Cuba's telecommunications network, managed by ETECSA, faced severe disruptions on Wednesday after a widespread power outage affected the western part of the island. This left significant portions of several provinces either without service or with severely limited connectivity.
A report highlighted major disruptions in radio base stations and cabinets, with a particularly severe impact in Havana (58% of radio base stations affected) and Pinar del Río (46% of radio base stations and 55% of cabinets). Other affected areas include Mayabeque (38% and 25%) and Artemisa (20% and 35%).
The recovery of telecommunications services is contingent upon the restoration of electricity. "As power is restored, service availability will increase," the report emphasized.
The connectivity collapse coincided with a major electrical event that left provinces from Pinar del Río to Cienfuegos without power.
Around 5:00 a.m., a transmission line failure was reported between the Santa Cruz del Norte thermoelectric plant and the Guiteras plant in Matanzas. This caused an overload in the parallel line, leading to the division of the electrical system as a "direct consequence."
Due to this incident, several generating units went offline, including those in Mariel, Santa Cruz del Norte, Carlos Manuel de Céspedes in Cienfuegos, and Felton in Holguín.
According to Alonso, the Céspedes and Felton plants were in the process of restarting, with technical teams working to restore the system.
The spokesperson also mentioned that restoration would be "faster" since a total disconnection did not occur and confirmed that the energization of substations in the west had begun, a necessary step for the gradual recovery of service.
In this situation, the power outage immediately impacted telecommunications: without electricity, radio base stations and cabinets are rendered inoperative or partially functional, resulting in areas without coverage, intermittent calls, and nearly impossible internet navigation.
The ETECSA report, issued at 11:00 a.m., acknowledged ongoing widespread disruptions, with recovery dependent on the speed at which the electrical system could reconnect and stabilize.
The crisis is exacerbated by the inherent fragility of the National Electric System. On the same day, it was reported that Unit 1 of Felton went offline again under "emergency free path" conditions just hours after synchronization, further highlighting the instability that pushes the country towards prolonged blackouts and, consequently, massive communication service interruptions.
Understanding the ETECSA Network Collapse in Cuba
What caused the telecommunications outage in Cuba?
The telecommunications outage was caused by a massive power failure that affected the western part of Cuba, disrupting the ETECSA network's radio base stations and cabinets.
Which areas in Cuba were most affected by the outage?
Havana and Pinar del Río were the most affected areas, with significant impacts also reported in Mayabeque and Artemisa.
How does the restoration of power affect the telecommunications service?
The restoration of power is crucial for reestablishing telecommunications services, as it enables radio base stations and cabinets to become fully operational again.