Cuba has notoriously bad internet — here's what it's like to use

cuba internet hotspot

Cuba has notoriously bad Internet. It's slow, expensive for the local population to use, and primarily provided through crowded government-approved Wi-Fi hotspots.
I traveled to Cuba last year and found that, in order to get internet, you need to buy scratch-off cards that give you a pre-determined amount of time on the approved Wi-Fi hotspots.
The government is trying to increase access to the internet for citizens and signed a deal in 2016 with Google to add local servers, but increased access may result in more censorship.

It's not exactly a secret that Cuba has notoriously bad internet.

For those travelers heading to Cuba for vacation, the lack of internet is something to keep in mind — don't expect to be hailing Ubers or using Google Maps to navigate when you get lost.

All internet service in the long-stagnating island nation is controlled by the state-owned telecom company ETSECA and primarily provided through crowded, government-approved Wi-Fi hotspots around the country.

Here's what it's like to use:

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Paid Wi-Fi hotspots are scattered through major cities. They are instantly recognizable by the crowds of young Cubans gathered with their eyes glued to an assortment of smartphones, laptops, and tablets.

Since 2014, the government has opened approximately 237 paid public Wi-Fi hotspots, according to Reuters, which cost $2 per hour to use.

That’s not a lot of internet access for a country of 11 million people.

The Cuban government blames the country's poor internet access on the US trade embargo, which they say has obstructed the introduction of new network technology and prevented them from accumulating funds to buy equipment from other nations, according to The Associated Press. Cuba estimates that the embargo has cost it $753.69 billion since the US implemented it in 1960.

Critics say Cuba has poor internet by design, to prevent most Cubans from accessing outside culture or information.

For tourists, getting online isn’t too difficult.

Head to the nearest ETSECA office — there’s usually one right next to the Wi-Fi hotspot — and purchase one of the Nauta scratch-off internet cards for $2.

Like everything else in Cuba, be prepared to wait. I would recommend buying a few at a time. Whether the queue is long or short, the process is excruciatingly slow (minimum: 30 minutes to an hour).

Here's a list of ETSECA hot spots in Cuba.