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TECHNOLOGY Tuesday 13 december 2016

Google, Cuba sign allowing faster access to company’s data

MICHAEL WEISSENSTEIN
Associated Press
HAVANA (AP) — Google
and the Cuban govern-
ment signed a deal Mon-
day allowing the internet
giant to provide faster ac-
cess to its data by install-
ing servers on the island
that will store much of the
company’s most popular
content. Storing Google
data in Cuba eliminates
the long distances that sig-
nals must travel from the is-
land through Venezuela to
the nearest Google server.
More than a half century
after cutting virtually all
economic ties with Cuba,
the U.S. has no direct data
link to the island.
The deal announced
Monday removes one of
the many obstacles to a
normal internet in Cuba,
which suffers from some
of the world’s most lim-
ited and expensive ac-
cess. Home connections
remain illegal for most Cu-
bans and the government
charges the equivalent
of a month’s average sal-
ary for 10 hours of access
to public WiFi spots with
speeds frequently too slow
to download files or watch
streaming video.
The deal does not affect
Cuba’s antiquated com-
munications infrastructure
or broaden public access
to the internet, but it could In this April 1, 2014 file photo, students gather behind a business looking for a Internet signal for their smart phones in Havana, Cuba.
make Google websites like Associated Press
YouTube or Gmail up to 10
times faster for users inside
Cuba. Content hosted by hind U.S.-Cuba normaliza- works. The U.S. and Cuba ing on most proposals so have been pushing for Cu-
other companies will not tion before President-elect have struck a series of bilat- slowly that some suspect bans to have better access
be affected. Donald Trump takes office eral deals on issues ranging the government has been to information.
Neither Google chair- next month. The Google from environmental pro- deliberately limiting the de- If the Google deal proves
man Eric Schmidt nor pact was announced less tection to direct mail since velopment of economic to truly improve internet ac-
Cuban officials spoke to than a week after Cuba the declaration of detente ties. The Google program cess for a significant num-
the press after the sign- gave three U.S. cruise com- on Dec. 17, 2014, but busi- could provide ammunition ber of Cubans, it ties infor-
ing ceremony in Havana. panies permission to begin ness ties have failed to for U.S. advocates of closer mation access to U.S.-Cu-
Cuban officials appear to sailing to the island next keep pace. The Cuban ties with Cuba. Both pro- ban detente in a way that
be accelerating their ap- year. Officials familiar with government has blamed detente forces and those could prove politically diffi-
provals of deals with U.S. the negotiations say other the U.S. trade embargo on arguing for a hard line on cult to undo for anti-Castro
companies in an attempt deals, including one with Cuba. Many U.S. businesses President Raul Castro’s officials in the incoming
to build momentum be- General Electric, are in the say Cuba has been mov- single-party government Trump administration.q