The Cuban telecommunications company, ETECSA, announced on Wednesday that the Nauta and Transfermóvil services are back online following a two-day disruption caused by the ongoing energy crisis in Cuba. The announcement was made through the company's official account on the social media platform X, though no technical details were provided about the incident.
"We inform that, after collaborative efforts among various institutions, the services affected on October 5th have been restored. Our specialists continue to monitor the behavior of different systems and platforms," stated the company in their release.
Impact of Power Outages
The issues began on Monday when widespread blackouts incapacitated ETECSA's technological systems and equipment. At that time, the company admitted that the interruption impacted Nauta's internet browsing, electronic payments via Transfermóvil, and the management of related services, although mobile data services remained operational. They did not provide an estimated restoration time or specify how many provinces or users were affected.
Severe Electric Deficit
The electrical situation during that period was particularly dire. Havana faced 62 affected circuits and a 167 MW deficit early Monday morning, which worsened as the day progressed. On Tuesday, the National Electric System's available generation was only 1,223 MW against a demand of 3,050 MW, resulting in a 1,827 MW shortfall.
Frequent Power Interruptions
This disruption was not an isolated event. Over the previous month, at least 23 out of 30 days saw national grid disruptions surpassing 2,000 MW, making power cuts a persistent issue that directly impacts telecommunications.
The most severe incident this year occurred on September 18, when the eighth nationwide blackout took over 80% of radio base sites and nearly 70% of telecommunications cabinets offline, resulting in a 58% drop in internet traffic. In response, ETECSA halted its network expansion to focus resources on installing solar panels.
Recurring Service Interruptions
Earlier, on September 2, Transfermóvil services were disrupted due to SMS failures, and Nauta faced issues in August following a fiber optic cut. The payment platform, with over 5.4 million users, manages more than 70% of the country's electronic transactions, making its interruption a significant concern for millions of Cubans who rely on it for essential services and financial management.
In September, the company acknowledged that power outages severely threaten the nation's telecommunications, stating, "It is not feasible to continue investing in network expansion without the capacity to energetically support the telecommunications infrastructure."
Meanwhile, ETECSA has accumulated approximately 77,000 reports of interrupted fixed services without announcing any compensation for users, despite a tariff increase in May 2025.
Frequently Asked Questions About ETECSA's Service Disruptions
Why were Nauta and Transfermóvil services disrupted?
The services were disrupted due to power outages caused by Cuba's ongoing energy crisis, which affected ETECSA's technological systems and equipment.
What steps did ETECSA take to restore services?
ETECSA collaborated with various institutions to restore the affected services and is monitoring the performance of their systems and platforms.
How have power outages impacted Cuba's telecommunications?
Power outages have led to frequent service disruptions and forced ETECSA to halt network expansion to allocate resources for alternative energy solutions.