Brilliant move. Once the telecom companies set up cellular service, how many families in Miami will set up family cellular plans that include Uncle Carlos in Havana?

It provides more direct communication onto the island.

Those Cuban and Latino-Americans under 50 years of age, don't hold the hard line ideology towards Cuba that older Americans do. Since the Cuban Missle Crisis of the Kennedy years, demonizing Cuba politics has been as reliable as other Cold War past times, like scorn for Russia. Nixon broke down the marginalization of China, with great political success. Hating the Castro brothers is very personal to many older Cuban Americans. This normalization of relations will be a memorable event for the Obama administration. Good job, Mr. President.

Fiber optic links will kill Communism. Nicely done.

Gee, it's a shame Jesse Helms isn't here to enjoy it.

sarcasm: off

So does this mean that I, a non- cuban-american, still can't legally visit Cuba?

Prediction- It will take less than 5 years for Cuba to be completely cooped into american culture, influence and commerce once the rest of the goofy restrictions arec lifted.

I used to live in Miami and it was all Cuba all the time. I always contended that outside the immediate area no one gives a Rat's ass about that sorry little island. Now that Obama has proven you don't need Florida to win the presidency, the issue doesn't appears to elicit a shrug -even from rep[ublicans

It goes without saying that, despite this move being the right thing to do for everyone's sake -- including the likely long-term results to the Cuban polity -- the wingnuts will go completely psychotic over it.

Corrections: For "despite," read: "because." For "go completely psychotic," read: "go even more completely psychotic."

If Cuba does blossom, I wonder if the wing nuts will attribute it to a delayed reaction to Shrub's get-tough policy. Well, DUH! Just like Reagan's tax cuts were responsible for the prosperity under Clinton.

to me, this sounds like more of a giveaway to cellular phone comopanies than any real progress on removing the irrational and pointless barriers to interaction with cuba.

i'll applaud when people's interests are given as much weight as corporate interests.

It takes two to tango. Let's see first, how *Cuba* responds to those particular overtures, before we start celebrating.

As Cazart says @15:48, fiber optics are likely to kill communism in no time flat and the Castro brothers have to be aware of that; in any self respecting communist system, total control over the means of communication is the the most important issue. My guess is that, while Cuba will welcome the part where Cuban Americans can send money to their families in Cuba, it's gonna be "no, no, Nanette" to the idea of Americans providing their radio, TV and cell-phone services.

They'll use the potential for spying as their reason/excuse for the ban. And, who could blame them? They know that the American phone companies can be bought to spy on their own citizens; how much easier (morally) would it be for them to spy on those of an ideologically opposed country?