Google’s servers have finally gone live in Cuba. This means that Google will now store its content locally.
Last year in December the US company inked a deal with a Cuban telecom company to provide the country’s users access to the Google Global Cache.. The network caches the Google content for faster delivery to users.
So, for example earlier any video or webpage would take long to load in Cuba because it had to travel through the undersea cables from another country. Now, when a webpage or YouTube video is loaded for the first time in Cuba, it will be stored in the country’s local server, allowing faster access for the people who try to load it after the first time.
Internet in Cuba is very expensive and data also suggests that only 5% of the population has internet access in their homes. In order to surf, people often go to cafes and areas with public WiFi.
It is slowly becoming a little more accessible, but this is a huge step forward in increasing the digital infrastructure of the country.
Although Google‘s servers will not give access to more people, but it will provide with faster connection to the ones who already have it.
Some users have reported that they are not yet being reported to the local GGC, but it is supposed to start happening soon.
“It is a milestone, as this is the first time an outside internet company has hosted anything in Cuba,” said Doug Madory Director of internet analysys, Dyn.
Local government policies do not allow easy and cheap access to the internet in Cuba, but it is bound to change soon.
