Always accessible, never on the apparatus.

Cubans may now have mobile phones: the wireless state monopolist sells a Nokia 2006 as a model for beginners telephone. However, one can hardly afford the call charges - which is why the phones as pagers are used.

 

The mobile phone boom is due to delay in Cuba also arrived. Only since April 2008, all Cubans have a mobile phone and use what previously a privilege of foreigners and senior government employees had. But the regime under Fidel's brother Raúl Castro wants the transition to mobile era obviously slow one - the price of phones, contracts and royalties were to start a utopian high.

DPA
Jubel poster: "50 years of struggles and victories" celebrates a billboard in Havana at the end of 2008, just before the 50-year anniversary of revolution

The first hurdle is for the average citizen is that the Mobilfunkmonopolist ETECSA - on the way, Telecom Italia, with 27 percent stake - its services under the brand name Cubacel only "convertible peso" offers. The second currency is only against hard dollars.

With an average income of $ 17 converted the cheapest cellphone cost $ 65 initially, to grant a number of proposed $ 120 to Beech, and calling cards were starting from eleven dollars. Thus, the cost at about an annual income, but the crowd was at the start of the new mobile freedom huge.

Cell Phones from Miami

But while the vast majority of Cubans at the beginning of the general permission is not mobile in a dream to own cellphone might think, this objective is now for wide circles within reach.

It is, however, the phone still has a purchase, for the long and arduous one must save. A major relief that the Cubans in this context, the United States due to their restrictive embargo policy eased somewhat during the summer. Since then, U.S. citizens may be friends and relatives give phones, which used mobile phones uncounted mail their way onto the island took place.

The reaction of the mobile phone monopoly Cubacel on the strong demand for reasonably affordable phones seems like a farce. The cheapest model in Cubacel offer now costs $ 65 instead of 58. But you get a Nokia 1112, is a device by 2006, for which it already has two successors. Ironically, the Cubans from a cell phone yesterday to a totally overpriced market price, you can probably only be described as cynical. Especially if the successor models without binding contract in India for $ 20 offered.

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A great relief is the fact that Cubacel the price for the network after a half year from 120 to 65 U.S. dollars has decreased. With the second-hand phones from the U.S. and the activation fee, which "only" three months of salaries, increasing the number of mobile phone users currently allegedly rapidly. This impression in any event, the constant rush of reports in the Cubacel operations and the beginning of the course, the mobile is also slowly getting in Cuba. Users Official figures, however, there is not.

But that is more and more Cubans create a working cellphone zuzulegen, does not mean that they also make phone calls. The call charges incurred are converted with 65 U.S. cents per minute for calls within the mobile network just too expensive. From phone calls to landline are even more costly. Not to mention the theory, at any time possible talks abroad, for which $ 2.7 to the U.S. and costs $ 5.85 to Europe.

According to a report by the Washington Post of Cuba phones are really only used to achieve, so much like pager: Man registered who will provide a reach, then look for a fixed line service, which offers at a fraction of the cost of phone calls can.

A mobile call, however, is almost frowned upon, so that eventually would cost the caller ruinous expect. Most cellphone users treat themselves to a maximum and a message for converted 17 U.S. cents.