Cuba Cancels Part Of The Internet Tariff Increase After Residents Express Anger

JAKARTA - The Cuban government on Monday night June 3 decided to partially cancel the policy of increasing internet rates, after a wave of public anger broke out amid a rapidly deteriorating economic crisis, high inflation, and an increasingly severe shortage of basic necessities.

The state-owned telecommunications company, ETECSA, previously sparked controversy after announcing restrictions on subsidized data packages to only 6 gigabytes at a price of 360 pesos the equivalent of less than 1 US dollar according to the black market exchange rate. This amount is far below the global monthly average global use of 21.6 GB per smartphone, according to Swedish telecommunications company Ericsson data.

After the 6GB subsidy quota runs out, customers are charged an additional fee of 3,360 pesos (about 9 US dollars) for just 3 GB additional data numbers that reach more than half of the Cubans' monthly salary average, which is 5,839 pesos (about 16 US dollars).

Other internet data packages offered by ETECSA are mostly only available in US dollars. This is intended so that Cuban diaspora citizens living abroad can send money to support their families in the country. However, for the majority of Cubans who do not have access to the dollar, this policy is considered very unfair and marginalizes the most vulnerable society.

In response to public pressure, ETECSA finally provided an additional 6 GB of data quota for students to make their total quota to 12 GB with the same subsidy price, which was 360 pesos. This step slightly relieves tensions, but does not solve the problem for most other residents.

Andrea Curbelo, a 20-year-old art history student from Havana University, revealed that although the additional quota helps students, he thinks all Cubans should receive the same treatment.

"All Cubans should have the same opportunity as us students to be able to communicate with their families... The government should review this policy so that everyone has equal rights," Andrea said.

The tension over the price of this data package comes amid the Communist Party-controlled Cuban government's efforts to seek fresh funds to update the outdated telecommunications infrastructure. The internet speed gauge site, Speedtest.net, notes that Cuba is one of the countries with the slowest internet connection speeds in the world.

The government argues that an increase in prices is needed for investment in network and service improvements. However, for most residents who have difficulty meeting their daily needs, this policy is actually felt very burdensome.

Danila Maria Hernandez, a 19-year-old teenager from Havana, said that the policy of increasing internet rates in the midst of an economic crisis is very painful to the people.

"The only entertainment left for us is social media, a little internet to forget our problems for a moment," said Danila. This policy is really unfair.

The current economic crisis is called the worst since the 1959 Revolution led by Fidel Castro. Many residents face a shortage of foodstuffs, medicines, and other basic necessities. In this context, access to the internet is one of the vital things to survive, both for communication, information, and just entertainment.

Although the government has taken steps to reduce tensions by providing limited concessions to students, public anger shows that demands for social justice and equitable access to basic services such as the internet are far from being met in Cuba.