ETECSA published a message this Wednesday on its official Facebook page acknowledging the decline in the perceived quality of its landline and internet services, and concluded with a phrase that has become part of the history of Cuban corporate rhetoric: "the commitment does not stop." The response from Cubans online was a resounding denial.
In the official publication of the state-owned company, the state telecommunications monopoly creatively listed the culprits for its issues: the energy crisis, vandalism, technological obsolescence, increased demand, and even the mobile signal boosters used by Cubans desperate for some connection.
"The energy situation is currently a decisive factor in the provision of telecommunications services. Although we have backup in some locations, it is not enough: the network needs electricity at each of its points," admitted the company, which has been promising improvements for years while Cuba ranks last in Latin America in internet speed, according to various news reports.
The data acknowledged by ETECSA itself is equally telling: around 77,000 reports of interruptions in fixed-line telephone services accumulated until September 2026; over 80% of radio base sites out of service during the national blackout on September 18, with internet traffic dropping by 58% compared to similar periods.
Additionally, there is the vulnerability of the telecommunications infrastructure: according to official figures released in 2025, approximately half of the more than 5,000 installed radio bases lack sufficient energy backup to remain operational during power outages.
The comments section of the post quickly became a barometer of public outrage, with temperatures nearing the boiling point.
Scammers, where are the dollars?, asked a user candidly. Another contributed the corporate definition of the year: “I like ETECSA because it's a company that shows you that even starting from scratch you can go backwards.” A third user, patiently waiting for hours to connect, noted: “The quality is so high that after 2H:38M I finally managed to submit my comment.” And someone else summed up the general sentiment in a single phrase: “You have to have a face of concrete.”
The contradiction that irritated users the most was related to money: while ETECSA claims not to have resources to improve the network, the company has received electric vehicles in several provinces during 2026. "There is money to buy electric cars," stated a commenter.
Others demanded transparency regarding the use of the foreign currency collected through international top-ups: “Why don’t they explain how they use the foreign currency they collect from international top-ups? […] Not just mention the difficulties, but also explain how they spend the money,” wrote another user.
The question is significant. Following the controversial "package deal" in May 2025 — which limited top-ups in Cuban pesos to 360 CUP monthly and introduced packages priced in dollars of up to 35 USD for 16 GB — the Prime Minister Manuel Marrero acknowledged that ETECSA raised over 24.8 million dollars in the first 46 days, approximately 540,000 dollars daily, without any proportional improvement in service quality.
A user residing in La Plaza de la Revolución, in Havana, described her situation with the resignation of someone who no longer expects anything: “For almost a year now, I haven't been able to have a conversation with my family over there, so I decided that until there is a good signal, no more recharges will be added.”
Another internet user insightfully noted what the post inadvertently revealed: “I was going to comment, but I started reading the replies, and not one praises them, not one is in favor [...] I believe that in publications like this, they have a tool to measure the total dissatisfaction of users and customers.”
The company concluded its publication with the hashtag #EtecsaConCuba. Cubans, it seems, have a different opinion about who ETECSA is truly aligned with.
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