Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08HAVANA440
2008-06-10 19:16:00
CONFIDENTIAL
US Interests Section Havana
Cable title:
GOC ANNOUNCES PLANNED CUBA-VENEZUELA FIBER OPTIC
how-toVZCZCXYZ0007 PP RUEHWEB DE RUEHUB #0440 1621916 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 101916Z JUN 08 FM USINT HAVANA TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3345 INFO RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS PRIORITY 0075 RUEHKG/AMEMBASSY KINGSTON PRIORITY 0014 RUEHMU/AMEMBASSY MANAGUA PRIORITY 0016 RUEHPU/AMEMBASSY PORT AU PRINCE PRIORITY 0005 RHMFISS/CDR USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL PRIORITY RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY RHEHAAA/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L HAVANA 000440
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/10/2013
TAGS: CU ECON ECPS KCIP PGOV PREL
SUBJECT: GOC ANNOUNCES PLANNED CUBA-VENEZUELA FIBER OPTIC
CABLE
REF: HAVANA 283
Classified By: COM Michael E. Parmly for reason 1.4(b) and (d)
C O N F I D E N T I A L HAVANA 000440
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/10/2013
TAGS: CU ECON ECPS KCIP PGOV PREL
SUBJECT: GOC ANNOUNCES PLANNED CUBA-VENEZUELA FIBER OPTIC
CABLE
REF: HAVANA 283
Classified By: COM Michael E. Parmly for reason 1.4(b) and (d)
1. (U) The June 9, edition of Granma dedicated an entire
page and a half to an article touting a joint
Cuban-Venezuelan project to build a 1,550 km fiber optic
cable from Cuba to Venezuela, with an intermediate stop in
Jamaica. According to the article, the cable would run from
La Guaira in Venezuela to Playa Siboney, just to the east of
Santiago, in eastern Cuba. The cable will reportedly have
two 320GB capacity lines, and will be in place by 2010.
Future connections to Haiti and Nicaragua are also noted.
2. (U) Granma highlights that this is the first time that
two Latin American countries have decided to take such an
important step without the involvement of transnational
companies that (presumably) are under the thumb of the USG.
The article points out that there is already an extensive
cable network in the Caribbean, and that one cable running
from Miami to Cancun passes within 32 kilometers of the
Malecon in Havana. It blames the US embargo for making it
impossible for Cuba to hook up to these existing cables.
3. (C) COMMENT: Cubans who attempt to work with the internet
and the world wide web have urged us to do something to
encourage a connection to existing undersea cable, arguing
that to do so would contribute greatly to allowing Cubans to
know and understand the world off the island better (REFTEL).
Others have commented that they believe the regime has no
intention of actually getting the newly-announced cable into
operation. The regime desires the benefits that accrue from
the publicity surrounding the announcement, but is not really
interested in opening Cuba to the world via fiber optic cable.
4. (C) ACTION REQUESTED: We agree with those who say that
electronic penetration of Cuba's information blockade would
be an important step forward. We understand that the OFAC
license to connect Cuba to the existing undersea cable is
still valid, though the company that obtained it has gone out
of business. We believe it would be worthwhile to let it be
known that the license exists so that other investors might
take advantage of it or, alternatively, to seek other
licenses to do the same work.
PARMLY
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/10/2013
TAGS: CU ECON ECPS KCIP PGOV PREL
SUBJECT: GOC ANNOUNCES PLANNED CUBA-VENEZUELA FIBER OPTIC
CABLE
REF: HAVANA 283
Classified By: COM Michael E. Parmly for reason 1.4(b) and (d)
1. (U) The June 9, edition of Granma dedicated an entire
page and a half to an article touting a joint
Cuban-Venezuelan project to build a 1,550 km fiber optic
cable from Cuba to Venezuela, with an intermediate stop in
Jamaica. According to the article, the cable would run from
La Guaira in Venezuela to Playa Siboney, just to the east of
Santiago, in eastern Cuba. The cable will reportedly have
two 320GB capacity lines, and will be in place by 2010.
Future connections to Haiti and Nicaragua are also noted.
2. (U) Granma highlights that this is the first time that
two Latin American countries have decided to take such an
important step without the involvement of transnational
companies that (presumably) are under the thumb of the USG.
The article points out that there is already an extensive
cable network in the Caribbean, and that one cable running
from Miami to Cancun passes within 32 kilometers of the
Malecon in Havana. It blames the US embargo for making it
impossible for Cuba to hook up to these existing cables.
3. (C) COMMENT: Cubans who attempt to work with the internet
and the world wide web have urged us to do something to
encourage a connection to existing undersea cable, arguing
that to do so would contribute greatly to allowing Cubans to
know and understand the world off the island better (REFTEL).
Others have commented that they believe the regime has no
intention of actually getting the newly-announced cable into
operation. The regime desires the benefits that accrue from
the publicity surrounding the announcement, but is not really
interested in opening Cuba to the world via fiber optic cable.
4. (C) ACTION REQUESTED: We agree with those who say that
electronic penetration of Cuba's information blockade would
be an important step forward. We understand that the OFAC
license to connect Cuba to the existing undersea cable is
still valid, though the company that obtained it has gone out
of business. We believe it would be worthwhile to let it be
known that the license exists so that other investors might
take advantage of it or, alternatively, to seek other
licenses to do the same work.
PARMLY