"And what if a parent could share their data with both of their children?" That was one of the most striking and unusual proposals that emerged on Wednesday during a meeting between university students and representatives of ETECSA in Havana, as part of an unprecedented national task force created to address the critical measures of the state telecommunications company.
The proposal, made by Luis Yoel González, a student leader of the Federation of University Students (FEU), highlights a harsh reality shared by thousands of Cuban families: the inability to afford multiple data packages so that all members of the household, especially the youth, can study, work, or simply communicate.
“We have parents who have two children, and among the proposals is that they can access a shared data package that allows them to distribute the connection between both.”, explained the representative.
Alain Álvarez, president of the FEU at the University of Computer Sciences (UCI), which trains many of the members of the "cyberclaria armies" that are prevalent on social media, also suggested that the price of the service could be based on connection speed, rather than on data usage, as is done in other countries.
The Technological University of Havana (CUJAE) is the headquarters of the multidisciplinary group that will be working until next Friday on concrete proposals to address the
"This is not a finished debate," warned one of the spokespersons. "There are still unresolved issues, criteria that need clarification, and legitimate demands on the table."
In addition to the "package for parents with children," one of the ideas discussed was to expand Wi-Fi zones as a way to relieve the technological infrastructure and provide a more stable alternative to mobile access, even though it entails high initial investments and a regression to situations already experienced by Cubans.
The creation of the “Multidisciplinary Group”, made up of around 30 students from various universities across the country, was presented as an opening for dialogue with the youth. From the government’s perspective, it was said to "channel concerns" and "work alongside ETECSA," but the setup of the event, detached from the autonomous spirit that any critical space should embody, highlighted the controlled and politicized nature of the group.
ETECSA has made it clear that there will be no changes to its rates. The price hike remains in effect, and prices will stay “aligned with its economic model,” as reiterated by spokespeople for the state-owned company. Therefore, the likelihood of these proposals turning into actual policies seems limited.
This is not the first time the regime has resorted to the creation of committees or "workgroups" to contain social discontent without altering the decisions that have already been made. Since the announcement of the rate increase, the FEU has played an ambivalent role, publicly supporting the government's measures while promoting spaces that seemingly aim to listen to the student body.
At the Central University "Marta Abreu" of Las Villas, for example, the FEU responded to the discontent with a call to “maintain tranquility” on campus, making it clear that its role is to contain the protest, not to represent it.
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