Tele Turquino, the provincial telecentre of Santiago de Cuba, has completed the installation and commissioning of a photovoltaic system with 13 solar panels to ensure the continuity of its television signal amid the electricity crisis that is affecting the eastern part of the country.
The initiative aims to operate an alternative digital television transmitter from the telecenter itself, in response to the issues affecting the main transmitter of channel 38, located at the Boniato Transmission Center, according to the report from Canal Caribe.
A specialist from Tele Turquino explained the scope of the measure: "First and foremost, we are providing an alternative to put a digital television transmitter on the air that will remain in service here at this Telecenter, in order to temporarily establish the possibility of replacing the digital television transmitter for channel 38 in Boniato, which is currently affected."
The technician also specified that the team is working "together with colleagues from Texas to ensure full-time provision of this photovoltaic system panel due to the emerging situation we have with the lack of electric power."
The installation is part of the process to change the energy matrix in the radio and television system of the Santiago territory, although the official coverage acknowledged that the solution will ensure "in a limited way" the reception of the high-definition terrestrial digital signal for viewers in the main municipality.
The Boniato transmitter has a history of failures related to the energy crisis and the lack of parts. On May 7th, the center went completely off the air due to generation deficits and fuel shortages, leaving hundreds of thousands of Santiago residents without access to state broadcasting.
That was not the first time. The HD transmitter in Boniato suffered a severe breakdown since January 28, 2025, when the high-definition signal was out of service for more than four months due to a lack of parts and components, affecting Santiago de Cuba, Palma Soriano, San Luis, Mella, Songo-La Maya, and Contramaestre.
The electrical context surrounding this measure is extremely serious. The Electric Company of Santiago de Cuba admitted on May 31 that "many times we cannot even provide two hours of service."
On a national scale, the electricity deficit exceeded 2,010 MW during peak hours on June 11, with the eastern part of the country being one of the hardest hit areas.
This Friday, the entire province of Guantánamo lost electricity supply after the failure of the 110 kV line connecting Santiago with that province, while the electricity company in Holguín reported a schedule of only three hours of power for every 39 or 40 hours of blackout.
The installation of the 13 solar panels at Tele Turquino is an emergency response to a structural crisis that the Cuban regime has been unable to resolve after decades of disinvestment in energy and telecommunications infrastructure.
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