The Telecommunications Company of Cuba S. A. (ETECSA) launched a new international recharge promotion this week, valid from October 5 to 10, offering 25 GB of data along with unlimited internet access between 12:00 a.m. and 7:00 a.m. for 35 days, plus an additional bonus of unlimited national minutes and SMS for 10 days for those who receive two or more recharges.
The official post on Facebook sparked a wave of criticism from Cubans who questioned the usefulness of offering unlimited data during the early morning hours in the midst of prolonged blackouts and connectivity issues, which leave homes without electricity for hours and numerous cell towers out of service.
"This is unacceptable. They offer 'unlimited data' only from 12 a.m. to 7 a.m., but with the power outages in Cuba, how are we supposed to charge our phones at that time? And even if you have battery, the towers lose power and there’s no signal," wrote a user in the comments of the post.
One internet user summarized their criticism like this: "What's the point of all the promotions if there’s no connection or coverage?" Another questioned the usefulness of accumulating data that they can’t even use: "I have 700 gigabytes and there are days I don’t use a single megabyte, even with 4G on."
The criticism also targeted the cost of international recharges. One user described the promotion as "a disrespect to the pocket of Cubans here and their relatives abroad," while another questioned, "What is the point of the unnecessary expense if there is never any internet connection?"
The structural background exacerbates the perception of deception. Just days before the launch of this campaign, ETECSA admitted that power outages limit its network and stated that "it is not feasible to continue investing to expand the access network if there is no capacity to support the infrastructure energetically."
The data recognized by the company itself highlights the extent of the problem. During power outages, around 47.5% of radio bases and 56.5% of telecommunications cabinets may be out of service. During the collapse of the National Electroenergetic System on September 18, more than 80% of radio base sites were without service, and internet traffic dropped by 58%.
In Santiago de Cuba, between 140 and 150 towers were out of service daily due to a lack of power.
Of the approximately 2,520 radio bases in the country, only half have some form of energy backup, and about 450 are facing mechanical issues or lack of fuel in their generators.
Users do not overlook this contradiction. "ETECSA has said it will not invest in infrastructure, but it also does not purchase batteries," noted one of the comments under the promotional post.
The pattern is not new. A Cuban publicly questioned ETECSA in March for selling data that cannot be used, and in September another promotion that also included data during nighttime generated similar criticism. The company has indicated that it invests in solar panels as a partial solution, although this strategy has also faced difficulties: in September, there were reports of the theft of solar panels installed by ETECSA in Santiago de Cuba.
The promotional announcement does not mention those issues. In the comments, many users insisted that the additional data is of little use while the blackouts and coverage problems continue to hinder internet access.
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