Six millions mobile lines already activated in Cuba

On December 17^th, Cuba recorded a total of six millions mobiles lines activated, according to the Twitter profile of Mayra Arevich Marín, CEO of the Cuban Telecommunication Company (ETECSA).

Arevich Marín pointed out that this achievement was met thanks to “the efforts, commitment, and love of all ETECSA workers, who are contributing highly to the process of the informatization of society and saluting a new anniversary of the Cuban Revolution.”

The Facebook profile of ETECSA_CUBA Sancti Spíritus highlighted that user Yuniesky Morales González activated the mobile line number six millions and it occurred at the Jatibonico’s Commercial Office. Its workers decided to celebrate along with the young man the happy coincidence.

The Ministry of Communication, in its official website, while recapping the milestones of Cuba’s telecom infrastructure, recalls that it was back in 1991 — with the emergence of the joint venture CUBACEL S.A. — that the deployment of TDMA-network (800 MHZ) standard kicked off.

Afterwards, in 2001, the mobile phone service with the GSM-network standard was introduced, covering Havana and Varadero. It was back then when a government concession was granted to ETECSA for the provision and commercialization of a public service of telecommunication.  

Three years later — according to the source quoted — cellphone companies CCom and CUBACEL merged and become ETECSA’s branches. Hence, domestic cellphone coverage broadened with the GSM-network (900 MHZ) standard nationwide.

On April 4^th, 2008, the commercialization of mobile phone service to natural citizens began, and ten years later, ETECSA reached five million active mobile lines.

From December 6^th, mobile phones in Cuba enhanced their potential by allowing much more than voice traffic. It was that day when Internet browsing by mobile data began in Cuba, which is currently expanded and diversified with the use of 3G and 4G/LTE technologies.

On December 6^th, 2019, ETECSA CEO stated “One year into the start of the Internet browsing via mobile data in #Cuba, we ratify our commitment to continue developing the process of informatization of society.”

Translated by Sergio A. Paneque Díaz / CubaSí Translation Staff