Cuba: New issues reported with standard analog and digital television signals

Less than 24 hours after a blackout in television signal in Cuba on Sunday night, the joy was short-lived, as users report new failures on social media this Monday.

The official journalist Lázaro Manuel Alonso reported on Facebook that several places in the country are reporting issues with the analog and standard digital television signal.

Regarding what happened the previous evening, the media outlet Cubadebate published a note today. “Users from various provinces of Cuba have reported the loss of digital and analog signal during the broadcast of the television program 'Tras la Huella,'” it stated.

He also added that "the high definition (HD) channels were not affected. The radio continues to operate without issues."

The incident was caused by "technical problems" that were not explained by the authorities, despite leading to a blackout lasting 59 minutes.

"Technicians from Radiocuba and other specialists are working to resolve the interruption at a line head," said Ariadne Plasencia, the president of the Business Group for Informatics and Communications, on her social media.

According to the company Radiocuba, the disruption was caused by malfunctions in the operation of a technical device associated with the transmission process. Finally, the standard signal for digital terrestrial television was restored after an hour, explained the responsible company, which offered "apologies for the inconvenience caused."

In July 2023, the authorities of the island announced to the deputies of the National Assembly of the People's Power that Cuba would turn off analog television nationwide in 2026.

The transition process from analog to digital television in the central zone will take place this year, while in the eastern zone it will be in 2025 to complete the shutdown in 2026, reported the Minister of Communications, Mayra Arevich Marín.

In September 2021, the Cuban government announced that three months later it would begin the analog blackout in the western region, from Pinar del Río to Matanzas, but -for reasons that were not explained- it was postponed to March 2022.

However, the process was again postponed until September and then to December 3, 2023.