Cuba’s state-owned telecoms operator Empresa de Telecomunicaciones de Cuba (ETECSA) has officially launched 3G mobile internet access for pre-paid customers. The network utilises the 900MHz frequency band and is accessible for subscribers with compatible handsets. The firm says that maximum speeds of between 512kbps and 3Mbps can be achieved. Internet data packages are priced at CUC7 (USD7) per month for 600MB, CUC10 for 1GB, CUC20 for 2.5GB and CUC30 for 4GB. ETECSA says that with the launch of 3G services, it ‘continues to expand the possibilities of access to the internet as part of the process of informatisation of Cuban society’.
TeleGeography’s GlobalComms Database notes that a 3G platform has been available for visitors roaming in Cuba from foreign networks since 2012, providing coverage of the main tourist areas and provincial capitals. Last year, however, ETECSA began launching pilot 3G networks in locations including Havana, Matanzas, Villa Clara, Ciego de Avila, Santiago de Cuba, Camaguey and Isla de la Juventud.