As part of a new measures package recently announced by the Cuban Government, the Cuban Economy and Planning Ministry launched this week the report ‘Cuba y su desafio economico y social’, which highlights a series of measures to be applied due to the crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic in several areas, including the telecommunications market.

In the document, the intention to include the sale of new electronic devices, such as cell phones, computers, laptops, tablets and STBs for digital TV, in authorized stores is detailed.

In addition, the aim of ‘expanding the national production o digital TV reception devices to materialize the release of the 700 MHz band, necessary for the development of 4G cell phones; together with making the pertinent analyzes to ‘evaluate the possibility of offering the cable TV service in places where the available infrastructure allows it, and, this  way, maximize the profitability of the installed networks’ were also announced. Up to now, the pay TV offer in Cuba is only available in hotels.

The state telecommunications provider agency in Cuba is the Empresa de Telecomunicaciones de Cuba (ETECSA), which provides internet, fixed and mobile telephony services. The announcement made by the Cuban Government opens the doors to offer pay TV for the residential market, in one of the Spanish-speaking countries in which this service has been unexplored until now.