These were highlighting words from Wilfredo Gonzalez Vidal, First Vice Minister of the Cuban Ministry of Communications.

"The policy for the informatization of the Cuban society currently encompasses 22 basic projects and one of them is the implementation of digital television," emphasized Wilfredo González Vidal, First Vice Minister of the Cuban Ministry of Communications during the Expanded National Council of the Cuban Radio and Television Institute (ICRT).

During his speech at the fair grounds of Rancho Boyeros in Havana, Gonzalez remarked, to radio stations and television channels directors from all over the country, that the implementation of digital TV is a responsibility of the Ministry, but the ICRT has the important duty of creating digital content with a high acceptance level from the audience.

"To effectively carry out this informatization policy, the communication infrastructure and the digital services that the citizens are provided with, should be very clear. The Cuban Radio and Television Institute should have a short-term technology usage and development plan, until 2021, but it should also be projected until 2030.

"By 2023 we will still be working on some analogical television issues, but at some point we will make a full transition to digitalization. However, investments and loans are required, and in that sense, we are working with China," González stated.

The Vice Minister added that the new technologies development plan in the ICRT must be reflected on a dynamic document, allowing it to be constantly updated in order to know about the arising needs. Furthermore, he made an emphasis on the importance of increasing interactivity, and looking for ways of obtaining feedback from the audience.

"Nevertheless, new information technologies by themselves do not solve any problem: they need to be adapted to productive strategic purposes in order to obtain real results." Additionally, all these needs require a greater use of the national industry of software applications.

“We are following the guideline of not accepting the purchase of foreign software as long as the development can be achieved in our country. Currently, there are more than 30 Cuban companies dedicated to software production," he commented.

González insisted on the importance of national cybersecurity, since Internet access is being extended to the Cuban population, going beyond the narrow frameworks of governmental institutions.

“At the moment we have the task of raising risk perception and awareness regarding cybersecurity, due to the fact that this is even a cultural issue. We must understand that when processes like the expansion of the mobile-Internet-access coverage takes place in our country, we would be talking about mass usage of technologies in our country, therefore the risk will be greater.

"We are not going to limit the use Internet in our country, but still, we have to safely use those tools. Today, I affirm that the greater Internet penetration in our country will occur via mobile phones, due to cost and connectivity issues.

"We currently have 5.3 million cell phones in the country. Every single thing we do will be bearing in mind these devices, because it is through them that people will have a bigger connectivity possibilities," he stated.