Hi Sam

I took a pic of the 2 Cuban representatives here
https://twitter.com/renataaquino/status/714848891141808128

They were really vocal to the US Ambassador about agreements which would
increase internet connectivity in the region so one can see the political
will is there (i am assuming they are from government or CS advocates).
Dialogue lines were open, the official line by the US govt included lines
such as "internet is the democratization of power".

When someone from Spain asked about dialogue w/ China and Russia as well
for privacy laws (lots of people from banks here and worried about EU on
privacy), the ambassador talked about anticipating something on OECD.

So political will is all you see here. But, this in ambassador. If that
will translate further...

All the best

Renata

On Tue, Mar 29, 2016 at 12:06 PM, Sam Lanfranco <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> I have just returned from participating in INFORMATICA2016 in Havana.
> Internet access is still spotty (few Wi-Fi sites) and very expensive for
> Cubans.
> Most Wi-Fi hot spots are not identified and one is guided (on Obispo
> Street, or in local parks) by groups of Cubans on their phones or tablets.
> The ETECSA (Empresa de Telecomunicaciones de Cuba S.A.) Wi-Fi cards cost
> $2US per hour of connect time, very expensive for Cubans
> The University of Havana Wi-Fi roll out is constrained by resources and
> trade embargo obstacles to certain equipment.
> Google is involved with a politically well connected Cuban artist with a
> "free" Wi-Fi hot spot that is supposed to be fast but is getting mixed
> reports.
> As ITU data confirms, Cuba has the skills and expertise to change access
> in short order....if there is the Political Will to support that change.
>
> Sam L., NPOC
>
>
>
>
> On 29/03/2016 11:45 AM, Renata Aquino Ribeiro wrote:
>
>> Hi
>> You may see just now ambassador Sepulveda talk about these issues in
>> #SSIGOAS
>> Mostly, about dialogue in Europe on internet governance debates, such as
>> privacy laws, the expectation is to address this in the upcoming OECD
>> Ministerial Meeting
>> About the increase of internet access in Cuba - a request for comment by
>> Cuban representatives in the audience - the US is seeing very positively
>> and encouraging increase of internet access for trade in the region
>> http://www.gobernanzainternet.org
>>
>>
>>
>