HAVANA.- (ACN) The Cuban telecommunications company ETECSA announced the launching of a pilot program of internet in Cuban homes in the next days.

According to Ana María Méndez, an ETECSA specialist, said the trials will start in 2000 homes in the Old Havana municipality, chosen based on the technical capabilities installed in that area.

The trial will last two months. The clients will be notified by ETECSA to go to an office in Old Havana to sign a contract, when they will received the necessary equipment to have access to the service.

Menendez said they will have broadband using ADSL technology. To be able to access internet they must have a Nauta account to link it to Nauta Home, the name of this service.

This Nauta account will validate the user´s authentication to surf the web from home. During the trial they will have certain amount of hours to use, depending on the contract, though figures are not available yet.

In case the client uses all the hours specified in the contract, he could recharge his Nauta account, the same way it is done nowadays to surf in the wi-fi hotspots.

After the trial time expires, ETECSA will offer the clients the possibility to extending the contract.

Regarding the rest of the country, Menendez explained that this trial will allow ETECSA to assess the feasibility of extending the service to other locations. The company still is to define the costs of equipment to grant internet services at home.