Published on and written by Cyril Jarnias
Traveling to Cuba means accepting a change of pace, a different relationship with time… and with the digital world. The country remains one of the least connected in the world, with a slow, expensive, and tightly state-controlled infrastructure. However, it is entirely possible to stay in touch with family and friends, provided you prepare your trip well and understand how Cuba’s communications ecosystem works.
This article provides a concrete overview of solutions for staying reachable, sending updates, making calls, or doing video calls from Cuba, based on the most recent data available.
Understanding the Reality of Internet and Phones in Cuba
Before discussing SIM cards and applications, it’s important to set the scene. Telecommunications in Cuba are a state monopoly: the company ETECSA (Empresa de Telecomunicaciones de Cuba S.A.), through its mobile brand Cubacel and its NAUTA Internet service, manages the entire network.
The result, for a visitor accustomed to unlimited 4G/5G in Europe or North America, can be disorienting. The connection exists, but it is slower, less reliable, more expensive, and sometimes inaccessible for several hours across the entire country. Outages affecting the whole network are not uncommon.
Estimated number of active mobile lines by the end of 2025, representing 74.5% of the population.
The official average speeds are unmistakable: barely a few megabits per second on fixed connections, and average mobile speeds around 25 Mb/s in major cities, with peaks in Varadero and weaker performance in Santiago de Cuba. Nothing insurmountable for messaging or a short video call, but the idea of telecommuting with HD video streaming is out of the question.
Summary of the main indicators to visualize the situation clearly and concisely
Measures the efficiency and results achieved in core activities
Assesses the level of involvement and participation of stakeholders
Controls the compliance and excellence of products or services provided
Analyzes the relationship between costs incurred and benefits generated
| Indicator (end of 2025) | Approximate Value |
|---|---|
| Population | ~10.9 to 11.2 million |
| Active mobile connections | 8.14 million (74.5% of the population) |
| Internet users | 7.79 million (71.3% of the population) |
| Social media users (identities) | 6.56 million (60.1% of the population) |
| Median fixed Internet speed | ~3.5 Mb/s |
| Share of offline population | ~28.7% |
| Share of Internet traffic via mobile | ~75% |
Another key element: censorship and surveillance. Cuba is ranked among the least free countries in the world in terms of online freedom. Access to certain sites (media, financial services, American platforms) is blocked or filtered. The infrastructure allows for extensive surveillance of communications, whether it’s browsing, calls, or messaging.
Traveling as a tourist does not mean living under constant surveillance, but it is reasonable to assume that true confidentiality does not exist. However, it is still possible to use tools like VPNs to limit risks and bypass certain blocks, provided you do it correctly.
The Main Options for Staying Connected from Cuba
Staying in touch with loved ones from Cuba often means combining several solutions rather than relying on just one. The choice depends on your budget, the length of your stay, your level of dependence on the Internet, and your technical comfort level.
Overview of Main Solutions
The options can be grouped into five main categories, each with its strengths and weaknesses.
| Main Option | Major Advantages | Disadvantages / Limitations |
|---|---|---|
| Cubacel Tur Tourist SIM Card (physical) | Cuban number, data + minutes + SMS, local rates | Formalities, configuration, limited validity, sometimes unstable network |
| International eSIM (data only) | Activation before departure, no physical SIM to manage | No Cuban number, data sometimes expensive, compatibility to be checked |
| Wi-Fi (hotels, casas, public NAUTA hotspots) | Reasonable hourly cost, no complex configuration | Low speeds, cards to purchase, possible lines |
| Roaming with your home carrier | Maximum simplicity, nothing to configure | Exorbitant prices, risk of bill shock |
| Offline tools (maps, translation, guides) | Work without a network, essential in case of outage | Do not allow real-time communication |
In practice, for a traveler wanting to stay reachable without blowing their budget, the most effective combination looks like this:
To optimize your internet access during a trip to Cuba, adopt a combined strategy. Get a Cubacel Tur tourist SIM card or a travel eSIM to have mobile data. Regularly use Wi-Fi (in hotels, cafes, or public hotspots) for data-heavy uses, like sending photos or video calls. Always put your phone in airplane mode with Wi-Fi enabled when using these local networks to avoid any unintended roaming. Finally, prepare offline apps (maps, translator, notepad) to limit your dependence on the network.
The Cubacel Tur Tourist SIM Card: The Best Compromise for Most Travelers
To communicate well from Cuba, having a local number and a reasonable amount of data is a major advantage. This is precisely what the Cubacel Tur offer provides, designed specifically for foreign visitors.
General Operation of Cubacel Tur
Cubacel Tur is a prepaid, temporary mobile line, associated with a physical SIM card provided by ETECSA. It is reserved for people over 18 with a foreign passport.
A few key points:
– The line is temporary: it has a base validity period (7 or 30 days depending on the plan),
– The assigned Cuban number is fixed and cannot be changed,
– The line cannot be transferred to someone else,
– A user cannot have more than three active Cubacel Tur lines at the same time,
– The offer is now permanent in ETECSA’s catalog, it is no longer just a seasonal promotion.
The main interest for a tourist is threefold: to have data on the Cuban mobile network, to have local minutes to call hotels, taxis, or agencies, and to be easily reachable from abroad on a Cuban number.
Cubacel Tur Plans in Practice
Two main plans are highlighted: the “Básico” version for short stays, and the “Plus” version for a month on-site or intensive use.
| Cubacel Tur Plan | Indicative Price (USD) | Included Data | Local Minutes | Local SMS | Initial Validity | Particularities |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cubacel Tur Básico | ~13.99 | 4 GB | 20 | 20 | 7 days | For short stays and light usage |
| Cubacel Tur Plus | ~34.99 | 10 GB | 100 | 100 | 30 days | Unlimited access to WhatsApp and Facebook |
| Example intermediate plan | ~25 | 2.5–6 GB | 20–100 | 20–100 | 30 days | Variable depending on the reseller |
In practice, the Plus plan is often the most relevant for a two- or three-week trip, as the 10 GB of data covers most needs (messaging, browsing, a few video calls) without constant worry.
Calls received from abroad or from a Cuban mobile phone are free for the holder of the Cuban line, which makes it easier to contact family residing outside the country. However, incoming calls from a Cuban landline are charged to the recipient.
Where and How to Buy Your Cubacel Tur SIM
Unlike a classic prepaid card, Cubacel Tur must be ordered online before or during your stay. You cannot “discover” it spontaneously upon arrival at an ETECSA counter.
The steps are as follows:
To obtain a tourist SIM card before arriving in Cuba, you must first purchase it online on an official partner site like SuenaCuba, or via authorized resellers such as tourist-sim-cuba.com, cubacalls.de, or Civitatis. Payment is made by international credit card or PayPal. During the order, you must choose the pickup point, either at the arrival airport or at an ETECSA office. After purchase, a code or order confirmation is sent by email. It is imperative to pick up the card within 30 days of purchase, by presenting your passport and the confirmation code at the chosen pickup point.
The most convenient pickup points are the stands present in the main airports, often open 24/7:
– Havana (José Martí, terminals 2 and 3),
– Varadero (Juan Gualberto Gómez),
– Holguín (Frank País),
– Camagüey (Ignacio Agramonte),
– Santiago de Cuba (Antonio Maceo),
– Cayo Coco, Santa Clara (Abel Santamaría), etc.
If you miss the airport stand or arrive very late, you can also pick up the card at an ETECSA oficina comercial or a centro multiservicios in the city. ETECSA has several dozen across the country, notably in Pinar del Río, Vedado, La Habana Vieja, Varadero, Trinidad, Camagüey, Holguín, Bayamo, Santiago, Guantánamo…
Configuration and Activation: What to Do on Your Phone
For the card to work, three technical conditions must be met:
– Your phone must be unlocked (not locked to a carrier),
– It must accept a physical SIM card,
– It must support the frequency bands used by Cuba: 3G on 900 or 2100 MHz (Band 8 / Band 1) and 4G on 1800 MHz (Band 3).
Upon receiving the card, ETECSA staff can insert it for you. Activation generally happens automatically upon first use. The validity period (7 or 30 days) starts as soon as the line is activated.
For data, you need to manually set the APN (access point):
– APN name:
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Cyril Jarnias is an independent expert in international wealth management with over 20 years of experience. As an expatriate himself, he is dedicated to helping individuals and business leaders build, protect, and pass on their wealth with complete peace of mind.
On his website, cyriljarnias.com, he shares his expertise on international real estate, offshore company formation, and expatriation.
Thanks to his expertise, he offers sound advice to optimize his clients' wealth management. Cyril Jarnias is also recognized for his appearances in many prestigious media outlets such as BFM Business, les Français de l’étranger, Le Figaro, Les Echos, and Mieux vivre votre argent, where he shares his knowledge and know-how in wealth management.
