Havana Cuba. — In 2015, the Internet began to become widespread in Cuba through public Wi-Fi zones that the Cuban Telecommunications Company (ETECSA) installed in some places, especially in Havana.
Despite the lack of privacy, the inconvenience of being outdoors, limited Internet access and high prices, Internet users in their thirst for connection traveled long distances to reach the first areas under Wi-Fi coverage.
In an attempt to lower the cost of the service, many used a popular program known as “the Conectifai”, an application for personal computer (PC) that creates an access point (Hotspot) for others to connect and thus be able to share the same Connection.
At that time, the owners of the software designed by Connectify, an American company based in Philadelphia, noticed a considerable increase in network traffic coming from Cuba, which caught their attention.
Bhana Grover, president of the company, spoke with CubaNet to learn more about Connectify Hotspot, a program that even caused Cubans to be arrested while surfing the Internet in Wi-Fi hotspots.
CN—What was the motivation behind the creation of Connectify Hotspot?
Back in 2010, we used to travel a lot more, which meant having problems with internet connectivity. Finding wifi was difficult and often slow which caused problems if we needed to share files back and forth.
Our frustration with the state of wireless networks wore us down, and Connectify Hotspot was born in a late-night software development marathon. We simply wanted to connect with each other, share Internet connections and get our devices online, without paying a fortune or carrying more hardware in our already overloaded computer bags.
Today, the Connectify Hotspot software has over a billion downloads.
CN—What was the original use of Connectify Hotspot? Was the way it was being used in Cuba something you had thought about or was it new?
Initially, Connectify Hotspot was meant to help users share any type of Internet connection from their Windows PC to any other device over Wi-Fi or wired Ethernet. They had a few scenarios in mind: travel (when you have to pay for internet per device), Wi-Fi range extender, and generally speaking, a virtual software router.
Once it gained popularity in Cuba, what was surprising was not the way it was used, but the scale of that use. Almost every report from Cuba that talked about Internet connectivity mentioned Connectify Hotspot.
CN—Did you ever think that Connectify Hotspot would be so big in Cuba? How did you know it was used there?
The Connectify team first discovered how popular Connectify Hotspot had become in the summer of 2015 through the news media. They reported that the software was being used at the time by expert Cubans to help share Wi-Fi with their compatriots, as the government had begun implementing public hotspots across the country.
Our team couldn’t have been more excited to hear that the little router did its part to help a country go online for the first time. So we decided to unlock Connectify Hotspot and offer it free for all Cuban residents.
CN—When did you decide that you wanted to help Cubans connect by giving out free licenses?
Connectify decided to offer free licenses to Cuban citizens right after they found out how they were using Connectify Hotspot on a large scale.
CN—What was the motivation behind the creation of Speedy and EdgeWise?
Following the continuous efforts of the Connectify team to improve Internet access and connectivity, we decided to pioneer and create a software-only channel linking solution, which is the only one available to the general public on the market today. Speedify is available on all platforms: Windows, MacOS, Linux, iOS and Android.
EdgeWise Connect is a stripped down version of Speedify, which also has the ability to merge Internet connections on iOS and Android.
Speedify is the only VPN that combines Wi-Fi, 4G, and any other available internet connection into a “single, thick wireless pipe”. EdgeWise also combines multiple Internet connections and is a mobile-only app.
CN—Are Cubans using those VPNs? How can you help them?
There is a sizeable community of Speedify and EdgeWise users in Cuba; it is actually in the top 25 countries for the number of Connectify users.
Speedify helps Cubans to have a better Internet, since they can combine any type and number of connections at the same time on their devices. With the Internet speeds in Cuba every megabyte counts towards a good Internet experience.
As a VPN, it also helps the user to access all the content on the Internet without any restrictions.
CN—Are there free licenses for Cubans?
Yes, anyone in Cuba can use Speedify for free up to 50 GB per month! Just install the app while and you will get the data for free. It’s a great way to improve your internet speeds and get free and open internet access.
Helping other countries with slow and limited internet connections
According to company Connectify, its Speedify VPN service and software is helping Iranians not only to circumvent network censorship, but also to increase Internet speed by combining various connection channels. In Cuba, these combined connections could be the 4G network and Nauta Hogar, for example.
Receive information from CubaNet on your cell phone through WhatsApp. Send us a message with the word “CUBA” on the phone +525545038831, You can also subscribe to our electronic newsletter by giving click here.
