A total of 42 proposals emerged from the meetings held over nearly a week between representatives of the University Student Federation (FEU) and Cuba’s Telecommunications Company (Etecsa). Tania Velázquez, Etecsa’s president, described the exchange as highly fruitful, particularly regarding the communication processes companies must maintain with their publics.

Among the most interesting points raised during the debates—organized into three subgroups focused on Operations, Commercial, and Communications—Velázquez highlighted discussions on Etecsa’s communication strategies regarding recent measures, which have been widely debated and criticized.

On this matter, the Etecsa president noted that the dialogue with the FEU underscored the need to "truly innovate the communication process, taking into account social factors, as the students astutely pointed out. This necessarily involves developing certain tools we must commit to."

She emphasized that this applies not only to communication but also to "how a company relates to its external publics and society at large. There is a line of work here we must continue to deepen."

Velázquez also stressed the importance of the participating students sharing their firsthand experiences of Etecsa’s realities—and its mission of serving the people—with the broader university student body.

Replicating Similar Experiences

Eduardo Martínez Díaz, Deputy Prime Minister, argued that such exchanges should be replicated in other sectors of national life, stating that no scientific event should be organized without reserving space for university students.

He noted that the 42 proposals generated in these meetings demonstrate the talent present in universities and suggested similar dialogues could take place in areas such as food production, electricity generation, and others.

Martínez Díaz expressed satisfaction at hearing students praise Etecsa—a company, he said, that has been heavily attacked by counterrevolutionary forces yet remains the backbone of Cuba’s telecommunications. "We must defend Etecsa from manipulation," he insisted.

Regarding recent unpopular measures taken by the company, the Deputy Prime Minister acknowledged there had been no alternative but affirmed that students now understood the necessity. "There is also potential to further develop telecommunications in the country," he added, "because there is a government program for economic recovery."

"This has been an excellent experience that must be multiplied," he declared, urging its expansion to other sectors.

"Further measures will be necessary to defend ourselves from the cruel blockade and position the country for development. We will not rely on slogans but on hard work and results," he emphasized, reiterating that achievements like universal free healthcare and education will remain intact.

He described the exchange as "an example of how to communicate effectively and engage with the people to explain the reasoning behind our actions."

Intensive and Intelligent Work

Meyvis Estévez Echevarría, First Secretary of the Young Communists League (UJC), noted that the First Secretary of the Communist Party and President of the Republic, Miguel Díaz-Canel, had closely followed the meetings, where participants "worked hard and demonstrated their intelligence and talent, strengthening both the company and themselves."

"You upheld the responsibility of voicing the concerns of universities across the country," she said.

She praised Etecsa’s active participation in the three multidisciplinary subgroups, each comprising about a dozen students whose maturity she commended, as well as the consistent support they felt from the Party and government.

These exchanges, she said, reaffirmed the vital link between universities and enterprises, as well as the imperative to defend the Revolution and socialism.

Students Take the Floor

Luis Yoel González, FEU vice president at the University of Pedagogical Sciences, highlighted the meaningful student participation in the Commercial subgroup. "We were received with sincerity, and Etecsa deserves our recognition," he said. "We must convey to the university community that the objectives were met."

"We cannot leave the company to face challenges alone," he insisted, condemning fraud and other illegal activities in telecommunications and calling for legal consequences. "There cannot be people who exploit our needs," he stressed.

He recalled that throughout the debates, "we never lost sight of our purpose: to represent the voice of university students."

José Alberto Almeida, a Sociology student at the University of Havana, shared his experience in the Communications subgroup: "We witnessed the tremendous preparation of Etecsa’s team," he said, endorsing the need to multiply such initiatives.

Omar David, from the Faculty of Computer Engineering at CUJAE, detailed discussions in the Operations subgroup on mobile and fixed networks, data centers, and cybersecurity. He noted the critical state of Etecsa’s infrastructure, which lacks necessary technical support and supplier collaboration.

Outcomes and Next Steps

The meetings, which began last Wednesday and involved around 30 students and nearly 40 Etecsa executives, produced a summary report to be presented at university leadership councils. It includes recommendations for follow-up on the proposals.

Key discussion areas included:

Analysis of Etecsa’s communication plan for recent commercial measures
Implementation of a crisis communication manual
Evaluation of communication channels and proposals for alternatives to improve public feedback

On the technical side, participants diagnosed system failures and proposed solutions such as node virtualization and battery digitization. They also analyzed university-submitted proposals, assessed pricing policies, data packages, and sectorization, among other topics.

The exchange provided both solutions for Etecsa and valuable professional development for the students.

Also present were Ernesto Rodríguez Hernández, First Deputy Minister of Communications; Yudí Mercedes Rodríguez Hernández, member of the Party Central Committee Secretariat overseeing services; and FEU President Ricardo Rodríguez González. This closing session marks the starting point for expanding this model nationwide.

Translated by Amilkal Labañino / CubaSi Translation Staff