Cuban Phone Company Authorizes Internet Refills From Abroad

Cuban Phone Company Authorizes Internet Refills From Abroad / 14ymedio
Posted on October 4, 2015

14ymedio, 4 October 2015 – Starting October 6, Cubans on the island can
have their "Nauta" internet access accounts refilled from abroad with 10
CUC (Cuban convertible pesos, about $11.30* US). The measure, announced
this Saturday in the newspaper Granma, will be introduced by the Cuban
Telecommunications Company (ETECSA) and requires users to have a
permanent Nauta account.

Right now, this option does not include the "double minutes" or bonus
options frequently available for recharges from abroad for cellphone
service.

The official Communist Party newspaper said the new service will
encourage users to sign up for permanent Nauta accounts, as many
netizens still prefer to use temporary navigation cards, despite their
higher prices.

The long lines outside the offices to open permanent internet access
accounts, the lack of recharge bonuses associated with them, and the
anonymity of navigation (without an account) are some of the reasons
given by customers for continuing to use the temporary accounts.

Every day the island's Wifi points are hosting 55,000 connections, 8,000
of them simultaneously. Although the connection price remains high at 2
CUC an hour (over $2.00 US in a country with an average monthly wage of
less than $20.00), the opening of 35 wireless access points has created
a social phenomenon with thousands of people congregating in those places.

*Translator's note: The Cuban CUC officially trades at par with the US
dollar, but a 10% "penalty" is added for exchanging US dollars, along
with a 3% exchange fee.

Source: Cuban Phone Company Authorizes Internet Refills From Abroad /
14ymedio | Translating Cuba -
http://translatingcuba.com/cuban-phone-company-authorizes-internet-refills-from-abroad-14ymedio/