For many Cubans the information superhighway has been full of potholes and dead-ends. Internet access, that is, has been extremely limited due to a high price tag for even a short time of use in the Castro-led socialist republic.

That could change in the coming years thanks to the reported creation of 118 government-run centers where one can exchange money for web time. An undersea cable to Venezuela that began carrying data traffic in January is the key to the venture, according to The Associated Press.

Full access to the internet for an hour will cost $4.50, and while that may not sound exorbitant the figure is actually about 25 percent of what a typical Cuban earns in a month.  Additionally, most Islanders are only provided access to a domestic Intranet, not the entire Worldwide Web.

That said, there is reported queuing taking place in order to have the opportunity to go online when the new program kicks in on June 4, according to reports. Currently, 2.6 million of the 11.2 million Cubans have access to the internet, though they can only access state-controlled or approved websites.

Only some institutions, professionals and luxury hotels for tourists can have unrestricted internet access and the quality can be spotty and cost around $8 per hour. Wi-fi service is said to be limited, slow and frustrating in Cuba.

Cuba’s vice minister of communications Wilfredo Gonzalez also indicated mobile internet is on the way to the nation in the coming years. He also said fees would drop for internet access as the government makes  up some of its initial costs.

Doug Madory, who works for global Internet monitor Renesys and who first reported cable activity on Sunday on the U.S.-based company’s web page, said the transmission speed of information involving Cuba was noticeably higher on Tuesday.

“When there is some unusual data we will spot it. We can see how long packets take down a path. We can see if there is a new path and if traffic is going faster,” Madory said, according to Reuters. “In this case it was too fast to be a pure satellite transfer, though it is still pretty slow and would be unacceptable in most developed countries.”

Cuban government officials say download speeds will be 3,000 faster than its current satellite hook-ups and will be able to handle millions of phone calls at the same time.

Is $4.50 an hour too much to pay for Internet access? Sound off in the comment section.