Cuba cooperates with the US to boost internet connectivity.

On February 20th, Cuban telecommunications company Etecsa announced its decision to negotiate with US telecommunications giant IDT to sign an International Telecommunications Services contract, allowing for direct connectivity between the two countries.

People in Havana line up to use the internet at a post office on May 28, 2013.

There is currently no further detailed information about the negotiations between Etecsa and IDT or the content of the upcoming agreement; only an announcement has been posted on Etecsa's website.

Hinting that the US government is also awaiting this agreement, the Cuban company stated: "Restoring direct connections between the US and Cuba will facilitate further improvements in infrastructure and the quality of communication between the people of the two countries."

On February 19th, Etecsa staff realized that a pricing policy needed to be added to make connectivity services more accessible.

They also announced plans to open 136 more internet cafes across the country in the first quarter of 2015 and halve internet service fees until April 10th as part of their advertising campaign.

The telecommunications cooperation between the US and Cuba is very much in line with the re-establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

In January, Washington approved a plan to provide the island nation with certain telecommunications services as part of a new policy toward Havana. The U.S. not only wants to influence Cuba through communications and media, but also to demonstrate its intention to do business with the country.

The plan for direct connection is also very much in line with the current trend of computerization in Cuba.

On February 20th, Cuba's first national conference on computerization and cybersecurity placed great emphasis on domestic computerization to boost economic and social development, as the US is easing restrictions on trade in technology and computer software.

The workshop, held from February 18-20, attracted more than 11,000 experts hoping to find new national standards as the simplification of import regulations is increasing Cuba's average internet traffic.

At a meeting, approximately 260 professionals discussed four main issues: the availability of domestic human resources and science; e-government; information security; and economics and legality.

During a discussion, Cuban Deputy Minister of Communications Wilfredo Gonzalez Vidal acknowledged that 70% of the country's internet infrastructure is outdated. He stated that Cuba's current situation "does not allow for meeting many of the people's needs."

Gonzalez argued that it is necessary to provide people with new devices and implement policies that encourage internet use.

Deputy Minister Gonzalez emphasized that this would have a significant impact on society and stated that Cuba already has a legal framework in place to allow greater access from its citizens.

Cuba's current priorities are to encourage e-government, boost the national software industry, and propose the development of IT solutions in collaboration with private businesses.

On February 18th, Apple announced that it had several products and software applications that would soon be available for sale in Cuba.

Havana established its internet connection via satellite in 1996, as sanctions prevented the island nation from connecting via underwater cables.

In 2011, Venezuela helped them connect via a fiber optic cable laid from Venezuela, but access remained limited. Cuban authorities stated that providing internet access to all households required significant infrastructure and investment.

In June 2013, as part of his reform plan, Cuban leader Raul Castro introduced public internet services for the first time, with 118 internet cafes across the country.

However, the price of $4.50 per hour is still too high compared to the average income of $20 per month.

According to the International Telecommunication Association, as of 2013, only 3.4% of families here had access to the Internet.

According to Infonet