Cuba’s digital drive gathers impetus

China lends tech help as country eyes internet boost

I think the laptops and tablets produced in this plant will give young people, schools, doctors and other professionals an important work tool.” Jose Antonio Sanchez, head of the plant’s assembly line

HAVANA — A new assembly plant on the out skirts of Cuba’ s capital is propelling the digital dream of the country, helping it to catch up and keep pace with the 21st century.

Opened in Dec 2016, the plant, which is the first of its kind in Cuba, assembles laptops and tablets using Chinese-made components and technologies.

Liena Herman is one of the employees at the plant operated by Cuba’s Industrial Company for Computers, Communications and Electronics (GEDEME).

“I saw an ad in the newspaper that they were looking for young people to train for this project. I had nothing to do with computer science before, but I was enthusiastic about being part of something new and important for the country. So I applied and was chosen,” Herman said.

The former social worker has already been promoted to head one of the two production lines at the plant.

The innovative project was conceived by GEDEME in partnership with Chinese firm Haier and Cuba’s University of Computer Sciences.

“This project arose from cooperation with Chinese company Haier based on an agreement over the next three years, with raw materials supplied by that corporation,” said Fernando Fernandez, head of IT solutions at GEDEME.

To date, the plant has rolled out more than 3,500 laptops and 3,580 tablets, mainly to supply state-run companies and government agencies. In the future, the products will probably be sold at stores.

Modern products

The production line features Core i3, Core i5 and Celeron laptops installed with the sixth-generation processors.

“In addition, we are assembling two models of tablets, an 8-inch and a 10-inch equipped with accessories, (protective) cover and a keyboard that make them very useful and modern products for our nation,” said Fernandez.

Jose Antonio Sanchez, who heads the assembly line, said he believes the plant’s products will make a significant contribution to Cuban society.

“I think the laptops and tablets produced in this plant will give young people, schools, doctors and other professionals an important work tool made with good quality, services and properties at an affordableprice ,” the 21- year-old said.

Significantly, the products’ operating systems and applications are produced by Cuba’s UCI.

“That decision was due to the current global scenario of spying and cyber security. For us to be able to guarantee that our products are Cuban designed and that the operating systems are 100 percent Cuban, (we have to) endow them with a higher degree of security,” said Fernandez.

While the raw materials are imported from China, the software and the assembly line make the laptops truly “national” products, according to Fernandez.

“We assemble laptops and tablets adjusted to the current conditions of our country ... and we also personalize the units with applications and configurations most suitable to each sector,” he said.

The $230,000 facility has the capacity to assemble 120,000 laptops and tablets a year, or 500 per day, and is designed to eventually have 80 employees.

Cuba has one of the lowest internet penetration rates in Latin America. In 2015, the number of computers registered in Cuba stood at 1,071,600, of which only about half were connected to the world wide web, according to the National Bureau of Statistics and Information.

With China’s help, Cuba is poised to boost connectivity, which will be key to the country’s future development.