The limited Internet connection in Cuba in many ways cuts the country off from the rest of the world. According to one study, only 5% of Cuban households have access to the internet.
However, a solution has seen the invention of an El Paquete Semanal – simply translated to ‘the weekly package’. It consists of an abundance of data installed on a hard drive, ranging from popular music, TV series and job listings similar to Craigslist.
Just like a newspaper delivery or a milk round, curators pass on these Internet packages to distributors, who then deliver them to the doors of Cuban households across the country every Monday.
Keeping Up To Date With The Modern World
Those who do own a computer, a mobile phone or a tablet are restricted with very little internet access as a result of lack of funds and the tight government control.
Not only does the Paquete supply subscribers with modern music, videos and even mobile phone apps, but it is also keeping Cuba in sync with the rest of the world.
The Paquete is delivered on a hard drive and is copied onto the recipients computer, the cost ranging from one to two US dollars depending on the amount of data desired.
Connecting The Country
With the Paquete, businesses across the country have been able to promote their services using an advertising firm called ETres. The company make and then place advertisements onto the Paquete, slotting them in after television programmes and in between music. Journalists in Cuba have also benefited, with the Paquete providing weekly updates on current affairs and trending news stories.
While the Paquete has served as a great means of connecting, entertaining and informing the country on the goings on around the rest of the world, it looks like there may not be a need for it in the near future.
With the first wi-fi cafe being approved in Havana back in March this year and the Cuban government slowly loosening their restrictions on the Internet access, we may well see Cuba online, every day of the week in the not so distant future.
