The first few paragraphs of last week’s Vice Motherboard article on accessing Cuba’s elusive internet access paints a very real and fascinating picture of the difficulties in getting connected and informed on the island…
My eyes are scanning the masses at a crowded park in downtown Havana. I know what I need, and I think I know how to get it. A dreadlocked Cuban is perched on a ledge precisely so he can spot people who are fiending like me. I give him a nod, and he beckons me over.
“Tarjeta?” he asks.
“A cuanto?” I respond. I slide him a three peso bill, he flips open his wallet, revealing a dozen shrink-wrapped green paper cards, the object that’s eluded me for days. He slips me one, I open it, scratch off the password code with a coin, and pull out my smartphone. I ignore various security messages, swear away any semblance of privacy, and tell Google to PROCEED ANYWAY. It’s a ritual I know well by now.
Moments later, my phone springs to life, vibrating for the first time in a week. Connecting me to the world. I’ve gotten my fix. This is how you get on the internet in Cuba.
To read the full article, click here.
To learn more what you can do to help #ConnectCuba today, click here.