Means of Communications
in the City of Havana, by Claro Noda and Osvanny Ramos
Last Update: December 20, 2002.
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In the early nineties the economic financial inability of most of the governments
of the region to invest in the development of modern telecommunications networks,
the failure to extend the services to the wider population, and the urgent necessity
of having extended and modern infrastructures in telecommunications to drive
economic growth forced to seek foreign capital, privatize and/or form joint
ventures to aid face the challenges of suitable investments in the emerging
communication technologies.
At
that time Cuba saw itself immersed in a drastic economic crisis - related to
the failure of the socialist block - with a precarious industry infrastructure,
which in the communications field pointed to some analog public telephone networks
operating along the island. In the city the service used to be so unstable that
a moderate raining could silent most of the lines in a municipality for a few
days. Not to mention echo and disconnection on a normal call.
Cuban telephony has improved thanks to an investment from the Mexican CITEL (Corporación Interamericana de Telecomunicaciones) in ETECSA, the Cuban national telephone company. With its main office located in Egido No. 610 e/ Gloria y Apodaca, Habana Vieja, it was founded as a joint venture in August 1994.
Today
we enjoy a remarkable improvement in the services provided as digital networks
are in place. There are public telephones that accept different types of prepaid
cards that can be purchased in stores and kiosks all over the city and virtually
in all hotels. International DDI calls may be placed from private residences
when the client engages in an optional contract, which generate an extra bill
in dollars. Or by using a PIN Card which also works from a residential phone.
Back in 1995, STET (Italy) purchased 25% of CITEL interests, who owns 49% of ETECSA. STET also owns Telecom and Telintar (Argentina), Entel (Bolivia) and Entel (Chile).
| Ambulance | 40 5093 / 40 5094 |
| Fire | 867 5555 |
| Gas escape | 833 9900 / 833 9909 / 882 0116 |
| Police | 867 7777 |
| Toxicology | 260 1230 / 260 8751 |
| Directory Assistance | 113 (Spanish only) |
| Domestic Operator | 00 |
| International | 012 |
Direct Dial In
When calling from abroad, dial international DDI code (e.g. 011 in the US) + 53 + city code + the number.
When calling to another city from within Cuba, dial zero and the city code, followed by the number.
For calling overseas from within the island: from a Public Phone dial 119 + country code + your number. If you bought a PIN Card you can call from any Public Phone or any other phone, including a residential one and no fee will be charged to the monthly invoice of the line owner. However Smart Cards can only be used from a Blue Phone.
See Public Telephones locations and local codes. There are different prepaid cards available in most phone kiosks, stores and hotels.
Faxes can be sent from and received for a fee in all mayor hotels.
(Design Note: The list of domestic and international codes should appear as a menu to chose the country then it will provide the number. mean not the whole list.)
The International Phone Rates
| North America | $2.45 USD/min |
| South America | $3.40 USD/min |
| Central America, Mexico and the Caribbean | $4.45 USD/min |
| Rest of the World | $5.85 USD/min |
Cubacel rents cell phones or may assign a line to the phone you brought with you (TDMA/800MHz, American Standard). They have covered area in most major cities (and 40 Km around aprox). Their rates are $3.00 per day for the line.
Besides they charge $0.70 /min on the calls you generate from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm and $0.56 /min at night and during weekends. On the calls you receive $0.66 /min from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm and $0.52 /min at night and weekends.
If you get a phone from them it cost you $7.00 per day. For more details and
domestic as well as international rates please visit their website.
Central Office
Calle 28 No. 510 entre 5ta. Y 7ma., Miramar; ph: 880-2222; Fax: 880-0000.
Branches
Miramar Trade Centre Ave. 3ra y 70, Miramar. Ph 880-0200, Fax: 880-4120.
Airport Terminal No.2 ph: 880 0043, fax: 880 0400.
Airport Terminal No.3 ph: 880 0222, fax: 880 0445.
GSM Network
C-COM is a new GSM operator, which commenced service in August 2001. They provide GSM mobile telephony services in Havana City, Matanzas City and Varadero Beach. Their Main Office is located in 3ra-A 9402 e/ 94 y 96, Miramar. Open from 8:30 am to 10:00 pm, Monday through Saturday. On Sunday from 8:30 am to 1:00 pm. Ph: 264 2266
They also have an office in the Airport Terminal #3. 11:00 am to 11:00 pm, 7 days. Ph: 264 2244
Enet and Colombus Conectividad are the major ISP’s in the city. Mayor hotels also have navigation facilities in their Business Centers.
Dialup access are available, usually at speeds up to 53 Kbps. Scratch cards are sold in different places of the city so you can connect from any phone line using your laptop.
Enet’s Cards: (5 hours internet card at $15.00 USD)
This is a subsidiary of ETECSA that provides local connection numbers and technical support numbers in all mayor cities along the island. And it has personalized admin pages where you can find support and manage your account: change password, check for card’s remaining time, detailed logs of access, etc. The card holds the necessary info to gain full access to the Internet, they also claim to have 24/7 technical assistance. The main offices are located in Calle 22 e/ 3ra y 5ta Miramar. Ph: (7) 204 4444, fax: (7) 204 2504.
Also in Ave. Kohly #180 esq 39 Nuevo Vedado. Ph: (7) 881 6666, fax: (7) 881 7310. Email: comercial@ip.etecsa.cu
Their cards can be bought in the following places:
a) Lamparilla No. 2 Edif. Lonja del Comercio. Local Planta Baja "C" Habana Vieja. Ph: 867 4444. Fax: 33 2504
b) “El Centro de Prensa Internacional” located in Calle 23 esq. O. From 8:00 am to 8:00 pm. Ph: 55 4501. They have a navigation room where you can connect using a desktop PCs, available for an extra fee.
Note: It’s wise to give them a call before heading for these places. Sometimes they have sold out.
Colombus’ cards: (1 hour internet card at $5.00 USD)
El Portal de Internet de Cuba. This company, who also maintains a web directory of Cuban Sites - 320 sites on-line at the end of 2001-, provides an Internet access service that includes the use of a Desktop PC at no extra cost. The company main office is located in Calle 20 # 711, Miramar. Phs: 201 1170, 204 2850 & 204 2862. Their cards can be bought and used in:
a) Telecorreo 27 and L, Vedado from 9:00 am to 7:00 pm. 7 days. Ph: 830 9966 and
b) Museo Postal (Ave. Independencia y 19 de Mayo. Office Time. Ph: 881 5551 and 574150).
Note: if you plan to use this cards from your laptop you are advised to get
the number to dial from the PC’s in place. The salesperson might hesitate
to provide the number as the service is intended to be use “in place”.
Postal and Package Services
We reference Post offices that are located in centric places. There are postal
facilities at Hotel Nacional and Habana Libre. For a detailed list check Las
Paginas amarillas de Etecsa. Colorful cards with different designs can be
purchased at Mayor Hotels and their surrounding stores. Some cards are already
stamped, nevertheless stamps are available in all Post Offices.
Correos de Cuba
The new ePost Service of Correos de Cuba allow any registered user to send
letters, telegrams and PostCards to any address within the island. The mayor
advantage is the delivery time is remarkably minimized as the letter travels
electronically until the closest post station of the final destination, then
is printed and put in an envelop to hand it to the addressee. Payment is secure
online through Internet Secure, you can use Visa, Master Card, American Express
and Discovery. The transaction is in Canadian Dollards (CAD). 1 CAD = 0.65 USD.
They announced new payment procedures to be available soon.
CubaExpress
Air freight services. 5ta. Ave. No. 8210 e/ 82 y 84, Playa. Phs: 33-2331, 33-2833. Fax: 33-2584.
CubaPost
Calle 21 1009-1011 Vedado. Ph: 831 2021, 33 0483, 831 1643, fax: 33 6097, 33 098
DHL
Ave 1ra. y 40 Miramar. Phs: 204-1578, 204-1876, 204-0998, Fax: 204-1988, 24-0999.
Utisa
(Agent for DHL.) Phs: 33-3863, 33-3897 or 33-3897.
Granma
Cuban national newspaper (Spanish and English).
JuventudRebelde
Cuban youth weekly (Spanish).
Trabajadores
Cuban workers’ newspaper (Spanish).
National Information Agency
News reports (Spanish).
Cuban news agency.
Back to IndexHabana Radio
The Station of the Office of the City Historian of Havana. 106.9 FM.
Radio Ciudad de la Habana
The Radio Station of the City. Mostly heard due to a wide range of music and a fresh cultural agenda. 94.9 FM and 820 AM.
Broadcast Instrumental and classical music. 94.1 FM, in Havana
Radio Havana Cuba
Shortwave international radio news broadcast. Founded May 1st, 1961. Offices
and Studios located in Infanta 105, esq. 25, Centro Habana. Broadcasts in Spanish,
English, Portugese, French, Guarani, Ketchua, Creole and Esperanto. They have
different schedules and frequencies for Europe, The Americas and The Pacific.
For more details you can check their website.
Founded in February 1958 by Che Guevara in “La Sierra Maestra”. Remains as the main voice of the Cuban Revolution. 96.7 FM and 710 AM, in Havana.
Unique news broadcast, non-stop for over 40 years. Delivers the time every minute. 101.5 FM and 950 AM, in Havana.
Among the oldest radio stations in Cuba dates from 1929. Also known as “La Onda de la Alegria” is an anchor station, specially for the elder Cubans. 90.3 FM and 640 AM, in Havana.
The Tour Station in Cuba broadcasting 24 hours. 93.3 FM, in Havana.
Main Studios in Calle 23 # 258 e/ L y M, Vedado.
Can also be tuned in Varadero, Cienfuegos, Santa Clara, Santi Spíritus, Ciego de Ávila, Holguín, Santiago de Cuba y Guantánamo.
There are three channels in the city, two of which also broadcast in the rest
of the country. All VHF broadcasts. Cuba Visión, Telerebelde, and the
Educational Channel. The last one a recent government initiative in the city
to help extend university education to the wide population by means of television
diffusion of lectures and other didactic materials.
CNN
Has a branch in town for fresh news about Cuba.
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