Residents in the Casino Deportivo area of Havana's Cerro municipality have been without landline phone service and Nauta Hogar internet access for almost a month, according to a report by 14ymedio published on Tuesday.
The outage was caused by a fire that damaged both the Union Eléctrica cables and those of Etecsa.
While the electric company addressed its portion of the damage weeks ago, the state-run telecommunications monopoly, Etecsa, has yet to restore services. According to local residents, Etecsa claims it lacks the necessary cables to repair the lines.
As a result, residents are forced to walk several kilometers to make phone calls or access the internet.
One of the locations they frequent is the area beneath the Ministry of Agriculture on Conill Street at the corner of Avenida de la Independencia in Nuevo Vedado. The news outlet confirmed that this spot is also visited by residents from nearby Primelles and the Ayestarán thoroughfare, which is part of the Cerro municipality.
The disruption has economic repercussions for those subscribed to Nauta Hogar, Etecsa's fiber-optic home internet service.
Customers explained to the media that they pay over 1,000 pesos monthly, yet have been left without service for nearly an entire billing cycle due to an issue beyond their control.
They're caught in a dilemma: if they stop recharging their accounts during the outage, they fear Etecsa might terminate their service. However, continuing to pay means funding a service they aren't receiving.
Cuban law offers them protection. According to Decree 124 of 2025, which governs Etecsa's operations, Article 13 specifies that the company should not charge customers for periods without service.
This isn't without precedent. In February 2026, Etecsa acknowledged owing a customer a refund of 1,800 pesos after she was left without landline and Nauta Hogar services for several months due to cable issues.
Such incidents are not isolated. Previously, in late September, the Casino Deportivo area experienced another disruption when the failure of the sole operational transformer on a utility pole left five military community apartment buildings without power for over 48 hours, impacting Etecsa's equipment responsible for landlines with the 7 637 prefix.
The recent report details a subsequent, separate incident linked to the cable fire, though the exact date remains unverified.
This problem underscores a broader structural crisis. By September 2026, Etecsa faced approximately 77,000 reports of disrupted fixed services nationwide, attributed to resource shortages, outdated infrastructure, and external network damage exacerbated by power outages.
In the building housing 14ymedio's newsroom, many apartments have been without landline service for over a year due to another cable fire that Etecsa has yet to address.
The response from Etecsa to those affected in Casino Deportivo mirrors what 14ymedio documented in similar cases around Havana: "there were no cables" available to repair the lines.
Understanding the Telecom Issues in Cuba
What caused the telecommunications outage in Casino Deportivo?
The outage was caused by a fire that damaged both the Union Eléctrica cables and those of Etecsa, leading to a disruption in service.
How are residents coping with the lack of phone and internet service?
Residents have to walk several kilometers to access phone and internet services, often congregating in areas like the Ministry of Agriculture in Nuevo Vedado.
What legal protections do customers have regarding their Nauta Hogar service?
Cuban law, specifically Decree 124 of 2025, mandates that Etecsa should not charge customers for periods during which they are without service.