List of jobs that are eligible for self-employment in Cuba -- send in the clowns (and the programmers)

In a previous post I noted that the US will now allow imports of goods and services produced by Cuban entrepreneurs who are independent of the government. It turns out that the Cuban government has a list of 201 jobs that are authorized for self-employment and the list includes Computer Programmer -- leading me to wonder if we would be importing Cuban software and software services.

Another job that caught my eye was Retail Telecommunication Agent, which got be thinking about operators of local Internet-access businesses in rural areas -- perhaps using satellite links where terrestrial connectivity is not available.

But what of the other 199 jobs that are eligible for self-employment in Cuba -- might there be other exports? It turns out that the many of the jobs are providing local service -- small restaurant owner, nanny, barber etc. Others may produce small items which could be exported like ceramic pots or costume jewelry, but software was the only interesting exportable item I found.

But, the list is interesting in its own right, independent of tech or other exports. It is funny -- goofy. I got a kick out of reading it. On a more serious note, it says something about Cuban bureaucracy and the desire to micro-manage. It would have been fun to watch the process by which this list was defined.

We see frequent, optimistic reference to Cuba's desire to liberalize and move toward a market economy, but dealing with a government that would attempt to create such a list would be difficult.


For a little more insight into the frustration one experiences with bureaucracy in using the Internet in Havana, read this account by a visiting university student. It reminds me of the old Soviet Union saying "we pretend to work and they pretend to pay us." The Cuban Internet faces cultural as well as political and economic hurdles.

At any rate, although this is a little off-topic for this blog, here is the list of 201 jobs authorized for self-employment:*

Musical Instrument Tuning and Repair
Water Delivery
Construction Laborer
Animal Rental
Formal Wear Rental
Knife Grinder
Party Entertainer (clowns, magicians)
Mule Driver
Artisan (arts and crafts maker)
Mechanical Saw Operator (as in a sawmill)
Babysitter/Nanny
Barber
Embroiderer/Knitter
Wagon or Pushcart Operator (to help move things)
Flower Bed Arranger
Carpenter
Mobile Hand Cart Hawker of Agricultural Products
Locksmith
Furniture Repairman
Collector and Payer of Bills
Operator of Children’s Fun Wagon Pulled by Pony or Goat
Buyer and Seller of Records (including CDs)
Used Book Seller
Builder/Seller/Installer of Radio and TV Antennas
Craftsman/Seller/Repairman of Wicker Furniture
Breeder/Seller of Pets
Window Glass Repair
Animal Caretaker
Public Bathroom Attendant
Caretaker of Elderly/Handicapped
Public Park Caretaker
Leather Tanner (except cows and horses)
Decorator
Palm Tree Trimmer
Restaurant Owner (paladares)
Café Owner (cafetería)
Non-Alcoholic Beverage Seller (home delivery)
Café Owner (cafeteria, light snacks and beverages)
Street-based Seller of Food and Beverages
Charcoal Manufacturer/Seller
Wine Maker/Seller
Maker of Yokes, Harnesses and Rope for Oxen
Electrician
Automobile Electrician
Building Superintendent
Book Binding
Electric Motor Rewiring
Animal Trainer
Flower Wreath Arranger
Button Coverer (wraps buttons in cloth, popular in the 50’s and 60’s)
Photographer
Car washer/Oil Changer
Bus/Train/Taxi Stop Barker (calls out instructions to waiting passengers)
Engraver of Numbers
Blacksmith/Seller of Horseshoes and Nails
Trader of Scrap Metals
Driving Instructor
Sports Trainer (except martial arts and diving)
Gardener
Clothes Washing/Ironing
Woodsmen/Logger
Shining Shoes
Spark Plug Cleaner and Tester
Septic Tank Repairman and Cleaner
Manicurist
Make-up Artist
Masseuse
Plasterer
Refrigerator Mechanic
Typist and Copier
Messenger
Seamstress/Tailor
Miller of Grains
Audio Systems Installer/Operator
Tire Repair
Children’s Ride Operator
Parking Attendant (including for cars, bicycles)
Hairdresser
Animal Groomer
Cleaning/Household Help
Car Painter
Furniture Painter and Polisher
House Painter
Sign Painter
Ornamental Fish Farmer
Plastic Covering Maker for IDs
Plumber
Well Digger
Producer/Seller of Items Used in the Home (self-made or made by other selfemployed)
Producer/Seller of Rubber Accessories
Producer/Seller of Clay Goods (pots, planters, cookware)
Producer/Seller of Bricks and Tiles
Producer/Seller of Articles and Animals for Religious Use
Producer/Seller of Harnesses, Blankets, and Saddles
Producer/Seller of Costume Jewelry
Shoemaker/Shoe Salesman
Producer/Seller of Brooms and Brushes
Producer/Seller of Plaster Figurines
Grower/Seller of Ornamental Plants
Piñata Maker/Seller
Grower/Seller of Plants for Animal Feed and Medicinal Purposes
Music/Art Instructor
Shorthand, Typing, and Language Instructor
Computer Programmer
Metal Polisher
Collector/Seller of Natural Resources (i.e. sea shells)
Collector/Seller of Recyclables
Watch Repair
Leather Repair
Jewelry Repair
Bedframe Repair
Automobile Battery Repair
Bicycle Repair
Costume Jewelry Repair
Fence and Walkway Repair
Stove/Range Repair
Mattress Repair
Small Household Goods Repair
Office Equipment Repair
Electronic Equipment Repair
Mechanical and Combustion Equipment Repair
Eyeglass Repair
Sewing Machine Repair
Saddle and Harness Repair
Umbrella and Parasol Repair
Disposable Lighter Repair and Refill
Tutor (currently employed teachers not eligible)
Doll and Toy Repair
Art Restorer
Night Watchman or Building Doorman
Welder
Leather Craftsman
Upholsterer
Roofer
Accountant/Tax Preparation
Textile Dyer
Machinist
Roaster (i.e. of peanuts, coffee)
Part-time Farm Laborer
Document Translator
Shearer (as in sheep)
Thresher
Vegetable/Fruit Street Vendor (from fixed venues)
Shoe Repair
Contracted Employee of a Self-Employed
Event Planner (weddings, etc
Mason
Real Estate Broker
Repair of Measurement Instruments
Food Wholesaler
Food Retailer (in kiosks and farmers’ markets)
Room/Home Rental
Postal Agent
Telecommunications Agent (retail)
Building Construction Services
Car Body Remolding
Maker/Seller of Marble Objects
Maker/Seller of Soaps, Dyes
Welder
Iron Worker (grating for doors, windows)
Welder/Flamecutter (cutting with gas)
Maker/Seller of Aluminum Products
Maker/Seller of Non-Ferrous Metals
Floor Polisher
Repairer of Water Pumps
Space Rentals in One’s Home to Selfemployed
Insurance Agent
Maker/Seller of Food and Beverages in “China Town”
Private Construction Contractor (in the Havana “Old Town”)
Horse and Carriage Rides
Antique Dealer
Habaneras (women posing in colorful colonial attire)
Fortune Tellers
Folkloric Dancers
Mambises-style Musical Groups (traditional Cuban music)
Caricaturists
Artificial Flowers Seller
Painters (who sell pictures in the street)
Dandy (man dressed in Colonial garb)
Hair Braider
Fresh Fruit Peeler
Dance Duo “Amor” (traditional Cuban dances)
Benny Moré Dance Team
Trained Dog Exhibitor
Musical Duo “Los Amigos” (popular music)
Extras (people in period dress)
Traditional Barber
Truck Driver
Station Wagon Driver
Small-Truck Driver
Bus Driver
Mini-Bus Driver
Taxi Driver
Handcar Operator (on rails)
Jeep Driver
Passenger Boat Operator
Motorcycle Driver
Three-Wheeled Pedal Taxi Driver
Cart Operator
Horse-Drawn Carriage Operator
Pedal Taxi Driver

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* This list was taken from an appendix in a very interesting report -- "Soft Landing in Cuba? Emerging Entrepreneurs and Middle Classes" by Richard Feinberg. The list is dated September 26, 2013 and may have changed subsequently.

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Update 3/11/2015

Cuban self employment is rising, but, as we have seen, the job categories are mostly domestic service jobs.

From telegram to tweet: Section 127 and all that

Big Brother Watch has this week published the results of its research, conducted via freedom of information requests to police forces, into charges and cautions under two communications offences: Section 127 of the Communications Act 2003 and the Malicious Communications Act 1988.

The report ‘Careless Whispers’ finds that for the three years November 2010 to November 2013 at least 4,259 people were charged and at least 2,070 cautioned under the two provisions, nearly two thirds of which were under Section 127.  At least 355 of these cases involved social media.  The proportion involving social media is on the increase.

BBW's conclusions are twofold: that these offences were designed for one-to-one communications such as post and telephone, not for the one-to-many communications typical of social media; and that they are out of date and the law needs to be reformed. 

Specifically BBW calls for the abolition of Section 127 and the removal of 'grossly offensive' from the Malicious Communications Act.

Section 127 has two limbs. It is an offence for someone to send by means of a public electronic communications network a “message or other matter that is grossly offensive or of an indecent, obscene or menacing character”. It is similarly an offence if someone “for the purpose of causing annoyance, inconvenience or needless anxiety to another” sends “a message that he knows to be false”.

Section 127 applies to all internet communications, public or private, one-to-one or one-to-many. That is because when you send a tweet, post something to Facebook or send an e-mail the communication will travel across a UK public telecommunications network that carries internet traffic.  Section 127 catches that communication, regardless of whether it ends up in someone's private mailbox or published on a social media platform.

Some may argue that exactly because the internet and social media are 'one to many' the communications can be more damaging, and stricter content prohibitions should apply than to private communications.  Others will say that individual freedom of public expression is a major advance wrought by the internet that should be defended at least as jealously online as offline.  There is a debate to be had about that.  What is beyond doubt, however, is that Section 127, and its application to social media, is the result of historical accident not conscious design.

Section 127 goes back at least to the 1935 Post Office (Amendment) Act. The first limb, including ‘grossly offensive’, was designed to deter telephone users from being abusive to telephone operators; the second to catch senders of distressing hoax telegrams. Instances of malicious or even fraudulent hoax telegrams were known from at least the early 20^th century. 

In fact the first limb of Section 127 can be traced back even further than 1935, to the Post Office (Protection) Act 1884. Here is the ancestry of the section, focusing on the origin of 'grossly offensive'.

'Grossly offensive' originated in 1884 as part of a prohibition on material on the outside of postal packets (including telegrams). At the outset an M.P., Charles Warton, voiced concern in Parliament about what might be caught:

"… many people—even many Members of that House—frequently sent letters through the Post with very amusing pieces of scurrility upon them. … under this clause, a very heavy liability might attach to it. … it might happen that one man would use words—for instance, he might write "swindler" or "liar" upon the outside of a letter—which were not really indecent or obscene, only what they would call vulgar, and see what a tremendous penalty the clause imposed for that—imprisonment for 12 months."

In the event the MP's fears were borne out in 1913 when one John Cole was convicted under the 1884 Act at Leeds magistrates after sending postcards to various local officials, calling a well-known local alderman an 'insurance swindler'. This was found to be grossly offensive.

The prohibition on ‘grossly offensive’ material on the outside of postal packets remained unchanged until the Postal Services Act 2000.  By that time the legislative line of descent had forked.  While 'grossly offensive' was removed from the postal packets offence, it remained in the telephony provision. That was widened to cover messages sent by public telecommunications services in 1969, then amended to 'public electronic communications network' in 2003.

It is not clear why in 2000 "grossly offensive" was removed from the prohibition applicable to the outside of postal packets, but not removed from what in 2003 became Section 127.

Section 127, in particular, has long been a cause for concern. It lays down stricter prohibitions online than would apply offline.  It can criminalise activities, such as sharing a photo with friends via smartphones, that would be legal if done face to face.

During the debate on the 2013 Defamation Bill the government minister said: "An individual should be charged and prosecuted for the offence they commit, irrespective of whether it happens in the street or in cyberspace”. This is the hallowed mantra that what is illegal offline should also be illegal online.

But if we are serious about that, the converse should also apply: if it is not illegal offline it should not be illegal online. With Section 127 that is patently not the case.  It sweeps up more than the offline offences. It can lead to incidents such as last year’s prosecution (apparently under Section 127) for sharing a photo of a police officer decorated with cartoon penises.

The notorious Twitter Joke Trial was a section 127 prosecution, albeit that it ultimately failed. The Director of Public Prosecution’s social media prosecutorial guidelines, while welcome, are no substitute for appropriately formulated legislation.

By way of a historical footnote, the Twitter Joke Trial was not the first occasion on which a joke communication has landed the perpetrator in hot water with the criminal law. This incident from 1924 could have graced the pages of PG Wodehouse. 

In January 1924 the Rev. Walter Karran, a curate on the Isle of Man, pleaded guilty at Liverpool Police Court (under pre-1935 legislation) to uttering a forged telegram (or to aiding and abetting the same – reports vary).  The following account is based for the most part on the report in the Dundee Courierof 25 January 1924.

The Rev. Karran had been travelling to Liverpool from the Isle of Man. He suggested to a fellow-traveller on the ferry, Miss Alice Winstone, that he should send a telegram to his Bishop purporting to be from the then Prime Minister, Mr Stanley Baldwin. He then wrote the following message which he asked her to send from the telegraph office in Liverpool, giving her the money to pay:

“To Denton Thompson, Bishop’s Court, Kirkmichael, I.O.M. – Meet me at Adelphi Hotel, three, to-morrow afternoon. Most important. – Baldwin.”

The Bishop received the telegram and hastened to Liverpool, where he knew that Baldwin was speaking that day, but discovered on arrival that he had been hoaxed. The Bishop was meant to be moving the Church Enabling Bill in the Manx Legislative Assembly, which had to be postponed due to his absence. The Bishop had thought the telegram must concern the Baldwin Trust, of which he was Chairman.

Following police enquiries the Rev. Karran confessed and took full responsibility. The Director of Public Prosecutions instigated proceeedings. In court counsel, in mitigation, said that the Rev. Karran was a “devoted worker in his vocation, but inclined in lighter moments to take a humorous view of things and to indulge in practical joking”. Miss Winstone was threatened with sea sickness and it was to divert her attention that he suggested the joke. It was rumoured that the Bishop was likely to be offered a bishopric in England and he thought the telegram would be “a very amusing bit of leg-pulling”.

The Stipendiary Magistrate was less amused. The explanation given as to why the Bishop might have thought the telegram genuine “made the so-called joke a singularly offensive one”. It was “incredible to most people that a clergyman could do such a thing”. The Rev. Karran was fined £10 and 25 guineas costs.  A summons against Miss Winstone was withdrawn, she being held to be an innocent party in the episode.

Telegram or tweet, jokes have a tendency to fall flat when scrutinised in the cold light of the courtroom.

Can we now do a satellite access pilot in Cuba?

I have suggested short and long-run steps the government of Cuba could take if, as they claim, they wish to improve Internet access. One of my short-term suggestions was to allow private entrepreneurs to sell satellite Internet connectivity. (Retail telecommunications agent is one of the 201 jobs authorized for self employment).

The United States has now cleared the way for satellite Internet providers to serve Cuba and it has been reported that Vice Minister Gonzales Vidal said that the importation of the satellite equipment Alan Gross brought into the country is no longer prohibited.

If there is a school, clinic, Joven Club, etc. willing to try a satellite pilot, contact me -- I'm willing to seek a satellite provider in the US and will pay for the first years connectivity.

The US will allow imports from Cuba's nascent private sector -- will Cuba allow software exports?

Will Cuban programmers be allowed to sell software and do offshore programming and localization in the US and online?

Many people have asked me whether I expect the Cuban Internet to thrive after rapprochement with the US, and I tell them that is up to the Cubans -- the ball is in their court.

President Obama passed them another ball yesterday -- Cubans can now be paid for many goods and services exported to the US. (There is a list of exceptions to this broad policy).

My first reaction was a big grin -- I am more interested in what Cuba can sell in the US than I am in what US and other companies can sell in Cuba -- and I imagined Cuban companies and professionals offering high margin goods and services in the US.

But, Obama's offer is limited to "independent Cuban entrepreneurs" -- who are those entrepreneurs and what do they do? This report by Richard E. Feinberg lists the 201 self-employment job categories that were open to Cubans as of September 26, 2013 and it is a goofy list with jobs like three-wheeled pedal taxi driver (not to be confused with pedal taxi driver or horse-drawn cart operator). I'd advise you to check the list for laughs and also a glimpse into the Cuban bureaucratic mind.

Well, that was discouraging, but then I looked more closely at Feinberg's table grouping the 201 jobs into eight categories and one jumped off the page -- computer programmers were included in the "other" category along with clowns and magicians!

How did programmers get on this goofy list? Was it an oversight or an intended loophole for would-be app developers, Web site designers and developers, offshore programmers, software localizers, etc.?

There were 476,000 self-employed Cubans in December 2014 -- I wonder how many were computer programmers and how many more would apply for a self-employment license if software and software service export is actually allowed.

If any readers know any of these self-employed programmers, I would love to hear from them -- to hear what they are currently doing and what they would do if allowed to export to the US.

Programmers are close to my heart, but the Cuban economy can export much more than software. If Cuba is to take advantage of the offer President Obama has made, they must drop what Ted Hencken and Arch Ritter call the "internal Cuban embargo." The Cubans would be wise to adopt the economic and Internet reforms suggested by Hencken and Ritter if they hope to export more than artisan crafts, pottery and religious articles.

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Update 2/19/2015

Official daily Juventud Rebelde said participants in the forum stressed the need to "promote exports of computer services and products, establish business models among telecommunications operators and providers, and foment the creation and development of state companies in harmony with non-state forms of management."

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Update 2/20/2015

If Americans can now purchase goods and services from Cuba, can Cubans crowd-fund projects in the US? Cuban drummer YISSY raised €5,000 on Verkami, a Spanish crowd-funding site. Why not Cuban software projects (and everything else) on kickstarter?

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Update 2/25/2015

I've posted the complete list of jobs eligible for self-employment -- it is goofy and funny, but it also says something about Cuban micro-management and bureaucracy.

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Update 2/27/2015

Two excellent articles on the:

• potential of the Cuban software industry
• Cuba's resourceful maker culture

http://www.rikimbili.com/

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Update 4/29/2015

Cuban software exports will come from the nascent developer/startup community. I will have more to say on this in a future post, but for now, check out this Meetup group. The meetup is being organized by several former members of the Merchise software group and they are interested in software development, entrepreneurship, networking, venture capital, etc. etc. -- the sort of thing you would expect.

Latin American Freeware Festival 2015

The possibility of a uniquely Cuban Internet

This post is not about what I think will happen, but to begin discussion of what the Cuban government could do if the goal were to provide a modern, open Internet with affordable (free in some cases?) access.

The Cuban Internet is in a sorry state. Freedom House ranks Cuban Internet freedom 62nd among the 65 nations they survey and the UN International Telecommunications Union ranks Cuban information and communication technology development last among 32 nations in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Historically, there are three primary causes for the sad state of the Cuban Internet -- the US trade embargo, Cuban poverty at the time of their connection to the Internet and the government's fear of information. (We'll discuss a possible new constraint, ETECSA, later).

President Obama has lifted the first barrier and, when we look at other poor Latin America and Caribbean nations, we see that Cuba could afford a better Internet than it currently has.

That leaves fear of an open Internet. The government says the Internet is a priority and they want to expand access as quickly as financially feasible. I am skeptical, but let’s assume they are sincere – what might they do in the short term and the long term?

In the short term

Cuba cannot afford ubiquitous, modern Internet infrastructure today – they need low-cost interim action while planning for the long term. Here are some low-cost ways they could improve the Internet in the short run:

• Run a pilot study using the same sort of satellite equipment that Alan Gross was arrested for bringing into the country and, If successful, follow with  a national rollout – with access points marketed and supported by Cuba’s recently-legal small business people.
• Equip central offices with equipment to upgrade dial-up to DSL accounts.
• Use terrestrial wireless links to establish points of presence in rural locations.
• Legitimatize and support local WiFi hotspots. There are many illegal WiFi networks in Cuba that could be legalized, linked (USENET style, asynchronously) and encouraged.
• Legitimatize and support the weekly “packages” of movies, TV series episodes, magazines and software that are distributed by independent vendors on flash drives. (This would requires some kind of copyright agreement).
• Provide high-speed connectivity to universities and the medical network over the ALBA-1 undersea cable.
• Begin networking of Cuban schools and improve connectivity at the Youth Computer Clubs
• Legitimatize and support the development and export of Cuban software and software services.
• Encourage and support the establishment of a vital startup community.

What about the long term?

Long range planning, addressing technology and, more important, infrastructure ownership and regulation policy, should begin immediately.

Cuba has little Internet infrastructure. There is an undersea cable to Venezuela, but little fiber on the island. (Eventually, Cuba might take control of the cable being installed between Guantánamo and Florida). Nearly all home connections are dial-up and the cell network is obsolete 2G technology. There are 573 public access computers in 155 locations, but they are slow and an hour online costs nearly a week’s pay for many workers.

Cuba should leapfrog today’s technology, looking toward developments that are five or more years out – 5G  mobile communication, high frequency wireless by Google and others, the satellite constellation projects from SpaceX and OneWeb, connectivity using the undersea cable at Guantánamo, etc. Routing traffic using version 6 of the Internet protocol will prepare them for the “Internet of things.”

The long range planning of technology is necessary, but formulating policies for ownership of infrastructure and regulation is more important -- not only for Cubans, but for the rest of the world as well if the Cuban experience leads to innovative policies.

The conventional wisdom is that Cuba should invite foreign companies to install infrastructure – a path many developing nations have followed with marginal success. It is not certain that Cuba, with its current government and weak economy, could attract foreign investment, but even if could, I would hate to see Cuba's Internet future in the hands of companies like AT&T or Orange.

If they do go with foreign investment, I would not be surprised to see them partnering with Google rather than a traditional ISP – Google executives have visited Cuba and Google is clearly interested in global connectivity. My experience in the US leads me to trust Google to do a better job than the incumbent ISPs, but, I would still have to ask -- in the long run, why should we expect Google to be better for the Cuban people than a traditional ISP? (I'd ask the same question of aspiring global satellite ISPs SpaceX and OneWeb).

Cuba should go slowly and consider a broad range of infrastructure ownership policies like municipal ownership in Stockholm, government as a venture capitalist in Singapore, government as rural wholesale backbone provider as in India, individual ownership of final links, etc. Cuban policy makers should consider a broad range of policy models -- Chile, Iceland, Vietnam, Estonia, etc. etc.

In 1997, fear of free speech led the government to squelch the Internet, but today there is another potential stumbling block – ETECSA, Cuba’s monopoly Internet service provider. ETECSA is usually described as a state-owned monopoly, but it’s privately owned by a murky collection of investors (rumored to include Fidel and Raúl Castro) and regulated by the Ministry of Communication.

The relationship between ETECSA and the Ministry is unclear – which organization makes investment decisions, sets prices, gets the profits or absorbs the losses, etc.?

Cynics predict the Cuban Internet will undergo a Soviet-style sell-off to foreign investors who will run it for their profit. But, if the Cuban government sincerely embraces its socialist goals, it has a chance to create a uniquely Cuban Internet with the goal of providing universal, affordable access to its citizens rather than making profit for private ISPs, ETECSA or the government. I’m skeptical, but hope I’m wrong.

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Update 3/18/2015

One of my long-term suggestions was that Cuba keep an eye on OneWeb, which hopes to provide global satellite connectivity. CEO Greg Wyler, speaking at the Satellite 2015 Conference yesterday, said they hope to be offering service by 2019 -- providing $250 ground stations that require no setup and establish a 50 mbps connection to the Internet and a WiFi, LTE, 3G and 2G local area network.

One of my short-term suggestions was that Cuba deploy geostationary satellite ground stations. They could do that today, but, if OneWeb is successful, their satellite links will be cheaper and superior to today's satellite offerings in every way.

Grag Wyler speaking:

A OneWeb ground station -- no setup required:

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Update 3/22/2015

It seems that Internet access at the University of Santiago de Cuba has been significantly improved. I am being a vague because the post I read has been translated into English and is hard to follow. It sounds like the university now has a fiber link and speed and data caps have improved significantly.

Can someone fill me in on the details of this upgrade and on the general state of connectivity at Cuban universities?

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Update 3/28/2015

Ricardo Alarcon, head of the Ministry of Higher Education announced a deal with ETECSA to substantially improve university Internet access. It sounds like every university will have both domestic and international links. The article is vague and inconsistent on technical details, but it also says students will have access to 40,000 digital magazines -- double the previous amount.

The article also refers to an upgrade to the university network, REDUNIV. The figure below was taken from a PowerPoint presentation last updated in 2005. I am saddened to see a frame relay backbone, but I am sure it has been upgraded since that time. Does anyone have information about the current network?

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Update 5/11/2015

I suggested that Cuba would be better off owning and controlling their telecommunication infrastructure rather than turning it over to foreign investors and they may be heading in that direction.

Lina Pedraza Rodríguez, Cuban Minister of Finance and Prices, said that Cuba is in "very advanced" negotiations with Huawei at the World Economic Forum on Latin America last week.

Pedraza also said the Cuban telecoms sector would be open to all foreign companies but also noted that the country wanted to avoid the "negative parts of the Internet."

Pedreza also feels that things are moving slowly with the US and called for the elimination of our trade embargo.

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Update 5/28/2015

One of my short-run suggestions was to legitimatize and support shared WiFi hotspots. Raymond J. Delgado Sutil has written a post that elaborates on that suggestion. He estimates that ETECSA's revenue from Internet access "navigation rooms" is around 907,000 CUC per year and the cost of installing WiFi access points at each navigation room and Youth Computer Club location would be about $200,000. Users would use their own computers and phones, eliminating the need for more computers in the navigation rooms. He says ETECSA should "just do it" rather than conducting a "study."

Unfortunately, Delgado does not mention backhaul speed at the navigation rooms or whether they connect to the undersea cable for international traffic. The backhaul speed is only 2 mb/s at the ballyhooed free hotspot of the artist Kcho. At that speed, performance would be very poor whether access was over WiFi or using one of the original hard-wired computers. Similarly, if international access were routed over satellite, response would be very slow.

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Update 7/16/2015

Raul Castro has reported that Cuba's economy is growing at a 4.7 percent annual rate (due to increased tourism?) and Cuba is "strictly meeting its debt obligations with foreign creditors and suppliers." A stronger economy will enable Cuba to pursue a relatively independent Internet strategy, without excessive reliance on foreign investment.

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Update 7/18/2015

Speaking at the 10th Congress of the Young Communist League of Cuba, Deputy Minister of Communications Jose Luis Perdomo said they were working on connectivity from homes, lower costs, access from educational, health, scientific, cultural and sport centers as well as industrial, business and service centers.

More concretely, he said they planned provide Internet service to 3G cellular users and deploy WiFi in Havana and provincial capitals. There is little 3G cellular today -- does that mean they plan to extend it? He also said they were deploying IPv6.

Deputy Minister of Communications Jose Luis Perdomo

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Update 11/19/2015

We suggested that Cuba shift to IPv6 and, as the following figure shows, they are routing IPv6 traffic over Tata and Newcomm (satellite) networks, but not Telefonica. I believe the "other" traffic is internal to Cuba -- peering with CENIAI Internet (AS10569).

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Update 1/17/2016

In considering future technology, infrastructure ownership and policy options, Cuba should look at the experience of others. Steve Song has just posted his annual Africa Telecoms Infrastructure review. The review might provide some insights for Cuban policy makers and they should be consulting with folks like Steve Song.

Netflix comes to Cuba -- only Fidel and Raúl can afford it for now *

What about YouTube?

Netflix has joined Google as one of the first US companies to offer an Internet service in Cuba, but few Cubans can afford the $7.99 monthly Netflix subscription and home access is nearly all over dial up connections. DSL bandwidth at public access points, hotels and some work places can only support low quality Netflix streams and Cuba's second generation cell network will not support mobile viewing.

Forgetting access, how about Copyright? Netflix cannot afford to violate copyright deals with its suppliers and in Cuba they have to compete with Cuba's weekly pirate distributions of movies, TV episodes, magazine, software, Web sites, etc. and similar material delivered over local WiFi networks.

It would be interesting to know what sorts of royalty rates Netflix is paying for the material they plan to stream in Cuba and what content will be available.

Given the economic, copyright and infrastructure constraints, I suspect that, for now, Fidel and Raúl Castro will be the only Netflix customers in Cuba and they will only be able to watch old Cantinflas movies and Netflix productions like House of Cards and Orange is the New Black.

What about YouTube?

Google executives recently visited Cuba -- did they talk about YouTube? I imagine a much higher percent of YouTube content can legally be distributed in Cuba than is the case for Netflix, but the vast collection of YouTube video would cause problems for Cuban censors. Which Cubans would be allowed to access YouTube?

Google does not block YouTube, so it is available to the few people with an international Internet connection, but I have not been able to find anyone who has seen YouTube in Cuba. It is not available in Universities, and, even if it were, student bandwidth caps would limit or eliminate viewing. Does anyone reading this in Cuba have access to YouTube video?

(I am guessing that Netflix video is streamed from inside Cuba, perhaps from this ETECSA data center, but YouTube is not).

I joked about the Castro brothers being the only Netflix customers in Cuba, but hotels and other senior government officials probably also have access. While that is not enough to justify going into Cuba, Netflix had gotten valuable publicity and demonstrated that they are a global company.

Finally, everyone is focusing on Netflix, YouTube and other companies selling goods and services to Cuba. My focus is on the goods and services Cuba can sell to the US and the rest of the world. (We took a giant step in that direction with the announcement that many types of "goods and services produced by independent Cuban entrepreneurs" could now be imported into the United States).

How long will it be before there are Cuban channels on YouTube and Netflix is commissioning videos made by Cubans? Maybe Google should open their next YouTube production center in Havana.

*Note -- I revised this post after communicating with people in Cuba and at Google and Netflix.

Tomorrow's SpaceX launch: a reusable rocket, science and Earth's next selfie

Sunday February 8 at 6:10 EST (two minutes after sunset), a SpaceX rocket is scheduled to launch. Previous SpaceX satellites delivered payloads into low-Earth orbit, but this one is destined for the Lagrangian Point nearly 1 million miles from Earth.

At the Lagrangian point 1 (or L1), approximately one million miles from Earth, the
gravitational forces between the sun and Earth are balanced, which provides a stable
orbit that requires fewer orbital corrections for the spacecraft to remain in its
operational location for a longer period of time.
Source: NOAA

There are several reasons I will be watching the livestream of the launch.

SpaceX will attempt, for the second time, to recover the rocket. The first time they tried to recover a rocket they failed, but they understand the reason for the failure and hopefully will succeed this time.

The satellite, called "DSCOVR," has scientific and symbolic goals. At the Lagrangian Point, DSCOVR will remain stationary with respect to the Earth and the Sun, enabling it observe the Sun and serve as an early warning system for potentially disruptive solar flares.

Being stationary relative to the Earth will also enable DSCOVR to serve as a distant "Web cam" providing us with a feed of the entire, fully-lit Earth -- an ever changing version of the famous "Blue Marble" picture taken from Appolo 17. (Al Gore called for this space cam while Vice President and, after a long political struggle, his vision is about to be realized).

Earth's first selfie -- from Appolo 17

If SpaceX succeeds in recovering the their X9 rocket, they will refurbish and reuse it in a subsequent launch, cutting cost significantly -- and moving us a step closer to Internet access using a constellation of low-Earth orbiting satellites.

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Update 2/7/2014

I have two blogs and I inadvertently posted this on the wrong one -- it was supposed to be at http://cis471.blogspot.com! Still, I will leave a copy here because SpaceX satellite Internet access may serve Cuba in the future. It's a long shot both technically and politically, but not out of the question.

Guantánamo is in the news, but not the undersea cable to Guantánamo

It’s going to be for the entire island in anticipation that one day that they’ll be able to extend it into mainland Cuba.
Ronald Bechtold, ex-CIO, office of the Secretary of Defense

Guantánamo has been in the news lately -- not because of the prisoners held there, but because Raúl Castro insists that it be returned to Cuba. The contvoversy is over the 45 square mile base, but I have not seen mention of the undersea cable connecting Guantánamo to an unspecified location in Florida.

The estimated completion date for the cable is December 2015 and it could become a bargaining chip in US-Cuba negotiations.

No technical details have been released, but Ronald Bechtold, who was chief information officer at the Secretary of Defense’s office described the cable as a “gigantic bundle” saying “It’s going to be for the entire island in anticipation that one day that they’ll be able to extend it into mainland Cuba.”

Bechtold's comments were denied by Army Colonel Greg Julian, saying “There is no plan for the Southcom to provide fiber-optic communications support to mainland Cuba." He said the project goal is to improve communications for the workers statinoned at Guantánamo. Julian spoke strongly -- he was quoted as saying "[Bechtold] was out of his mind. He is no longer working for the Department of Defense.”

Bechtold was a civilian employee of the Defense Department at the time he made the statement and was scheduled to retire.

Colonel Julian said there was no plan to extend the cable, but plans can change. I've not found subsequent references to this cable or its current status (using Google), but it could be a significant addition to Cuban internet infrastructure if they are sincere about increased access.

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Update 9/7/2015

The Miami Herald reports that the undersea cable is expected to begin operation in February, 2016 (Paywall). It will land in Dania Beach, just south of Fort Lauderdale and connect to Verizon's network access point in Miami.

Last month, I had a chance to ask a senior State Department official concerned with Cuba whether there had been any discussion of the Guantánamo cable in US negotiations with Cuba and he said there had been none.

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Update 10/3/2015

Slate has published a post summarizing the history of the cable and speculating on possible ways it may be used in the future.

IP address resolution - a conundrum still unresolved?

Am I the only one still confused by Clause 17 (now Clause 21) of the Counter-Terrorism and Security Bill?  This is the clause that will extend the communications data retention provisions of DRIPA to cover so-called IP address resolution. I have been wrestling with it since the beginning of December.  The most recent Parliamentary explanations have not lifted the fog.

The second day of the House of Lords Committee stage took place on 26 January. In response to a plea to explain what data might be covered by the clause, the Minister said this:

“The noble Lord, Lord Rosser, asked for examples of access data that may be required. An example is port numbers, which are akin to a house number, where an IP address is akin to a postcode. I know that the noble Baroness, Lady Lane-Fox, could probably give us a tutorial on the technical points; I could probably do with one at some point. Other types of data include the MAC address—the identifier of a particular computer—the time, the location and so on.”

So far, so clear.  It’s about port numbers and MAC addresses.  The Home Office Fact Sheet and the Impact Assessment suggested the same.  But the Minister went on to say:

“Those are the types of data covered by “or other identifier”, and that is set out in the Explanatory Notes which accompany the legislation.”

So according to the Minister a port number is an ‘other identifier’ as defined by Clause 21.  But the conundrum is, as I read it Clause 21 does not empower the retention of ‘other identifiers’.   It empowers retention of communications data that can assist in associating an “IP address or other identifier” with the sender or recipient of a communication.

Clause 21 empowers the mandatory retention of:

“communications data which … may be used to identify, or assist in identifying, which internet protocol address, or other identifier, belongs to the sender or recipient of a communication (whether or not a person)”

An identifier “means an identifier used to facilitate the transmission of a communication”.

If the clause does (as the Home Office clearly intends) empower mandatory retention of port numbers, it is because they can assist in linking an IP address (or other identifier) simultaneously used by thousands of ISP customers to one customer device or connection – not because a port number is itself an 'other identifier'.

I can see nothing in the clause that provides a power to require port numbers or MAC addresses to be retained on the basis that they are ‘other identifiers’. 

This does add spice to the question what is ‘other identifier’ doing in Clause 21 at all, when the issue that gave rise to the clause was about simultaneous IP address sharing?  A clear explanation of Clause 21 would be helpful. Even better, the government could start again with a redraft that is specific about what the clause is aiming to achieve.