Lessons from El Paquete, Cuba's Offline Internet

Abstract

Cuba has one of the highest rates of literacy and education in the world, but also one of the lowest rates of direct Internet access. As a result, Cubans have developed a unique and robust offline system for distributing digital content through removable storage media like USB thumb drives and portable hard drives called El Paquete Semanal (The Weekly Package). In this paper, we describe and analyze the contents of El Paquete and how those contents vary over time and between distributors. We compare it to a less-popular state sponsored alternative called La Mochila (The Backpack) and discuss their respective distribution systems. We also compare these offline content distribution systems to available online access points such as those in public WiFi parks, tourist hotels, and universities. Finally, we reflect on how this system, developed in the Cuban context, could be useful in other environments.