{"id":74672,"date":"2016-09-10T12:00:52","date_gmt":"2016-09-10T16:00:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/oncubamagazine.com\/?p=74672"},"modified":"2016-09-11T10:59:59","modified_gmt":"2016-09-11T14:59:59","slug":"a-cuban-idea-to-comfortably-connect-to-internet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/oncubanews.com\/en\/culture\/visual-arts\/a-cuban-idea-to-comfortably-connect-to-internet\/","title":{"rendered":"A Cuban Idea to Comfortably Connect to Internet"},"content":{"rendered":"

Since July 2015, when the first 35 WiFi points were inaugurated in Cuba, it became a common spectacle. They were called \u201cSidewalk WiFi.\u201d Cubans started crowding together with their cell phones or laptops in streets, corners, gardens, plazas or parks, brought together because of the long-awaited connectivity. More than a year later, with 200 points fitted out, the panorama is the same.<\/p>\n

\u201cOut in the open, exposed to the elements, with insecurity, without privacy\u2026,\u201d Luis Ram\u00edrez, the Cuban designer who together with his colleague Michel Aguilar has conceived a \u201cModular system of urban furniture for the WiFi zone in Cuba,\u201d or Parawifi, as they called it, points out.<\/p>\n

\"Parawifi<\/a>
Parawifi . Photo: Courtesy of the interviewees.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

For creating this design Luis and Michel went to observe these dynamics and their conditions. \u201cWe felt the rigor of the sun and rain,\u201d they say.<\/p>\n

Ram\u00edrez adds that the irregular conditions also favor illegal activities. \u201cThe reselling of cards, the rental of spaces, interface operation\u2026. Moreover, there was interference with those public spaces\u2019 other functions.\u201d<\/p>\n

Parawifi has been chosen to participate in the first London Design Biennial being held September 7-27, and which in addition to Cuba only has representations from three countries in the region. The theme of the contest is the utopia in design.<\/p>\n

\"Luis<\/a>
Luis Ram\u00edrez and Michel Aguilar in the Caguayo Foundation. Photo: Yail\u00edn Alfaro.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cWe did it thinking about how to resolve that problem in Cuba, and it seems that it got so close to reality that it could stop being utopian at some point in time, that it can be carried out,\u201d says Luis.<\/p>\n

In fact, in Santiago de Cuba they have already shown interest in the idea. The presidency of the Caguayo Foundation and L\u00e1zaro Exp\u00f3sito, the first secretary of the Communist Party in that province, are \u201cconsidering placing it in the Versalles district, which they want to turn into a technological city,\u201d Michel said to OnCuba<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\"Photo:<\/a>
Photo: Courtesy of the interviewees.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Exp\u00f3sito organized meetings with the three industries that would participate in the construction of these prototypes. \u201cThe military, to see about the fiberglass, the plant where the solar panels are manufactured and assembled, and we saw those responsible for information technology in Santiago,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n

His colleague explains that right now they are concentrated in the London Biennial, \u201cbut we will return to Santiago.\u201d They said that the minister of communications also contacted them, \u201che saw the project and liked it.\u201d<\/p>\n

A small parlor box<\/h3>\n

Parawifi is none other than a group of 1.80 cubic meter modules with capacity for four persons on the lower part, and two on the top part.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe want to get together the largest amount of persons in the smallest space and in comfortable conditions, that\u2019s the reason for the solution of superimposing modules. They are very open spaces, with certain privacy, but there is also communication between the persons. We could accommodate 200 in 196\u00a0square meters,\u201d they specify.<\/p>\n