HAVANA: The number of Cubans with access to the Internet surpassed 3 million in 2014, according to data from the National Bureau of Statistics and Information.
In a report posted on its Web site, the bureau said the quantity of computers in private hands rose last year to more than 1 million and that 533,000 of those units were connected to the Web.
The Cuban government limits home access to the Internet to members of a handful of professions, including medicine, journalism and academia.
Until recently, hotels catering to international tourists represented the main option for ordinary Cubans seeking an Internet connection, but state telecoms monopoly Etecsa now operates a network of Internet cafes projected to number 300 by the end of 2015.
Public Wi-Fi is also available at 35 spots across the island and fees have been reduced for a domestic email service accessible from cellphones.
In Cuba, a country of 11.3 million people, the number of mobile phone users topped 3 million in April, according to Etecsa, and the company expects to open some 800,000 new accounts annually over the next three years.
