Cubans this week denounced on social media that the island’s only telephone company, known as ETECSA, had begun selling telephone lines in freely convertible currency (MLC).
The twitter user, Marcus B.V., asked in the social network that “Who would have thought that starting today, people who already have them in the MLC have to be paid for new lines? So how long disrespectful?” That new line wasn’t for any business, it was a gift to my son.
ETECSA allows Cubans to purchase up to three pay phone lines in Cuban pesos, the island’s currency. But starting this week, apparently due to high demand, they will not be able to buy one in Cuban pesos and the other two, if they want, in foreign currency.
If you don’t have anything, you can buy it in the national currency. If you already have one and want to buy another, you can do so but by paying in MLC. User said “new tab widget opened”.
According to this person, they never announced this measure nationally. “After I lost two hours in line and went up to watch the ad when it was my turn. She told us very calmly, if they already had one, they should pay for the other in MLC,” she insisted.
Telephone lines at MLC in Cuba
Other Twitter users shared screenshots where the phone company allegedly warned them that “at this time” it was only possible to contract one prepaid mobile subscription per person due to limitations with USIM cards. They claimed this measure was temporary.
Finally, our writing contacted ETECSA directly and this confirmed to us that the scale of selling telephone lines in foreign currency was real.
“Currently there are difficulties in obtaining the Usim cards necessary for the subscription contract. Result f temporarily limited Respond the number of mobile subscriptions to be contracted in CUP to 1 per new customer Cuban Directory.
“In case you already have a mobile phone line and want to buy another one (you can only have up to 3 lines in your name), you can buy it from MLC in our commercial offices or in US dollars through the US dollar account of Mitransfer exchange or from abroad.”
They also posted on their social networks about it to clarify the situation:
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