“We
will end an outdated approach that for decades has failed to advance our
interests, and instead we will begin to normalize relations between our two
countries,”
President of the United
States of America, Barack Obama, commenting on US-Cuban Relations being
normalized on Wednesday December 17th 2014
The
Relationship between the USA and Cuba seems to only be getting better and better.
This after the Barack Obama led administration decided to lift the embargo and normalize relations with Cuba on Wednesday December 17th 2014 as reported in the article “Obama hails 'new chapter' in US-Cuba ties”, published 17 December 2014 Last updated at 22:34 GMT, BBC News.
Cuban
President Raul Castro in a TV address welcomed the move but indicated what’re still
Communists, so don't get any bright ideas as noted in the article “Cuba 'will not
change' communist system, despite thaw with US”, published 20 December 2014
Last updated at 22:23 GMT, BBC News.
He
also freed US contractor Alan Gross in exchange for three (3) Cubans held in
the US.
This
move came after eighteen (18) months of secret negotiations in Canada initiated
by the Vatican and directly involving Pope Francis and Nelson Mandela as
detailed in the article “U.S.
to Restore Full Relations With Cuba, Erasing a Last Trace of Cold War Hostility”,
published DEC. 17, 2014 By PETER BAKER, New
York Times.
Now
Raul Castro, Cuba’s de facto leader,
has freed some more Cuban dissidents!
As
a part of that normalized changes, Cuba has released all fifty three (53)
prisoners of War as part of this deal with the US Government as reported in the
article “Cuba
has freed all 53 prisoners as agreed in U.S. deal: U.S. officials”,
published Mon Jan 12, 2015 5:47pm EST BY MATT SPETALNICK, DAVID ADAMS AND
LESLEY WROUGHTON, Reuters.
But
it's the coming changes that has Telecommunications Bloggers like myself
excited; the normalizing of Cuban Relations opens up the possibility of
Spectrum Auctions for Voice and Data Telecoms Providers to enter Cuba!
Telecom Providers
gearing up for Cuba – Huge population without even basic Cell phone Service
As
far back as 2009, Telecom Provider Digicel, with assistance from former Prime
Minister P.J. Patterson acting as a negotiator, has been in talks with the Cuban
Government with regards to entering their Telecoms market as reported in the
article “Why
PJ, Digicel officials went to Cuba”, published Sunday, May 17, 2009, The Jamaica Observer.
Haven’t
heard any official word from Digicel on Cuba and neither have they published
any Press Releases since
US President Barack Obama made the announcement.
But
LIME has been quite vocal, with LIME Chairman Chris Dehring suggesting that
they already making plans to go to Cuba to provide Telecom Services to some 11.4
million people, making them the largest telecom market in the Caribbean, quote:
“There is a direct correlation between internet penetration, national
development and productivity. Therefore, with the opening of the
telecommunications highway into the corridor of our closest neighbour, there
will be increased growth opportunities for Cuba”.
Telecom
Provider LIME has since March 2010 been in a partnership with Venezuelan/Cuban
Telecom Provider TGC (Telecomunicaciones Gran Caribe) to build a Fiber Optic
Link between Venezuela, Cuba and Jamaica as announced in the article “LIME
Lands Fibre Link Partnership”, Published Wednesday March 24, 2010, The Jamaica Gleaner.
CWC
(Cable and Wireless Communication) partnered with Venezuelan/Cuban Telecom
Provider TGC to build the Undersea Fiber Optic Cable called ALBA-1 to provide
Internet Access via Venezuela, a project that began on Saturday January 22nd
2011 as stated in the article “Chavez
Beats AT&T to Cuban Telecom `Gold Mine' as Dispute on Pricing Bites”,
published Jan 26, 2011 1:05 PM ET By Charlie Devereux and Blake Schmidt , Bloomberg.
This
is “ALBA-1” that LIME Chairman Chris Dehring, which by the way was paid for by
CWC (Cable and Wireless Communication) to the tune of US$70 million, quote: “This
development augurs well, especially for the ALBA-1 undersea Cable Network that
connects Cuba with Jamaica and, consequently, the world. ALBA-1 has Internet
connectivity and international wholesale capacity for operators to the US
through Venezuela, and is a joint venture between the Cuban and Venezuelan
governments”.
Completed
by February 2011, the US$70 million Undersea Fiber Optic Submarine Cable connecting
Cuba, Venezuela and finally Jamaica was built under contract by Paris, France
based Alcatel-Lucent. It stretches some 1,600-kilometer (1,000-mile),
terminating in the city of Ciboney, Cuba and has a lifespan of twenty five (25)
years.
And
yes, it went live in August 2012 as confirmed in the article “Cuba
confirms Alba-1 fiber hook-up to Venezuela, internet remains on lockdown”,
published January 25th 2013 at 10:14 am by Zach Honig, Engadget.
Cuba and the Internet –
Huge potential for 4G LTE when Spectrum Auctions are announced
It's
still restricted Internet, as most of the people of Cuba still have no Internet
access or reliable infrastructure to even get access to Internet in the first
place.
Also,
since it went live, it’s mainly being used for downloading, with uploading traffic
still going through Satellites as noted in the article “Cuba's
undersea fiber Cable potentially sees consumer internet use for first time”,
published January 21st 2013 at 10:14 pm by Alexis Santos, Engadget.
But they now have Wi-Fi, at least in a park in the City of Santiago for US$4.50 an hour as reported by Cuba’s Official Journalists in the article “Cuba moves to expand WiFi service slightly”, published Monday, January 12, 2015 8:43 PM , The Jamaica Observer.
The
potential for 4G LTE (Long Term Evolution) Wireless Internet and even just
basic Voice GSM (Global System Mobile) and CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access)
Networks as noted in the article “U.S.
announces Cuba telecom plan; Cable preps for Gigabit broadband”, Published
23 Dec 2014 by Katherine Finnell, Assistant Site Editor, Search Telecom means that in a
few weeks from now, expect announcements from Cuba opening up Spectrum Auctions
for these services in Cuba.
Viva
La Revolution, Fidel!
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