The management of Juan Gualberto G\u00f3mez International Airport in Varadero inaugurated a free navigation room for its employees this Monday, in response to the unpopular rate increase announced by the state-run and sole telecommunications company in Cuba (ETECSA), which further raises the cost of internet access in the country.<\/p>\n
The venue will allow \u201cdownloading information of interest,\u201d as well as \u201cconsulting documents, tutorials, along with all the information options that the internet provides,\u201d highlighted the official newspaper Gir\u00f3n<\/a>.<\/p>\n Photo: Gir\u00f3n newspaper<\/p>\n True to the official fanfare, the inauguration took place “in a simple ceremony,” with the presence of singer-songwriter Israel Rojas<\/strong>, leader of the group Buena Fe. Interestingly, Rojas was one of the many citizen voices that criticized what he considers “communication vices” in the recent announcement by the telecommunications monopoly to dollarize its main mobile internet services.<\/p>\n Defending the regime, the musician took care not to directly criticize the measure, although he expressed in a social media comment<\/strong><\/a> that \u201cthe technical and objective reasons\u201d behind the rate hike \u201ceven though undeniable, end up seeming uncertain, unjust, and erratic.\u201d<\/p>\n The internet room will also benefit, with prior coordination, the residents of the Carbonera community, an area supported by the airport terminal. In that locality, according to the report from Gir\u00f3n, “countless constructive actions have been carried out for social entities” and “tailored attention has been provided to vulnerable children and families,” including projects such as the colorful Avioncito Children’s House, which is highlighted as an example of social impact.<\/p>\n During the event, workers expressed their gratitude for the opening of the service, highlighting its usefulness for “the training of young people who are still studying and veterans eager to enhance their education.”<\/p>\n Photo: Gir\u00f3n newspaper<\/p>\n But the underlying question remains: how many more centers will be able to do the same in a country where access to the Internet, instead of expanding, is increasingly confined within walls of prices, restrictions, and control?<\/p>\n The navigation room at the airport facility, seemingly commendable, highlights a broader reality: with official rates beyond the reach of many, the only option for accessing information and training in workplaces relies on local and exceptional initiatives like this one.<\/p>\n The neoliberal package from ETECSA<\/strong> restricts access to the internet<\/strong><\/a> for most Cubans, compelling them to rely on high-cost top-ups in CUP and dollars, well beyond the means of most citizens who earn their salaries in a heavily devalued Cuban peso, in the context of rampant inflation, once they exhaust the meager data package allowed for browsing in a month (just 6 GB).<\/p>\n The new tariff scheme of ETECSA has been deemed abusive and discriminatory<\/strong><\/a> by the vast majority of Cuban citizens and described as \u201ca robbery at gunpoint.\u201d<\/p>\n Facing a measure viewed not only as an act of social exclusion but also as a form of economic blackmail<\/strong><\/a>, many dignified Cubans have decided to reject any top-ups from abroad<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n After the widespread popular backlash, ETECSA attempted to quell the criticism with new measures announced on the government program Mesa Redonda on the night of June 2, offering 12 GB for 720 CUP and access to free educational sites for university students<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n