HAVANA, Cuba. – The Diktyon group reported This Wednesday a drop in internet connectivity in Cuba associated with the disconnection of the National Electric System (SEN) which, in turn, was caused, presumably, by the passage of Hurricane Rafael through the west of the Island.
“We will begin real-time monitoring of the state of the internet in Cuba as a result of the recent electrical blackout that affects connectivity throughout the Island,” Diktyon researchers, who monitor the health and censorship of the network, published on the social network of networks in Cuba.
In the same publication, they mentioned that “at 2:48 p.m. [de este miércoles 6 de noviembre]the Electrical Union announced the disconnection of the energy system due to the passage of Hurricane Rafael. The Cloudflare Radar traffic trend graph coincides with this time in the deterioration of connectivity in Cuba, although said decline began a little earlier, at 2:15 pm.”
At the time the graphs were drawn up, traffic had fallen to almost 30%, although that value was expected to decline even further.
The previous national electricity blackout, started October 18left the Island almost without internet, with traffic around 20%. Only some people were able to access the network through base stations that were kept active thanks to energy backup systems.
“Electric blackouts directly affect the internet service in Cuba; not only to communication but also access to online information and services crucial for daily life,” said Diktyon on October 19.
Internet speed in Cuba, according to Diktyon report
“In April 2024, the situation of internet speed in Cuba, both in mobile and fixed broadband, remained critical compared to other countries. According to the Ookla Global Speedtest Index, Cuba continued in the lowest position in both categories,” according to a Diktyon report published last July.
Regarding the internet service through mobile data, the researchers reported an average download speed of 4.15 Mbps and an upload speed of 4.12 Mbps. This performance places Cuba in last place worldwide (the Island occupies ranked 144th out of 144 countries evaluated).
As for fixed broadband, the situation is equally unfavorable. The country remained in last place, number 181, with an average download speed of 2.95 Mbps and an upload speed of just 0.96 Mbps.
However, Cubans may experience even lower internet speeds, as these numbers represent the median of reports uploaded from Cuba to the Ookla platform.
