This past Monday, a Cuban woman voiced her concerns about ETECSA's frequent international promotions, highlighting the absence of similar offers in Cuban pesos for those reliant on local incomes.
"They should save characters and remove 'international' because there's nothing national," Roxanne Castellanos Cabrera quipped in a Facebook post that sparked a series of comments criticizing the state-run telecommunications monopoly.
Her response came after receiving a text from ETECSA about a new "international promotion" available from September 7 to 13, which includes 25 GB of data and unlimited browsing from midnight to 7 a.m. for a span of 35 days.
Promotion Offers and Customer Frustration
Another offer from the company boasted "unlimited data 24 hours" for ten days, accessible between September 4 and 30. Both promotions rely on payments made from abroad.
Castellanos questioned the fate of the foreign currency ETECSA collects through these promotions. "All the millions in dollars they gather, nobody knows where they are going, despite all their so-called promises," she remarked.
Connectivity Challenges Amid Power Outages
Her critique also touched on a pressing issue for users: the difficulty in utilizing data packages due to power outages and connectivity problems.
"Now they pile up because there's no connection all day, except during the few hours of electricity. [...] It's outrageous that at the end of the month, you have to repurchase without having used your data due to the terrible service," she lamented. "It's truly abusive and disrespectful," she added.
Widespread Discontent with ETECSA
Other Cubans echoed similar frustrations. One user noted that the best options are only available with foreign currency: "It has to be in dollars, and not everyone can access that."
Another user expressed exasperation over a 21-month outage of their landline without resolution. "It's a complete lack of respect and a blatant theft. An entire day without internet," said another Cuban, questioning ETECSA's monopoly in the Cuban market.
The criticisms reflect the backdrop of measures adopted by the company since May 2025, when ETECSA capped national top-ups at 360 CUP every 30 days and began selling additional packages paid in dollars.
Since then, international promotions have become a crucial means for accessing more data, leaving users without overseas support at a disadvantage. The decline in service during blackouts further exacerbates the issue. In March 2026, for instance, Cuba's internet traffic plummeted by 65% during a nearly 29-hour blackout.
Over a year after this controversial tariff change, ETECSA continues to rake in millions through its new services, amid ongoing complaints about connection quality and infrastructure.
In August, comedian Ulises Toirac publicly urged ETECSA to invest in improving its services, amidst the persistent grievances from users.
Among the comments on Castellanos's post, one Cuban summed up the frustration with a pointed question: "Do they even know the meaning of 'DIGNIFYING' the citizenry? I doubt it."
Understanding the Impact of ETECSA's Policies
Why are ETECSA's promotions controversial among Cubans?
ETCSA's promotions are controversial because they are mostly international, requiring payments from abroad, leaving local users without similar offers in Cuban pesos. This creates a disadvantage for those without overseas support.
How do power outages affect internet usage in Cuba?
Power outages in Cuba severely impact internet usage as they limit the time users can connect. This results in unused data packages, forcing customers to repurchase without consuming their data fully.