CubaTrade-May2017-Flipbook

INTERVIEW
22 CUBATRADE MAY 2017
Cuba's IT Future
CT: Please describe the education system
for IT technicians and professionals in
Cuba.
First, let me reiterate that all education
is free from primary through university
levels. In IT, there are two- and three-year
programs after highschool that graduate
hundreds of technicians known as
tecnicos-medios. We also have polytechnics
and universities that offer degrees in IT,
computer science, and engineering. There’s
even a university just for IT engineers––
Universidad de Ciencias Informaticas
(UCI)––that lets students work closely
with state institutions in areas such as
health and industry.
There are [also] IT programs in every
province. Some of the best-known universities
include polytech CUJAE, UCI,
and the University of Havana, but Cuba
has quality IT education nationwide. We
graduate more than 700 IT engineers a
year from universities; UCI alone graduated
more than 500 engineers last year.
CT: What opportunities are there for
these graduates to get jobs with the state?
By Doreen Hemlock
As Cuba advances its economy into the 21st century, informatics will
play an increasingly important role. Cuba Trade recently sat down in
Havana with Ernesto Rodriguez Hernandez, director-general for informatics
at Cuba’s Communications Ministry. Since he assumed the
post in late 2013, Cuba has added hundreds of wifi spots for internet
access and seen a boom in the number of self-employed computer programmers.
This year, Cuba plans to add at least 150 more internet access
points and is seeking ways for the self-employed to work more with state
companies. Keeping up with rising demand for the internet and the role
of Cuba's growing cadre of trained engineers and programmers were
among the questions Cuba Trade touched on in its meeting with the
47-year-old IT director. Here is an edited version of that interview.
The state plans for the workforce it needs,
looking years ahead. So, all university
graduates in Cuba are guaranteed placement
in jobs that will let them use their
knowledge to contribute to our development
in varied fields. Graduates also can
pursue master’s, doctorates, and other
studies to help Cuban society.
CT: Does Cuba produce its own software
for banking, telecom or other needs?
There are some imports; software often
is embedded in equipment. But increasingly,
Cuba develops software. Today,
there are more than 30 state companies
dedicated to IT, not only for software development
but also for distribution and
tech support. Those companies employ
thousands of people. The company that
developed software for the public health
system [Softel] last year earned a prize at
the World Summit on the Information
Society in Geneva. A different group
in the cultural field, Cubarte, earned a
prize at the summit the year before. Most
programmers involved in those efforts
were talented, young graduates of our
universities.
CT: What are Cuba’s plans to boost
internet access and speed?
Today, every municipality has access to
the internet. There are more than 600
computer centers with internet nationwide—some
with 10, 12, or 15 computers,
some in hotels, some in offices of [telecom
company] ETECSA, and some in
the Joven Club network. That network
offers access to computers and classes, has
trained more than four million Cubans in
basic computer skills, and now has more
than 150 centers with internet access,
some in remote areas.
All that doesn’t count the newer wifi
spots opened. Today, we have more than
300 wifi spots in parks and other public
places. More than 1.6 million Cubans now
have internet accounts. This year, we should
add more than 150 access points, either
through wifi spots or computer centers.
Recently, the [CUC] price for
internet access was reduced from 2.00 to
1.50 per hour to surf internationally, and
from 60 to 10 cents per hour for content
on national sites that end in .cu. These are
concrete examples of how the country is
improving access, within its financial and
economic means. There also is a program
to strengthen telecom infrastructure to
give broader and better quality service.
CT: Many say internet service in Cuba is
slow. Is it for lack of funds to modernize
the system?
The speed is slow by international
standards, and that’s where the telecom
infrastructure comes in. But keep in mind,
internet speed also depends on the devices
people use; some devices can’t work fast…
Investment in telecom is part of the larger
Photo by David Ramos Casin
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