The installation of a new WiFi zone by ETECSA in a park in Nueva Gerona, on the Isle of Youth, sparked more irony than celebration among Cubans who questioned the usefulness of having to go to a public space to connect to the internet amid power outages, insecurity, coverage issues, and declining service.
“Great news. At this rate, by 2080 there will be WiFi all over the island,” one of the users quipped in response to the announcement.
The state-owned company reported last Thursday on Facebook about the installation of the new wireless access point in the park located next to the roundabout on 41st Street, between 30th and 32nd Streets, in Nueva Gerona.
According to ETECSA's Territorial Division, the initiative expands the "options for internet connectivity for the residents of Isla de la Juventud." The announcement was accompanied by photographs of the park and a user accessing the network.
However, a significant portion of the comments focused on questioning why, at this stage, connecting to the internet from a park is being presented as an advancement.
"Going to a park to get connected is so prehistoric," stated a Cuban woman, who also expressed concern for the safety of people staying there while using their phones.
"Given how dangerous the streets are, I'm sure I'll be putting myself in a place where the 'snatcher' knows that everyone there is carrying a phone and, in many cases, is 'distracted,'" she wrote.
Other users pointed out an even more fundamental issue: how to keep the new WiFi zone operational during the prolonged blackouts that affect the island.
"There's no fuel to keep it running! What they should do is move it and place those without energy backup in a data center with a generator," one of the commentators complained.
There were also complaints from customers who already pay for Nauta Hogar and claim that they are unable to use the service as expected.
"Meanwhile, those of us who pay for a service to have it at home continue to be unable to enjoy it," lamented a user.
Another summarized her opinion about the new facility with sarcasm: "What a great achievement! [...] It's normal for everyone to have access from their homes."
The protests have also spread to other localities in the Isle of Youth where connectivity issues persist.
"In Gerona they install, in Ciego they uninstall," noted a user, while others asked ETECSA when the service in La Fe will improve.
Even the conditions of the park itself sparked comments. "And where do they sit? The park looks like it has not a single bench," remarked one person upon seeing the photographs published by the company.
Criticism comes amid the difficulties facing Cuba's telecommunications infrastructure. ETECSA itself acknowledged in June that power outages have rendered 47.5% of its mobile base stations inoperable and 56.5% of the country's telecommunications cabinets.
The publication comes just a few days after the same Territorial Division of the Island of Youth displayed ETECSA workers participating in defense preparation exercises with rifles, images that sparked numerous demands for the company to prioritize the quality of the connection.
Now, the announcement of a new WiFi zone has sparked the same demand among users: rather than new public access points to connect, users are asking to be able to use the telecommunications services they are already paying for without issues.
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