Cuba’s mobile landscape remains one of the most distinctive in the Western Hemisphere. The entire mobile sector revolves around a single state-owned operator, ETECSA, which provides virtually all mobile and internet services on the island through its Cubacel brand. With no competing mobile operators, ETECSA alone determines the pace of technological upgrades, the reach of mobile coverage, and the affordability of data for the Cuban public.
Despite the country’s economic challenges, mobile connectivity has grown steadily. Data from GSMA Intelligence shows that there were 8.14 million cellular mobile connections in Cuba at the end of 2025. For perspective, many people make use of more than one mobile connection, so it’s not unusual for mobile connection figures to significantly exceed figures for total population.
For example, the same person might have one mobile connection for personal use, but also use a separate mobile connection for work activities. The rise of eSIMs has made this even easier over recent years.
However, this practice hasn’t yet pushed mobile connectivity rates in Cuba beyond 100 percent, and GSMA Intelligence’s numbers indicate that mobile connections in Cuba were equivalent to 74.5 percent of the total population in October 2025.
Looking at trends over time, the number of mobile connections in Cuba increased by 280 thousand (+3.6 percent) between the end of 2024 and the end of 2025.
Meanwhile, GSMA Intelligence’s data suggests that 91.4 percent of mobile connections in Cuba can now be considered “broadband”, which means that they connect via 3G, 4G, or 5G mobile networks.
However, devices that connect to “broadband” mobile networks do not necessarily use cellular mobile data, for example, some subscription plans may only include access to voice and SMS services, so this broadband figure should not be considered a proxy for mobile internet use.
The most visible technological improvement in recent years has been the expansion of 4G. ETECSA devoted much of its investment to building out LTE coverage, especially in Havana and major tourism corridors. The company has stated that most active mobile devices are now capable of connecting to 4G networks. Nevertheless, everyday users continue to report congestion, fluctuating speeds, and occasional outages, often tied to power shortages or infrastructure problems. These conditions reflect the broader strain on the country’s electrical grid and telecommunications backbone.
When it comes to 5G, Cuba is not yet on the map for a nationwide commercial rollout. Despite advances elsewhere in Latin America, independent observers and telecom trackers show no evidence of large-scale 5G adoption in Cuba. The government and ETECSA appear focused on strengthening existing infrastructure rather than pushing aggressively toward 5G.
Several factors explain this cautious approach. ETECSA has publicly acknowledged the difficulty of securing the foreign currency required to purchase telecommunications equipment and maintain supplier relationships. This financial pressure slows network upgrades and forces the operator to prioritize repairs and essential improvements over large-scale transitions to new technology. Persistent power instability also affects the feasibility of deploying higher-capacity networks, as mobile towers and backbone links are only as reliable as the grid that supports them. Another constraint is affordability. With average wages low and data plans often benchmarked to hard currency, premium services like 5G would be inaccessible for much of the population under current conditions. Recent controversial changes to mobile data pricing have sparked public frustration as ETECSA seeks to balance affordability with the need to fund network operations.
Tourists visiting Cuba can access the mobile network through Cubacel tourist SIMs or international eSIM services, but all traffic still routes through ETECSA’s infrastructure. Coverage in Havana and major resort areas tends to be more stable than in rural provinces, yet overall performance varies depending on congestion, time of day, and local power conditions.
Looking ahead, the most useful indicators of change will come from official ETECSA communications, regulatory decisions about spectrum, and any announcements involving international equipment suppliers. Improvements in Cuba’s electrical grid and its international bandwidth would also play a major role in making a future 5G rollout economically and technically viable.
In short, Cuba enters 2026 with roughly eight million mobile lines, a steadily improving but still congested 4G network, and no commercial 5G service on the horizon. The country’s mobile future will depend on financial stability, infrastructure resilience, and the ability of its sole operator to navigate both domestic limitations and global technology trends.
