An important thing to know about Cuba is the internet in Cuba and how it works. Especially when you need it for work you should be prepared. Sounds strange but it is different than in many other places. Please note that I wrote this post a while back But I made updates about the Internet in Cuba and its development in 2018.
Most of you may have heard that Cuba has a unique internet environment, so getting an internet connection is not as normal as it is in other parts of the world.
There is no private internet connection in Cuba so far, that means normally people do not have internet in their homes. There is also no mobile internet, just mailing. Now there is a thing called Nauta Hogar, that is planning to bring internets to peoples homes, but is not really everywhere and comparable.
How does the Internet in Cuba work?
But since July 2015 there are public Wi-Fi hotspots in Parks or some Streets. The first Hotspot of this kind was in the Vedado neighborhood at 23rd-Street, that part is called La Rampa. Before that, the internet could just be used in hotels or internet cafés. Before the opening of the hotspots, the price of one hour of the internet was 4,50$.
Now an hour of internet in Cuba officially costs 2$.
For using the internet you need or a permanent account, or an internet card. Internet cards you can get from the ETECSA (local telecommunication company) or from people reselling them at the hotspots.
If you buy the cards (Tarjeta de internet) from somebody reselling them, they will cost 3$.
With the card, you get a code to connect.
So now you will just have to connect to “Wifi-ETECSA” open your browser and fill in the login number on your card.
When you are done just turn off the Wi-Fi at your device and you can reuse the time you have left on your card.
That’s it!
Here a little list of Hotspots in the neighborhoods Habana Vieja, Centro Habana, Vedado, and Miramar.
Additional to those hotspots you can use the Wi-Fi connections in hotels.
You can tell from the people with phones, Laptops etc. 😉
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Neighborhood
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Hotspot Directions
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Habana Vieja
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Hotels
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Centro Habana
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Parque Boulevar San Rafael and Galeano
Parque Trillo (San Rafael y Hospital)
Hotels
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Vedado
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La Rampa ( Calle 23 from L to Malecón)
Parque Línea y M
Parque 15 y 14
Hotels
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Miramar
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Pabexpo
Habana Trade center
Hotels
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for hotspots in other neighborhoods
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… This list luckily has expanded and I will update it soon…
NEW UPDATES:
Some things changed in the last months in terms of the internet on the Island.
First of all, there are new Hotspots, like the one at the famous Malécon in Havana, which connects the 8km long seafront to the internet.
Second and most important: There has been a price change! Now one hour of Internet costs 1.50CUC! (Not 2CUC like before) Nacional navigation now costs 0.25CUC an hour.
*ANOTHER UPDATE: The Price is currently at 1CUC per Hour and the government is testing 3G on the mobile phones.
