Google testing the waters in Cuba

Source: Politico

Google testing the waters in Cuba

By Nancy Scola
6/13/15 3:12 PM EDT

A Google executive is headed to Cuba this weekend to explore bringing better Internet access to the island, and the search giant has made a related proposal to the Cuban government, according to a State Department official.

It’s the latest sign that U.S. tech companies are testing the seriousness of Cuba’s interest in opening up to outside investment after President Barack Obama’s announcement of a historic thaw in relations and the Raúl Castro-led government’s recent pledge to bring Internet access to all Cubans by 2020.

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In Cuba today, only about five percent of the population has Internet access, and cellphone service can be sloth-like where it’s available at all. Google is known for its experimentation with non-traditional ways of spreading the Internet, often routing around incumbent providers. Its Project Loon uses high-altitude balloons to carry access to hard-to-connect places, and Google Fiber has forged partnerships with U.S. cities to sell moderately-priced, ultra-high-speed broadband services.

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The Cuba trip has been organized by the Council of the Americas, a 50-year-old trade group founded by David Rockefeller. The group will stay in Habana Vieja, Havana’s charming if crumbling historic section, and is scheduled to return Thursday. The visit coincides with the six-month anniversary of President Obama’s announcement of a thaw in relations with Cuba, including the loosening of sanctions that, said Obama, “have denied Cubans access to technology.”




Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2015/06/google-testing-the-waters-in-cuba-118974.html#ixzz3czO5rauJ