-Fi hotspots across the country. How does it work? What does it change? What does a Cuban first want to discover in the World Wide Web? Let’s meet one of those young Cubans who benefited from the booming of Internet to become a Wi-Fi access cards official seller.

I met Yorvis on the “Calle 23”, known as La Rampa, in Vedado (Havana district). I was walking on this street few weeks ago when I realized that Cubans were totally “glued” to their mobile screen, in line along the pavement. Yorvis observed that I was interested by this phenomenon and proposed me to sell me a WiFi access card.

Nauta wifi Cards at La Rampa, Vedado, Havana.

He explained me that he was working for a state telecoms firm called Etecsa that sells WiFi access cards (see picture). “This access can be used at any of the 35 WiFi access points that have been installed in public places of the country. When you connect to the access point your browser should open and prompt you for the username and password on the card, and give you a usage monitor.”

Yorvis, 32 years old, Wi-Fi access cards seller.

 “This is a major change for us, not just for young people but for people of all ages! This WiFi offers us unprecedented online access in Cuba. It’s a change that we applaud.” Yorvis said.

“It’s incredible!” confirmed an old smiling Cuban woman. She used videoconference thanks to this new WiFi access. “I can see my daughter who is living in Spain, I haven’t seen her for two years!”

Cuban woman using videoconference to contact her family.

Yorvis explained me that Cubans are most often connected to Facebook or to their email addresses. Eventually, the first objective for Cubans is to communicate with their families and friends who are abroad.

I left remembering my first experience on internet, MSN and the first online chats. I wondered how this joyful and warm people will manage all the new options like Snapchat, Tinder, etc.

Keep posted.

Clémence.