U.S. sanctions affect the speed of the Internet in Cuba

The Cuban government has concluded that the nearly half-century-old isolation of the island of Liberty by the United States is seriously affecting the functioning of the Internet in Cuba. According to Francisco Hartmamma, director of strategy for the Office of Informatization, many servers and sites are blocked for Cuban users, and the speed of communication leaves much to be desired. Cubans who have access to the Internet cannot use the services offered on numerous websites, if the e-mail address ends with the domain “cu”, which means Cuba. According to information that appears regularly in various periodicals and that reveals the effects of the United States embargo against Cuba, the Internet speed in Cuba is extremely slow. More or less normal speeds can be achieved only with expensive satellite communication. The Internet problem can be solved simply. It is only necessary to connect to the fiber optic cable, which runs underwater just 50 kilometers from the Cuban border. The U.S. government did not take this step and banned Cuba from doing anything about the fiber optic cable. There has also been a ban on the use of the site of the American company Microsoft. Back in May, Microsoft executives warned that Cuban users would not be able to use the “Windows Live” service. After a user connects to the Internet, he receives a notification that Microsoft has blocked access to Windows Live Messenger IM for those countries that are under American blockade. Unfortunately for Cubans, this is not the only service closed to residents of Liberty Island. This is the reason for the very low speed of the Internet. In addition, there is no technical possibility to provide users with high-speed Internet. Recall that 18 years ago, about sixty nations called on the White House to lift the sanctions against Cuba. Last year, the number of Freedom Island supporters reached 185 states. So far, the U.S. government has not responded in any way to such appeals.