Cuban Frustration with ETECSA's Mobile Data: Paying for an Unusable Service

In Contramaestre, Santiago de Cuba, a local resident took to Facebook to voice his frustrations with ETECSA, the state-owned telecommunications company. He described the connectivity issues in his area as "an actual ordeal" and demanded accountability for data packages that expire before they can be used.

"Patience has worn thin. We spend much of the day and night without a stable connection. Meanwhile, our data packages expire," wrote Arnoldo Fernández. He directly criticized ETECSA for charging for a service that customers can't fully utilize.

Fernández highlighted the irony of the "free" internet promotions during certain hours, pointing out that if there is no signal during those times, the offer is pointless. "It's like selling a product that the customer can't use before it expires," he explained.

He also questioned the company about international recharges: "Who is accountable for the international top-ups our relatives abroad make with such effort?"

Nationwide Connectivity Issues

The post garnered comments from users across various provinces affirming that the problem isn't limited to Santiago de Cuba.

"This is happening all over the country," wrote Ángel Salvador Escandell Zamora from Centro Habana, who recounted visiting an ETECSA Commercial Office to complain about the inefficiency. The response he received was that the company is also affected by power outages and that its equipment "isn't designed for prolonged blackouts," with investments progressing "slowly."

When Escandell Zamora inquired about the possibility of suing ETECSA for "false advertising," the answer was blunt: both domestically and internationally, a lawsuit "is pointless." He concluded that "there are no strong-willed lawyers willing to legally challenge this company, which survives only because it lacks competition."

Widespread Discontent with ETECSA

Pedro Pablo Pérez Santos, another commenter, shared an equally frustrating situation: he's been without a landline or Nauta Hogar service for days because "a card in a cabinet was damaged," yet he must keep paying to avoid losing his line permanently.

The discontent is part of a broader, long-standing crisis involving ETECSA. In May 2025, the company implemented a significant tariff adjustment, limiting recharges in Cuban pesos to 360 pesos every 30 days and steering users toward dollar-based plans. According to government data, in the 46 days following the tariff hike, ETECSA amassed over $24.8 million, about $540,000 daily, without any noticeable service improvements.

The Impact of Chronic Power Outages

The ongoing power crisis exacerbates the situation: ETECSA admitted that outages render approximately 47.5% of mobile base stations and 56.5% of telecommunications cabinets non-functional, with the infrastructure unable to endure more than 24 hours without electricity. In March 2026, a massive blackout caused a 65% drop in national internet traffic, with recovery taking nearly 29 hours.

Fernández concluded his complaint with a demand that extends beyond connectivity: "We are not asking for a gift. We are paying for a service. When a service is charged, the least the customer deserves is to receive it with reasonable quality and to get answers when it fails. It's not just about the Internet. It's about respect."

In August, comedian Ulises Toirac published an open letter to ETECSA, urging the company to reinvest the tariff hike revenues or allow alternatives like Starlink, a demand that resonates with every citizen's new complaint.