Internet access in Cuba has been something that many cringe about. The main Internet source in Cuba are state-run public WiFi hotspots, with no mobile Internet options as of January 2018.

Since we at Connectify pledged to help Cubans get online back in 2015, we've been constantly monitoring the numbers to see how it improved the Internet access in Cuba for its people. Moreover, since the beginning of 2017, our software services are also available in Spanish, making them even more useful for people in Cuba.

So - how did we do so far?

"Turn Your PC into a WiFi Hotspot" - this slogan seemed to have caught very well with Cubans, as in 2017 alone there were some 50,000 new installations of our software. The numbers have been growing rapidly since the availability of the Spanish language interface. Internet access in Cuba is steadily becoming less of a problem.

Unfortunately, as with any Internet ecosystem that is in its initial stages, there are many threats lurking around. An article in the local press outlines the "illegalities" people do just to get online (remember - WiFi is not free in Cuba, but rather expensive!), including using Connectify Hotspot to bridge other users online. According to the national telecommunications company Etecsa, the number of hacking complaints has grown exponentially in the last couple of months.

... and with the increase of online threats and Internet access in Cuba, it's only natural Cubans choose to protect themselves with a next generation mobile VPN. The Speedify number of downloads has increased exponentially this year, growing four-fold in the last 3 months of 2017 compared to the previous quarter.

From our perspective, we will continue to give out free Connectify Hotspot licenses to users in Cuba. Based on the increasing number of installs and support questions, we feel it's our role to support the penetration of Internet into more Cubans' homes.

Viva Internet!