Etecsa announces improvements in internet connectivity in the Cuban tourist hub

The Cuban Telecommunications Company (ETECSA) announced the expansion of the LTE cellular network to the 700 and 900 MHz frequency in the tourist center of Jardines del Rey, Ciego de Ávila province.

ETECSA's General Manager of Business Projects, Frank Pavon Carbonell, reported that new radio bases were installed at strategic points such as the Transtur base, Cayo Guillermo CT, Pilar 1, Playuela, Villa Azul Cayo Coco, La Jaula and Flamenco CT.

These facilities promise to significantly improve coverage and quality of service throughout the region. He pointed out the boss.

This news comes in a context characterized by complaints about the speed and reliability of communication with the island. Users express their frustration due to slow data downloads, even when connected to the 4G network.

“Fix your connection speed,” one user demands, citing the irony of power outages as an excuse for slowness when the infrastructure should be prepared for such eventualities. “To download 1GB and a few other MB. It becomes impossible for God’s sake!” “Let your IT professionals see what they are doing with your internet bandwidth,” he added.

They criticize the Internet connection in Cuba

Another aspect that the community highlights is the uneven distribution of base stations, with their concentration in hotels and their shortage in rural areas, which generates saturation and pressure among the residents of these less served areas.

Customers also remember ETECSA offering international recharge offers to generate income in foreign currency, but criticize the poor quality of communication offered in return. “There are a lot of recharges and what about the connection,” asks one customer, who is concerned about the impossibility of using the acquired data before it expires.

The truth is that the connectivity issue affects the entire island and appears to have two clear corporate causes: frequent power outages and the US government.

The reliance of the communications system on electrical power and the lack of sufficient backup sources leads to service interruptions, affecting access to basic communications such as landlines, WhatsApp, Facebook, and the Internet in general. to explain previously.

Likewise, last August, the First Deputy Minister of Communications, Wilfredo González, confirmed that “the United States government prevents Cuba from connecting to international telecommunications networks via fiber-optic cables.” In this sense, he stated that this country limits Cuba's “access to the Internet, the use of information, and the exchange and creation of knowledge.”