The Telecommunications Company of Cuba S.A. (Etecsa) reported on Thursday significant disruptions in the telecommunications system due to Hurricane Rafael, which struck the country in recent hours.
A note published on the official outlet Cubadebate states that the provinces most affected by the cyclone's winds are Artemisa, Havana, and Mayabeque.
Artemisa, where the hurricane made landfall as a category 3, bears the brunt of the damage.
At 6:00 p.m. this Thursday, Etecsa reported that more than 540 cell tower sites in these three provinces were out of service, resulting in a 77% unavailability in the mobile network.
Additionally, over 340 comprehensive cabinets providing fixed-line telephone service were affected, leaving more than 53,000 users without access.
The impact was not only due to power outages but also to the damage caused by winds to the telecommunications infrastructure, including cuts to fiber optic cables.
Two mobile phone towers were reported down in the municipalities of Mariel and Guanajay, and fixed and mobile services in the municipality of Güira de Melena were completely disrupted due to fiber cuts in areas near telecommunications centers.
Currently, specialized brigades from Pinar del Río are collaborating in Artemisa on the recovery and restoration of services.
Etecsa reported that it is still assessing the extent of the damage, so the level of impact may change in the coming hours.
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