Venezuela Helps Cuba Overcome US-Imposed Internet Restrictions

[Peace Patriot]

Merida, November 4th, 2010 (Venezuelanalysis.com) – Cuba and Venezuela will jointly install a fibre-optic submarine cable between the two nations, a move which will “revolutionise telecommunications” according to Cuban Information and Communications Minster Ramiro Valdez yesterday.

The governments want to begin installation of the cable this January and hope to finish it by the second half of 2011. It will connect Cuba with both Venezuela and then with Jamaica, and involves an investment of US$ 70 million.

The cable represents the first possibility for Cuba to have relatively fast internet. Valdez highlighted the importance of “breaking the historical dependence by in telecommunications”.

Currently all Cuban internet is via satellite, meaning it is slow, limited, and expensive. There is an optical-fibre connection between Cancun, Mexico and Miami, US, that passes 32 kilometres from Havana but the U.S denies Cuba access to it.

Venezuelan engineer Carlos Orfila explained, “If the blockade (by the US against Cuba) didn’t exist, connecting Cuba would cost some US $500,000, but it can’t be done because the Cuban companies never receive permission from the U.S State Department.”

The new cable however, passes almost entirely through international waters, but, “because of certain national and economic borders through which the United States attempts to impose its conditions, the length of the cable had to be extended by about 100 kilometres,” Orfila said.

(MORE)

http://venezuelanalysis.com/news/5761
(Fair Use License)
(my emphases)

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Tell me what the U.S. justification for this is! Oh yeah, "freedom of speech" in Cuba!

:sarcasm:

[Judi Lynn]

1. That's a major undertaking. Very labor-intensive, and a long, long distance.

What a shame.

Bravo, Venezuela. While they're at it, they are hooking up Jamaica, too. Very cool.

Great illustration.

Thanks.

[Billy Burnett]

3. Wow. Didn't know that Jamaica's iron fisted dicktater forbids internet too.

:sarcasm:

[Judi Lynn]

4. Yeah! Right off to prison after they are caught logging on!

That's AFTER they are beaten and tortured! :scared: :scared: :scared:

In my view, he's way too mean!
That's why we do see a lot of Jamaican "defectors" in the United States! Help. :scared:

Maybe we should try to get the government to invade Jamaica.

[EFerrari]

2. K&R