Cuba

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''Cuba is still one of the least connected countries of the world. A trip to this Caribbean island is like walking down memory lane to a place of 30 years ago. The US embargo hindered any further development of the mobile phone system and the internet, but the easing of the restrictions from 2016 onwards bring new opportunities. Still in 2016, don't go to Cuba, if you need a steady internet connection at an affordable price. For all other visitors, there are more ways to stay connected now. According to our rules, this country is still blacklisted, but this may change soon.''

Mobile telephony in Cuba
All telephone service is provided through ETECSA (for Empresa de Telecomunicaciones de Cuba S.A.) which is state-owned. It's the only player for landlines, mobile telephony and internet access on the island. In every town on the island you can find an office of ETECSA for basic services.

Mobile telephone service is provided through two different companies under the roof of ETECSA: C-com, also called Celulares del Caribe is not accessible, so this article focuses on Cubacel.
 * Cubacel
 * C-com

Mobile-cellular telephone service in Cuba is expensive and must be paid in Cuban convertible pesos (CUC) by locals too, which severely limits subscribership.

Internet in Cuba
The Internet in Cuba is characterized by a low number of connections, limited bandwidth, some censorship and high cost. Cuba has the lowest ratio of computers per inhabitant in Latin America and the lowest internet access ratio of all the Western hemisphere. So the main obstacle for the local population is to go online as Cuba’s domestic telecommunications infrastructure is limited in scope and only appropriate for the early days of the internet.

The island depended on a few satellite links without significant bandwidth. In 2011 the new fibre-optic cable link to Venezuela was started, but delayed for years. Since 2015 it seems to be operational and gives more speed to the few users so far. But times are changing: in 2016 ETECSA began a pilot program for broadband internet to be rolled out in Cuban homes.

Surprisingly, there is not much censorship around. Most international and social media pages are accessible. The main way of "filtering" is still the lack of access for local people, its high costs and slow speeds.

Cubacel (by ETECSA)
Many consider Cubacel the only mobile provider in Cuba as C-com stays invisible. Cubacel started with a TDMA-network on 800 MHz which was decommissioned in 2009.

It's today a GSM-based network on 900 MHz nationwide for 2G with additional spectrum on 850 MHz in La Habana (= Havana), Varadero, Ciego de Ávila, Cayo Coco, Cayo Guillermo and Holguín (at the airport and Guardalavaca) (see coverage map).

In some tourist centers like La Habana (= Havana), Varadero, Villa Clara, Ciego de Ávila and provincial capitals Cubacel started to deploy a 3G network on 2100 MHz for roaming customers only.

It has a reasonable coverage for voice and SMS services. Mobile internet, not even GPRS, is not included in the local access through Cubacel SIM cards. Data are only open to some of their foreign roaming partners, which can use their 3G network exclusively.

ETECSA through Cubacel is logging all IMEI numbers of the devices as soon as their SIM card is put in. Anyone inserting a SIM card into a phone that appears on their blacklist of invalid IMEI codes will have their line blocked. It was forced to take action in view of "the increase in reports associated with criminal acts including theft and/or loss of mobile phones." Users with a blocked line can still have it unlocked, if they clarify the causes at an ETECSA office within 5 days.

Renting a local SIM
These rules are frequently changing. As they are now, you will not be allowed to purchase a local SIM card as a temporary visitor or tourist to the island. This is reserved to permanent residents only. But you can rent a Cubacel SIM (and possibly a phone) when you arrive in Cuba and give it back when leaving. There are Cubacel offices in terminals #2 and #3 at José Martí International Airport in Havana.

Be aware that there is generally no data on their 2G/GSM network with a local SIM card, only voice calls and SMS services, but both IDD calls and texts are working incoming and outgoing.

Cubatel's SIM cards come with prepaid minutes in amounts of 10, 20 or 40 Cuban convertible pesos (CUC = US$) plus a daily rental fee for the SIM card of CUC 3. You are allowed to bring your own device as long as it works on 900 MHz GSM. The maximum rental is for 45 days.

Rates are CUC 0.35 (@ daytime) and CUC 0.10 (@ nighttime) per minute for calls within Cuba and CUC 1 - 1.20 per minute for calls abroad. Daytime is 7am - 11pm, nightime is 11pm - 7am. Outgoing text messages cost CUC 0.09 to send within Cuba and CUC 0.60 to send abroad. Incoming calls and SMS are free and again internet data are not available.

An alternative to using your mobile phone is to rent a phone upon arrival in Cuba. Once you arrive in Cuba, you can rent a mobile phone from Cubacel. They charge a one-time refundable deposit of CUC 100, plus a daily fee of CUC 10 for the device. Additionally, you should expect to pay all of the applicable per-minute call and text charges.

Subscribers - Email services

Purchasing a SIM card through a local
The purchase of SIM cards is reserved to permanent residents of Cuba and not allowed for short-time visitors. If you plan to stay more than 10 days or are a recurring visitor, you can ask a local to buy a SIM card for you and have it registered on his name.

Purchasing a Cubacel SIM costs CUC 30 and comes with CUC 10 starter credit. The same call and text rates apply as for the rental solution. Again data use is not included. The requirements for the Cuban national to comply are written here.

There are many ways to top-up Cubacell SIM cards. Recharge vouchers of 5, 10 or 20 CUC are sold in the country or go to an ETECSA office. If you want to use your credit card or do it from abroad, you can buy Cubacel recharge cards in the US, Canada or Spain or reload through Ding* or Cubacalls for a surcharge.

Effective in 2014 Cubacel SIM cards and the loaded credit stay valid for 330 days past each top-up. Then there is an additional grace period of 1 month, when the SIM stays open for incoming services only before the subscription will be terminated.

Staying on roaming with your home provider
Alternatively, you may choose to stay on roaming with your home provider to get data. But you must be willing to pay a hefty price. Cuba is frequently listed as one of the most expensive roaming countries worldwide just below cruise ships and sattelite telephony.

Cubacel lists these roaming partners abroad (check here), but beware that not all operators include data. So you should better check with your home provider before travel. Those who include data have the benefit of an exclusive use of the data network and 3G in some tourist places in Havanna and Varadero. Speed is reported to be quite reasonable, if you happen to catch a 3G cell.

All major US carriers have sealed roaming agreements with Cubacel or are in the process of doing so after the boycott has been lifted. Verizon and Sprint now both sell data at US$ 2.05 (Verizon) or US$ 1.99 (Sprint) per MB without any packages offered. T-Mobile has made a deal with ENTECSA in 2016, but still doesn't offer roaming in Cuba so far. Therefore, it's not yet clear, if they include Cuba in their 140+ countries list of free roaming at low speeds. AT&T is still working out an agreement with Cuba.

All Canadian providers have offered roaming services for a long time now as they were not affected by the US embargo. Rogers charges CAD$ 1.50 per MB, Telus CAD$ 10 per MB and Bell sells a 30 MB pass at CAD$ 75.

From Latin America and the Carribbean Movistar, Claro and Digicel roam at equally high prices while some providers from Europe and the rest of the world offer data roaming in Cuba too. Roaming rates are extremely high and variable like Vodafone in Germany at € 23.60 per MB, but £5 for 25 MB data a day, with £3 a MB thereafter with Vodafone UK. So check with your home provider first and look for offers when you favor this option.

Buying local vouchers for Wi-Fi hotspots (Nauta)
a finales de junio del 2015 se comenzaron a instalar los puntos de acceso que permitirían la conexión a internet mediante Wi-fi,

en una primera etapa, en 35 sitios a nivel nacional; de ellos cinco puntos fueron ubicados en la capital y dos por cada provincia restante.

Hasta la fecha y según el sitio web oficial de ETECSA, suman 128 los puntos de acceso Wi-fi dispersos por todo el país.

a drop in the bucket for a country with over 11 million inhabitants. Access is slow and dropped connections are common. The price is too high for most Cubans and the lines to buy time are long. Furthermore the outdoor facilities are crowded, lack privacy, exposed to rain and heat and attract criminals.

El 1 de julio de 2015 y luego de inmensas críticas por parte de los usuarios, la compañía anunció una disminución en el costo del acceso a Internet en un 56%. Los irrisorios precios de 4,50cuc por hora de conexión, disminuyeron a 2.00cuc, que hoy representan más del 7% del salario medio mensual en la isla.

Ante el embate de más de 200 mil personas diarias, las terminales de conexión se vieron saturadas, originando serias fallas en la conectividad por la falta de una infraestructura que nunca se previó para tamaño servicio.

las enormes colas en los centros comerciales de ETECSA y la poca facturación de tarjetas de recarga de cuentas de internet, trajo consigo la reventa y la especulación de dichos productos entre funcionarios de la entidad y comerciantes ilegales, quienes aumentan considerablemente el precio de dichas tarjetas.

Aun con la puesta en marcha de nuevos métodos como la restricción de compra a solo tres cupones de recarga por persona, y las sanciones a los revendedores, en la actualidad todos estos problemas persisten por la poca eficacia del monopolio de telecomunicaciones.

Asaltos y robos de celulares y laptops suceden con frecuencia en las que deberían ser zonas seguras y vigiladas.