Havana, Nov 2 (Prensa Latina) The US thwarts Cuba s access to the internet wide band, while accusing the Island of limiting the service in the country, it was denounced here Thursday.

   As the result of US restrictions, the wide band allowed for the entire country of Cuba to connect to the network of networks is almost the same as the one granted to private or corporate users in other countries, Juventud Rebelde daily reported.

   In Australia, Bangladesh, Great Britain, Italy, or the US, an internet user can access a high speed service with chances of direct transfer of up to 24 megabytes per second. In Norway or Japan, that figure tops 100, the publication revealed.

   However, Cuba, a country with over 11 million people, can use, through satellite, only 65 megabytes of wide band for output and 124 for input.

   Since the internet came out, Washington has been hindering Cuba s use of the world information network, while strongly accusing the Island of refusing free connection.

   Due to the US blockade laws, Cuba cannot connect to international optical fiber channels that pass very close to its coasts, forcing it to connect via satellite, which is more expensive and limited, the text sustained.

   Cuban authorities have decided to prioritize its social use by physicians, scientists, students, professionals, research institutions, cultural personalities, among others.

   International organizations have rated that strategy as a model for developing countries, which has allowed the existence of 1,370 websites, 940,000 e-mail users, and another 219,000 internet users, Juventud Rebelde highlighted.

(Prensa Latina) 02-11-2006