Latest news with #ETECSA
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Cuban Internet price hikes restrict daily life
June 11 (UPI) -- Internet price hikes of up to 800% have sparked student protests in Cuba led by the Federation of University Students. Students and professionals across the island say the hikes -- implemented by the state-run telecommunications company ETECSA -- are severely disrupting academic work, research and public health services. The new rates have made basic Internet packages unaffordable for many. A 3GB plan now costs $19, while the average monthly salary in Cuba is $14. For many students, even remittances from relatives in the United States no longer cover food, transportation and Internet access. Now, the money only stretches to the first two. An economist, human rights activist and independent journalist from Santiago de Cuba who requested anonymity due to past government reprisals, called ETECSA's price hikes "a clear and direct form of censorship." He said that by drastically raising the cost of Internet access, the government is excluding much of the population -- especially the most vulnerable -- from public discourse and access to critical information about their own lives. "The Internet is essential for coordinating aid with other colleagues," said a doctor in Havana who is labeled an activist by the communist government and barred from working in the public health system. That has forced her to find other ways to help. She now works as a human rights advocate and provides medical care to people living in extreme poverty. "Digital exclusion means social exclusion and lost opportunities for the poor. Censorship doesn't just silence us -- it blocks access to tools that could save lives and change realities," she added. A university student at the University of Camagüey, said Internet access has become a luxury his family can no longer afford since ETECSA raised its prices. "This increase directly affects my academic performance because I often can't do research or submit assignments on time," he said. The price hike is limiting participation in virtual classes and other educational activities. The student said many classmates have been forced to drop out or miss important coursework because they can't afford internet access. "The measure has only been in place a short time, but in a few months, the dropout numbers will be alarming," he said. ETECSA had previously earned millions of dollars through international mobile recharges sent by relatives abroad. These recharges included promotional packages with mobile data, prepaid credit and bonus offers. After Cuba's economic restructuring eliminated the convertible peso and triggered a deep devaluation of the Cuban peso, many families found it more cost-effective to send U.S. dollars directly to relatives on the island. Exchanging those dollars on the informal market gave them more purchasing power and access to internet packages at better prices. As a result, ETECSA began losing a significant portion of its foreign currency income, prompting the company to shift its strategy. The company capped domestic recharges at just 360 pesos -- a move that severely limits the ability to buy internet packages within Cuba. The policy has effectively revived international recharges as the only practical way to obtain mobile credit or data. The policy ensures a continued flow of foreign currency under a tightly controlled financial model, even if it means digitally excluding much of the population that does not receive remittances from abroad. Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel defended the policy, saying that while the country works to expand mobile internet access, "coercive measures" by the United States and "fraud against ETECSA" are aimed at suffocating the government. The rising cost of internet service, combined with the island's deepening energy crisis, has fueled growing public frustration. Observers say the restrictions on internet access could position students as a leading voice of opposition, though fears of renewed government repression remain widespread.
UPI
11-06-2025
- Politics
- UPI
Cuban Internet price hikes restrict daily life
June 11 (UPI) -- Internet price hikes of up to 800% have sparked student protests in Cuba led by the Federation of University Students. Students and professionals across the island say the hikes -- implemented by the state-run telecommunications company ETECSA -- are severely disrupting academic work, research and public health services. The new rates have made basic Internet packages unaffordable for many. A 3GB plan now costs $19, while the average monthly salary in Cuba is $14. For many students, even remittances from relatives in the United States no longer cover food, transportation and Internet access. Now, the money only stretches to the first two. An economist, human rights activist and independent journalist from Santiago de Cuba who requested anonymity due to past government reprisals, called ETECSA's price hikes "a clear and direct form of censorship." He said that by drastically raising the cost of Internet access, the government is excluding much of the population -- especially the most vulnerable -- from public discourse and access to critical information about their own lives. "The Internet is essential for coordinating aid with other colleagues," said a doctor in Havana who is labeled an activist by the communist government and barred from working in the public health system. That has forced her to find other ways to help. She now works as a human rights advocate and provides medical care to people living in extreme poverty. "Digital exclusion means social exclusion and lost opportunities for the poor. Censorship doesn't just silence us -- it blocks access to tools that could save lives and change realities," she added. A university student at the University of Camagüey, said Internet access has become a luxury his family can no longer afford since ETECSA raised its prices. "This increase directly affects my academic performance because I often can't do research or submit assignments on time," he said. The price hike is limiting participation in virtual classes and other educational activities. The student said many classmates have been forced to drop out or miss important coursework because they can't afford internet access. "The measure has only been in place a short time, but in a few months, the dropout numbers will be alarming," he said. ETECSA had previously earned millions of dollars through international mobile recharges sent by relatives abroad. These recharges included promotional packages with mobile data, prepaid credit and bonus offers. After Cuba's economic restructuring eliminated the convertible peso and triggered a deep devaluation of the Cuban peso, many families found it more cost-effective to send U.S. dollars directly to relatives on the island. Exchanging those dollars on the informal market gave them more purchasing power and access to internet packages at better prices. As a result, ETECSA began losing a significant portion of its foreign currency income, prompting the company to shift its strategy. The company capped domestic recharges at just 360 pesos -- a move that severely limits the ability to buy internet packages within Cuba. The policy has effectively revived international recharges as the only practical way to obtain mobile credit or data. The policy ensures a continued flow of foreign currency under a tightly controlled financial model, even if it means digitally excluding much of the population that does not receive remittances from abroad. Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel defended the policy, saying that while the country works to expand mobile internet access, "coercive measures" by the United States and "fraud against ETECSA" are aimed at suffocating the government. The rising cost of internet service, combined with the island's deepening energy crisis, has fueled growing public frustration. Observers say the restrictions on internet access could position students as a leading voice of opposition, though fears of renewed government repression remain widespread.
Time of India
04-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Cuba partially rolls back internet rate hike as anger grows
By Nelson Acosta HAVANA: Cuba said it would begin to offer additional mobile internet data plans at a sharply reduced price for students after an initial rate hike prompted outrage across an island already reeling from soaring inflation and shortages of basic goods. State-run telecommunications firm ETECSA last week capped subsidized data plans - offered at a steeply discounted rate of 360 pesos (just under $1 on the informal market exchange) - at 6 gigabytes, less than a third of the global average monthly usage per smartphone of 21.6 gigabytes, according to Swedish telecoms company Ericsson. After that, newly announced prices for an additional three gigabytes soar to 3,360 pesos ($9), over half the average monthly wage of 5,839 pesos ($16). Many plans are offered only in dollars - a currency out of reach for many Cubans - in a bid to tap the funds of relatives who have migrated abroad and wish to communicate with their families. The rate hike struck a nerve with many Cubans - for whom the new data packages are inaccessible - prompting ETECSA on Monday evening to offer students an additional 6 gigabytes, for a total of 12, at the same discounted rate of 360 pesos ($1), easing tensions - but leaving many still in the lurch. Andrea Curbelo, a 20-year-old art history student at the University of Havana said the additional discounted data package for students was appreciated but said all Cubans should be treated equal. "All Cubans should have the same opportunity as we students to communicate with their families ... they should restructure the measure so that everyone has the same rights." The continuing rift over the price of data plans in Cuba comes as the nation's communist-run government scrambles to raise funds amid the worst economic crisis to hit the island since Fidel Castro's 1959 revolution. The government says the rate hikes are necessary to update ailing telecommunications infrastructure in a country with some of the slowest internet connection speeds in the world, according to an online service that measures bandwidth. Danila Maria Hernandez, a 19-year-old Havana resident, said the government had struck a nerve raising prices amid the ongoing economic crisis. "All we have left to distract ourselves is social media, a little internet, to get our minds off our problems," she said. "It's just not right."
The Star
03-06-2025
- Business
- The Star
Cuba partially rolls back internet rate hike as anger grows
FILE PHOTO: People wait in line to enter an Etecsa store, the Cuban state company that provides telephone and communications services, Havana, Cuba, February 9, 2023. REUTERS/Alexandre Meneghini/File Photo HAVANA (Reuters) -Cuba said it would begin to offer additional mobile internet data plans at a sharply reduced price for students after an initial rate hike prompted outrage across an island already reeling from soaring inflation and shortages of basic goods. State-run telecommunications firm ETECSA last week capped subsidized data plans - offered at a steeply discounted rate of 360 pesos (just under $1 on the informal market exchange) - at 6 gigabytes, less than a third of the global average monthly usage per smartphone of 21.6 gigabytes, according to Swedish telecoms company Ericsson. After that, newly announced prices for an additional three gigabytes soar to 3,360 pesos ($9), over half the average monthly wage of 5,839 pesos ($16). Many plans are offered only in dollars - a currency out of reach for many Cubans - in a bid to tap the funds of relatives who have migrated abroad and wish to communicate with their families. The rate hike struck a nerve with many Cubans - for whom the new data packages are inaccessible - prompting ETECSA on Monday evening to offer students an additional 6 gigabytes, for a total of 12, at the same discounted rate of 360 pesos ($1), easing tensions - but leaving many still in the lurch. Andrea Curbelo, a 20-year-old art history student at the University of Havana said the additional discounted data package for students was appreciated but said all Cubans should be treated equal. "All Cubans should have the same opportunity as we students to communicate with their families ... they should restructure the measure so that everyone has the same rights." The continuing rift over the price of data plans in Cuba comes as the nation's communist-run government scrambles to raise funds amid the worst economic crisis to hit the island since Fidel Castro's 1959 revolution. The government says the rate hikes are necessary to update ailing telecommunications infrastructure in a country with some of the slowest internet connection speeds in the world, according to an online service that measures bandwidth. Danila Maria Hernandez, a 19-year-old Havana resident, said the government had struck a nerve raising prices amid the ongoing economic crisis. "All we have left to distract ourselves is social media, a little internet, to get our minds off our problems," she said. "It's just not right." (Reporting by Nelson Acosta; additional reporting by Alien Fernandez, Anett Rios and Dave Sherwood; Editing by Alistair Bell)
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Cuba partially rolls back internet rate hike as anger grows
By Nelson Acosta HAVANA (Reuters) -Cuba said it would begin to offer additional mobile internet data plans at a sharply reduced price for students after an initial rate hike prompted outrage across an island already reeling from soaring inflation and shortages of basic goods. State-run telecommunications firm ETECSA last week capped subsidized data plans - offered at a steeply discounted rate of 360 pesos (just under $1 on the informal market exchange) - at 6 gigabytes, less than a third of the global average monthly usage per smartphone of 21.6 gigabytes, according to Swedish telecoms company Ericsson. After that, newly announced prices for an additional three gigabytes soar to 3,360 pesos ($9), over half the average monthly wage of 5,839 pesos ($16). Many plans are offered only in dollars - a currency out of reach for many Cubans - in a bid to tap the funds of relatives who have migrated abroad and wish to communicate with their families. The rate hike struck a nerve with many Cubans - for whom the new data packages are inaccessible - prompting ETECSA on Monday evening to offer students an additional 6 gigabytes, for a total of 12, at the same discounted rate of 360 pesos ($1), easing tensions - but leaving many still in the lurch. Andrea Curbelo, a 20-year-old art history student at the University of Havana said the additional discounted data package for students was appreciated but said all Cubans should be treated equal. "All Cubans should have the same opportunity as we students to communicate with their families ... they should restructure the measure so that everyone has the same rights." The continuing rift over the price of data plans in Cuba comes as the nation's communist-run government scrambles to raise funds amid the worst economic crisis to hit the island since Fidel Castro's 1959 revolution. The government says the rate hikes are necessary to update ailing telecommunications infrastructure in a country with some of the slowest internet connection speeds in the world, according to an online service that measures bandwidth. Danila Maria Hernandez, a 19-year-old Havana resident, said the government had struck a nerve raising prices amid the ongoing economic crisis. "All we have left to distract ourselves is social media, a little internet, to get our minds off our problems," she said. "It's just not right."
