As part of Time Warner Cable News’ “Cuba: Closer Than You Think” series, Valarie D’Elia has the keys of staying connected while in Cuba. She filed the following report.
In a country where only an estimated five percent of Cubans have internet, Americans usually head to one of the nicer hotels for what amounts to spotty and slow Wi-Fi.
"I think the simple answer is you don’t stay so connected,” says People-To-People guide Hannah Berkeley-Cohen. “So if I want to watch a YouTube video, I am going to wait 20 minutes for it to download. So if I want to watch a three-minute video, take into consideration it's about $5 an hour to use this internet card. You have to weigh your options of what you download."
Now that relations are normalizing between the U.S. and Cuba, getting online should become easier and cheaper.
"The President did give leeway with regard to investment in expanding the access of internet on the island, and as you know, Cubans restrict access to the internet there. This will actually allow U.S. companies to sell products to Cuba to expand the internet,” says Mark Wells of the U.S. Department of State.
There are signs of progress already.
"A famous Cuban artist has announced that he was opening a cultural center which has free Wi-Fi,” says Berkeley-Cohen. “So imagine if you are living in a place that never had internet access or at least affordable internet access, and all of a sudden, if you go 20 minutes outside the central part of the city, you can have free internet."
Cubans still use pay phones, but until there are other options, Americans are waiting in line to buy a SIM card at the Cuban phone company.
"I think before the year is up, there will be roaming agreements between American companies and Cuban telephone companies that's now permitted legally," says John McAuliff of the Fund For Reconciliation and Development.
So at least for now, that selfie will have to be kept to yourself, and not shared with your Facebook friends back home, until you are.