BY RACHEL FREDMAN

The Dictator’s Dilemma and the Politics of Telecommunications in

Cuba: A Case Study

Overview

Background and motivationResearch questionField researchFindingsSummary and questions

The Dictator’s Dilemma: Background

Information revolution: gov’t <-> civil society relationship1. Internet empowers civil society; inevitable force for democracy2. 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

Email Correspondences Sent Received

University of Havana Affiliate 6 6

Academic - IT engineering specialist 4 4

Former UK Ambassador to Cuba 10 9

Executive Director, Cuba Study Group 4 3

In-person interviews 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

Instituto de Información Científica y Tecnológica (IDICT) Miramar 2 hours

Young Communist League Central Central Havana 30 minutes

Infomed Headquarters Vedado 30 minutes

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?