Slow Progress for Cuba Communication

Slow Progress for Cuba Communication
By REUTERS
Published: June 18, 2010

HAVANA (Reuters) — The ability of Cubans to communicate with each
another and with the rest of the world remained well below that of other
Caribbean and Latin American countries in 2009, according to a United
Nations report released this week.

Despite its legalization of cellphones in 2008, the island nation had
only 1.8 million phone lines, including 800,000 cellphone lines, or a
total of 15.5 lines for every 100 inhabitants, the lowest in the region,
according to the United Nations International Telecommunications Union.

Computers numbered 700,000 or 62 per 1,000 residents of Cuba, compared
with more than 160 per thousand residents in the region, and many of
them were in government offices and health centers.

Cuba has no broadband, and its relatively few Internet users suffer very
long waits to open e-mail messages, photos and videos.

Cuba said the United States embargo forced it to use a satellite system
with limited space for sale.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/19/world/americas/19cuba.html