ETECSA announces 4G service just 3 months after offering mobile data

More than a million Cubans connect to 4G Internet

HAVANA, March 7 This Thursday, ETECSA announced that it will begin offering services on the 4G mobile network to “relieve” the overload in the 3G network, which began operations in December.

The head of the ETECSA wireless group, Eliecer Samada, the start-up of the 4G will begin experimentally in an area of ​​the northern coast of Havana, with some “10,000 users who are high internet consumers”.

However, the purpose is to that the service is gradually extended gradually to the rest of the country.According to the manager, the decision responds to a “strategy” of the company in order to “relieve the 3G network”, which is overloaded. To this is added, obviously, that those with the 4G service will be able to connect faster, according to Saimada.

After several months of waiting and continuous extensions, ETECSA launched 3G on December 6, however, that network has faced difficulties of connection and congestion of voice and data services. In general, 3G has received criticism for the slow service and some difficulties to make calls and send sms.

Another of the managers of the company, Kevin Castro, added that these problems are motivated by the “exponential growth” they have had. In that sense, they are optimistic because 4G “will generate a remaining capacity in 3G, which can be used by users who consume less and will improve the service,” Castro said.

This Thursday, a user of the 3G service asked Through Twitter, why did 4G appear on their phone even though they could not connect. From ETECSA they have replied that “The 4G Network is already visible in the areas where the Radiobases are located” but it will be from tomorrow, Friday, March 8, that will be “available for the most consumed Customers in these areas”.

Currently “7% of users (of the 3G network) consume 52% of the traffic”, according to ETECSA data. In Cuba there are 5.3 million lines mobile and a total of 1,870,000 customers have enabled the connection by mobile data on their cell phones. Less than a week ago, Granma reported that an average of 5 thousand users daily are joining the internet service by mobile data since entering in service the 3G network.

On December 6, the Internet service for mobile data was activated in Cuba, with a minimum tariff of 7 CUC per 600 MB. A very high price in a country whose average salary is 767 pesos ($ 30.68) per month.

 Translated fromCybercuba