GLocalMe

[andy]

Originally Posted by Stu

Cuba is going to be a tough run until there is a second player. Right now the Cuban carrier is going to not have the incentive to lower the prices. They have very limited internet access, have an antiquated infrastructure, and the need to revamp it to support foreign tourism growth.

Well, maybe lifting economic sanctions will help.

I remember reading some time ago most of the telecoms including the internet were via satellite, and they hoped to improve things dramatically with a new submarine cable from Venezuela.

Meanwhile a cable from Florida to Yucatán passes within 50 km of Havana. That might be somewhere for the three countries to start investing.

[DRNewcomb]

Originally Posted by andy

Well, maybe lifting economic sanctions will help.

I remember reading some time ago most of the telecoms including the internet were via satellite, and they hoped to improve things dramatically with a new submarine cable from Venezuela.

Meanwhile a cable from Florida to Yucatán passes within 50 km of Havana. That might be somewhere for the three countries to start investing.

I've read someplace that until 1992 the major communications link between Cuba and the rest of the world was an old tropospheric scatter link to south Florida, operated by AT&T. This had been in place before sanctions went into effect and could continue to operate but could not be upgraded. The Florida side of the link was destroyed by Hurricane Andrew. A cable to Venezuela sounds more political than practical. Jamaica or Mexico would serve as well (if not better) and be much closer.

[andy]

Originally Posted by DRNewcomb

A cable to Venezuela sounds more political than practical. Jamaica or Mexico would serve as well (if not better) and be much closer.

I found this, that the link to Venezuela opened in Jan 2013, and to Jamaica in May 2013

research.dyn.com/2013/05/cuba-jamaica-link-activated/

Their later article has a map of cables all over the Caribbean

http://research.dyn.com/2014/12/whats-next-cuba/