The Telecommunications Company of Cuba (ETECSA) announced new commercial measures on May 30 that deepen the dollarization of access to mobile telephony on the island.
From now on, recharges in Cuban pesos (CUP) will be limited, while the main data plans must be purchased in United States dollars (USD) using international cards or the MiTransfer Wallet.
Limit on top-ups in national currency
According to the details provided by the Institutional Communication Department of the state-owned enterprise, prepaid service customers will only be able to top up their main balance up to a maximum of 360 CUP within a 30-day period.
Although users will still be able to use their available balance to purchase plans or make transfers, this new restriction marks a substantial change in the operation of the mobile service in national currency.
This measure, according to ETECSA, addresses the need to “develop and maintain the telecommunications service network in our country”, as was anticipated by Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz during the parliamentary sessions last December.
The data, increasingly in dollars
While the use of CUP is restricted, ETECSA is promoting new Extra DATA Plans in US dollars, which are now available through international cards and the MiTransfer Wallet.
These plans can be purchased at authorized commercial offices and offer:
4 GB for 10 USD.
8 GB + 75 MIN + 80 SMS for 20 USD.
16 GB for 35 USD.
All these "offers" include an additional 300 MB for national browsing, a component that remains unchanged.
What remains in CUP?
Despite this partial dollarization of mobile services, ETECSA assures that it will still be possible to purchase some plans in national currency up to a limit of 360 CUP.
Nevertheless, new Extra DATA Plans in CUP have also been enabled, available through Transfermóvil, Online Services, MiTransfer Wallet, and in the commercial network.
These packages would look like this:
3 GB for 3,360 CUP.
7 GB for 6,720 CUP.
15 GB for 11,760 CUP.
Each of these plans also includes 300 MB for national browsing.
However, prices in Cuban pesos are excessively high, reaching figures that far exceed the minimum wage in the country.
A 15 GB plan in CUP costs nearly 12,000 pesos, making it an unaffordable service for a large part of the population, especially for those who do not receive remittances or have access to strong currency.
ETECSA also reported that these plans can now be used on any mobile network (2G, 3G, and 4G), which they claim represents a technical improvement.
Additionally, voice plans, SMS, and the toDus Messaging Service keep their prices in CUP and remain available through traditional channels.
The ETECSA announcement this Friday comes shortly after notifying about disruptions between the early hours and noon on Thursday due to "updates on some of its platforms".
Commercial offers or "armed robbery"?
The official journalist Lázaro Manuel Alonso has described the announcement of "commercial offers" from ETECSA, and numerous internet users have made it clear in the comments that they do not share his opinion; instead, they view the measure from the Cuban communications monopoly as yet another outright robbery of citizens.
"ETECSA updates commercial offers. Starting today, national top-ups will be up to 360 pesos for 30 days. Additional data plans in MN and USD are being introduced. The internet available on the phone will be usable on any network. Messaging and calling plans will maintain their current prices," the journalist described.
“Well, let's be a bit more serious and not casually refer to commercial offers. These are not commercial offers; this is armed robbery. Another attack on people who already have very little,” warned an outraged commentator.
“The supply booklet has arrived at ETECSA, an extra plan that exceeds the minimum wage in Cuba. Truly, this is an achievement of the Revolution, well, they leave me speechless and I can only look up and, even though I'm not a Christian, shout: LONG LIVE THE REVOLUTION AND THE COMMUNIST PARTY!”, warned another commenter.
“I'm left speechless"; “They control your money and open their mouths for the dollars, hypocrites"; “Very fortunate is the one who makes decisions from an air-conditioned office while having a car at their disposal waiting for them at any moment of the day. So, where does that leave the weakest link, which is the people?”, have been some of the first reactions to a measure that promises to be very, very unpopular.
One step closer to dollarization in Cuba
Although ETECSA reaffirms its commitment to providing services in national currency, maintaining free access to educational platforms, and supporting priority social sectors, the new regulations confirm a shift towards greater dollarization of access to the internet and mobile phone services in Cuba.
This process, in an already complex economic context, adds a new layer of inequality for Cubans who do not have access to remittances or income in foreign currency, further consolidating the monetary duality in one of the country's most essential services.
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