Cubans Say Prices Too High at New Internet Centers [View all]

[Bacchus4.0]

http://www.laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=797025&CategoryId=14510

HAVANA – Cubans had their first experience Tuesday of the island’s new Web browsing services with the opening of 118 new Internet centers nationwide, though the price of being online was still too expensive for most citizens.

That was the chief complaint that several users expressed to Efe after trying out the new services at centers in Havana.

An hour online costs the equivalent of $4.50.

“You can surf the Web fine, but it’s pretty expensive,” said Roy, a young computer technician who accessed his page on Facebook at a downtown center in Old Havana.

Noel Antunez, 53, had a similar impression – he had just returned to Cuba after working several years in Cape Verde where, he recalled, an hour on the Internet at any center cost less than 1 euro ($1.30).
With regard to the quality, these same users agreed that surfing speed is very good and that they had no problem accessing the Web sites they wanted to visit.
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So it appears the cost of the internet use is based on the dollar equivalent and not on the local currency. Looks like someone was trying to mislead us. I suppose the reply we'll hear is something like "some people say the cost of the internet is too high"