What social networks are fashionable in Cuba with data?
Nine months after ETECSA (finally) opened the gates of the Internet on the cell phone, many people have adopted this modality as a primary form of communication within Cuba and abroad, along with the possibility of obtaining much information in real time.
After a long wait for “3G”, it was predictable that a good part of Cubacel users would premiere it by accessing the most popular social network in the world, previously consulted in parks and work centers.
My intuition was not wrong: the Stats Global Counter site maintains that Facebook prevails in Cuba, with 68% use if compared with other known networking sites.
Alexa (efficient ranking of websites in the world) places Facebook in place number 2 among the sites visited in the country, just behind the Google search engine.
But for some time now, the social network created by Mark Zuckerberg is not the only influential one in the lives of Cubans. And even more in the last 9 months, when the availability of data packages for Cubacel users has greatly expanded the idea of what can be done with a cell phone from the Island.
Services, apps, and networks that before were only known through friends who have migrated or accessed every now and then in the Nauta WiFi, are now being explored by people of different ages and for different purposes.
Popular apps after Cubacel mobile data
It was not considered to be a social network, but the popularity of features such as groups and states have caused specialists to decide to include it in that category.
Needless to say that Whatsapp flooded Cubans in the mobile post-data era. Many youths are discovering the states as a more ephemeral way of posting and the rest of us consider that the quality/consumption ratio is at its best with the calls and chats of this app.
In addition, the theme of the groups has become another attraction for Cuba: life updates (and memes) can be shared in groups of loved ones, friends and family in different latitudes.
We also verify that WhatsApp groups created by strangers can solve problems such as finding products in stores, sharing the cultural billboard, etc.
Youtube
It is very difficult to maintain an active access to YouTube with the Cubacel data: 3G does not guarantee the reproduction without mishaps at all times, and not all users have access to the 4G network, which could be closer to providing a quality standard.
On the other hand, there is the economic obstacle: the data package purchased the most by Cubans is that of 600 MB valid for one month. Can you imagine how fast that amount of data would go if it is used to play video regularly?
Nevertheless, a community of youtubers has been growing in Cuba that, against the odds, before the advent of 3G, managed to produce content and gain followers. They do not commit the economic suicide of uploading videos with the data, but perhaps they can use them to review notifications, respond to comments and bring their community to life on that and other social networks.
Youtube is Alexa’s ranking 3rd place of the most visited sites from Cuba
It has gained popularity in Cuba, now that the instant data and the great quality of the camera of many mobiles that circulate around the Island allow it.
Although an active life on Instagram can be somewhat expensive in terms of megabytes, it has become one of the favorite networks. If he hadn’t acquired it already, Mark Zuckerberg would be very worried.
Instagram is in the 8th place of the Alexa’s ranking among websites visited in Cuba
Lately, many people have turned to that social network to share thoughts, complaints or social stories of life in Cuba.
This is due to two reasons. First, the opening of mobile data allowed Cubans a real-time use of the tool: it is imperative to spend a good part of the day online to be a heavy user of this network, due to its instantaneous essence and constant dialogue.
The second reason is related to the government intention of connecting ministers and officials to this network, which means that the common citizen considers this platform as a scenario to air their concerns. What happens next … you have to be there to fully understand it.
A growing group of influencers and even some communities (the #AldeaTwitter is the best example so far) have great activity in the microblogging network.
Twitter is on the 13th place of the Alexa’s ranking among websites visited in Cuba
Beautiful images, creative solutions, advertising, infographics … Pinterest boards tell a lot about the interests of the user.
More complex than Instagram, and less focused on the user’s personality (like Facebook) or their opinions (like Twitter), Pinterest rather serves as a constant inspiration for many Cubans.
Pinterest is in place 24 among the most visited sites from Cuba according to Alexa
Telegram
Well, I know what you are thinking: Is Telegram a social network? Few talk about it, but I include it for two reasons.
On the first place: if WhatsApp is on the list, an app that many experts already consider a social network, Telegram has the same possibilities, and more. Private and group chat, voice calls …
If for you the recent incorporation of WhatsApp states is what defines it as a social network, think then that Telegram has channels for media and publications subscriptions, where reactions for the contents can even be configured.
And what about bots: Google with less consumption, download music, publish on other social platforms and even play. All this is possible on Telegram, thanks to them.
