These factors combine to give Cubaone of the lowest Internet penetration ratesin the Western hemisphere.
But why is a middle-income country, situated within spitting distance of the United States, a digital dead-zone?
The answer is actually fairly interesting and involves a number of factors.
Dude, wheres my cables?
Theres a massive connection of undersea fiber optic cables in the ocean.
These connect disparate locales, ferrying bits and bytes at the speed of light.
Most countries with a maritime border are connected to several undersea cables.
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This all but kept the Internet out of the hands of everyone, except a handful of elites.
You know, government officials.
So, now youre probably wondering why Cubas so behind the times.
The answer, of course, involves politics.
Remember the Cuban Missile Crisis?
The clue is in the name.
For a really long time, American companies couldnt sell telecommunications equipment to Cuba.
Thankfully, that restriction was lifted by President Obama in 2009, as tensions between the two countries thawed.
Dont forget authoritarianism
Its not just America.
The censorship manifests itself in a really interesting way.
While theres not much actual site-level blocking,Cuba does surveil its citizensonline.
Gross would spend six years incarcerated before eventually being released in 2014.
And here we are.
Lets go back to Google.
This would lower costs, as Cubans wouldnt have to pay for access Google via an intermediary web connection.
Itll also offer markedly faster access.
However, itll undoubtedly require new submarine infrastructure.
Cuba will either have to connect to one of Googles points of presence.
The nearest ones to Havana are in Florida, Mexico, and Colombia.
But make no mistake, solving Cubas Internet woes wont just be solved by thicker pipelines and faster routers.
This isnt just a technical problem.
A good deal of diplomacy is required, too.
Internet cafes were followed by public Wi-Fi hotspots, and since December, Cubas had widespread mobile Internet.
Ultimately, this story tells us that the Internet is a bell that cannot be un-rung.
If you give people a sip, theyll want to drink the whole glass.
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