Cuba’s state owned monopoly telecoms operator Empresa de Telecomunicaciones de Cuba (ETECSA) plans to install a further 500,000 cellular lines in 2016, as it seeks to raise mobile (population) penetration to 46%. EFE cites ETECSA’s marketing director Tania Velazquez as saying that there are currently more than 3.3 million active mobile lines on the island and revealed that this year the firm will offer a wider range of handsets and tariff plans in line with increasing consumer demand, as well as invest in network expansion. In terms of internet access, the company official added that ETECSA aims to increase the number of public Wi-Fi locations during the year from the current total of 65 to around 145 island-wide.

TeleGeography’s GlobalComms Database notes that at present, home internet connections are prohibited on the island – with the exception of government officials and employees of foreign companies – and fixed broadband infrastructure is extremely limited. The government took a first step towards increasing access for Cuban citizens in June 2013, when it began offering internet services at over a hundred ETECSA outlets, known as ‘salas de navegacion’. More significantly, in June last year the island began offering Wi-Fi connections to citizens at 35 public locations, each with the capacity to cope with between 50 and 100 users. Customers with a temporary or permanent ‘Nauta’ account are able to surf the web using their Wi-Fi-enabled mobile phone, laptop or tablet, at maximum downstream speeds of 1Mbps, although the cost – USD2.00 per hour – remains unaffordable for most Cubans. According to del Toro, ETECSA plans to increase the number of Wi-Fi spaces in Havana itself from the current total of 17 by a further 30 this year.

Netflix launched services in Cuba in February 2015 following the lifting of trade restrictions from US companies, though the high price guarantees limited take-up.

DTTV reached about five million people by late 2014, with coverage extended to all provincial capital cities.
In mid-2014 the government allowed internet services to be extended to non-agricultural cooperatives, though these must comply with the same strict conditions which apply to other authorized outlets.

The ALBA-1 submarine fibre-optic cable between Cuba and Venezuela has the potential to provide 640Gb/s bandwidth. In May 2013 the Jamaican branch of the cable was opened for traffic, following the route through to Venezuela in January 2013.

In March 2014 ETECSA introduced a new mobile email service, @nauta.cu. The operator also planned to extend ADSL-based services to residential homes. In preparation, the Ministry of Communications set the maximum tariff which ETECSA can charge per megabyte at CUC1.

ETECSA in February 2015 allowed Cubans to have up to three mobile lines, lifting the restriction of a single line per subscriber imposed in March 2008.Data provided is the latest available at the time of preparation and may not be for the current year.

A comprehensive overview of trends and developments in Cuba’s telecommunications market is provided. Analysis has also been done on the mobile, internet, and fixed-line sectors. Subjects include:

• Market and industry analyses, trends and developments;
• Facts, figures and statistics;
• Industry and regulatory issues;
• Infrastructure;
• Internet;
• Mobile voice market.

Further information is provided on:

• Market liberalization and regulatory issues;
• The impact of the global economic crisis;
• The incumbent telecoms operator privatization;
• Mobile voice market developments;
• Historical and current subscriber statistics.