The Cuban Ministry of Communications (Mincom) has officially implemented several new laws concerning the country’s telecoms sector.
The most significant of these is perhaps Decree-Law No. 35 on Telecommunications, Information and Communication Technologies and the Use of the Radioelectric Spectrum, which TeleGeography notes is the country’s first all-encompassing telecoms law. It is aimed at making current regulatory frameworks more cohesive by encouraging the convergence of technologies. Additionally, the law includes regulations around the use of spectrum in Cuba.
The new legislation pushes for the expansion of broadband networks while enshrining consumer protections. It also sets out the definition of Universal Telecommunications Services, which are the services that operators are obliged to deliver to all Cuban citizens wherever they are located on the island nation.
The Mincom stated that the new law will “contribute to the political, economic and social development of the country, through the development and modernisation of telecoms infrastructures and, furthermore, promote the harmonious and orderly progress of telecoms/ICT networks and services.”