The Dictator’s Dilemma and the
Politics of Telecommunications in
Cuba: A Case Study
BY RACHEL FREDMAN
Overview
 Background and motivation
 Research question
 Field research
 Findings
 Summary and questions
The Dictator’s Dilemma: Background
 Information revolution: gov’t <-> civil society relationship
1.
2.
Internet empowers civil society; inevitable force for democracy
States are becoming more savvy in regulating the information revolution
 Is the Internet an insurmountable threat to authoritarian rule?

Balancing commercial benefits of
information revolution
with political control
“Totalitarian societies face a
dilemma: either they try to stifle
these technologies and thereby fall
further behind in the new
industrial revolution, or else they
permit these technologies and see
their totalitarian control inevitably
eroded.” – George Schultz, 1985
Cuba in Context of Dictator’s Dilemma
 Restricted access
 Lowest internet penetration rate in Western Hemisphere
 Cell phone ban until 2008
 Gov’t approved scientists, medical researchers, gov’t officials
granted licenses for access
 Prohibition on private computer sales
 Public access points: monitoring and intranet
 Price constraints
Motivation
 Control…
Motivation
 Source: OpenNet Initiative http://opennet.net/research/profiles/cuba
Research Question
 Cost / benefit analysis:
 At what economic cost does the Cuban government restrict
ICT access to maintain political control?
Independent variable: training and support for IT professionals in
Cuba
 Dependent variable: level of economic development for ICT sector


Economic deadweight loss?
Field Research
 3 weeks in mid-August
 Methods:



Qualitative interviews
Field visits
Cuban gov’t publications
Methods
Details
Telephone Interviews
Duration
Occurrences
Academic – Cuban economist
30 minutes
1
Academic - Cuban blogosphere
1 hour
2
EU Representative, Havana
30 minutes
1
Commercial Representative, Italian Embassy Havana
30 minutes
1
Commercial Representative, Canadian Embassy Havana
30 minutes
1
Sent
Received
6
6
Academic - IT engineering specialist
4
4
Former UK Ambassador to Cuba
10
9
Email Correspondences
University of Havana Affiliate
Executive Director, Cuba Study Group
4
3
Duration
Occurrences
University of Havana cultural liaison
1 hour
2
Commercial Representative, Japanese Embassy Havana
1 hour
1
Cuban dissident blogger
2 hours
2
Cuban dissident blogger
2 hours
1
BBC journalist
2 hours
1
Reuters journalist
2 hours
1
Former UK Ambassador to Cuba
1 hour
5
Representative, US Interests Section Havana
1.5 hours
1
IDICT Director of Organizational Development
1.5 hours
1
Ciencias de la Information Editor
1.5 hours
1
Field visits
Location
Duration
Miramar
2 hours
Central Havana
30 minutes
Vedado
30 minutes
In-person interviews
Instituto de Información Científica y Tecnológica (IDICT)
Young Communist League Central
Infomed Headquarters
Research Findings
Research Findings
Research Findings
 Venture financing in U.S. market…
Research Findings
 Venture financing / entrepreneurship in Cuban market…
Summary
 Cuba as a case study of dictator’s dilemma
 Research IT professional / entrepreneurship within Cuba

At what economic cost does the Cuban government restrict ICT
access to maintain political control?
 Develop analytical framework for generalizable research
conclusions
Summary
 Questions?