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Most cell phones work in Cuba, but they will be expensive to use. Cuba uses the GSM network and rents cell phone satellite services from Italy. Most phones will work in Cuba, even if you are from the USA. Note that the details of Cuba/USA cell phone service are still developing, and change frequently. Your best bet is to contact your service provider and ask about functionality and rates in Cuba.

Here are some rates, as of May 2017

Cellular Phones
The following cellular companies have entered into agreements with ETECSA/Cubacel. Upon arrival in Cuba, your phone will switch to the Cubacel network and you will receive texts and calls. Keep in mind, roaming and international rates can be expensive. You should check with your cellular provider to see what plan will work best for you while in Cuba.

Verizon:  Roaming rates of $3 per minute for voice calls and $2 per MB for data. Verizon says customers traveling to Cuba first have to subscribe to the Pay-As-You-Go International Travel Option, and must have a phone designated as a “world device” that is capable of receiving signals in Cuba.

Sprint: Voice calls when roaming in Cuba are $2.49 per minute. Data on the island is $1.99 per megabyte, and SMS text messaging is 50¢ to send and free to receive.

T-Mobile: Customers can talk for $2.00 a minute, send text and multimedia messages for 50¢ per message and receive them for free, and use data for $2.00 per MB.

AT&T: Voice calls when roaming in Cuba are $3 per minute. SMS and MMS are 50¢ and $1.30 respectively. Data is $2.05 per MB.

As you can see, cell phone use in Cuba will be expensive. All providers charge over 1$ per minute to use your phone in Cuba. If you are concerned about cost, then try to get on a roaming package before coming to Cuba.

Most Canadian and European phones will work in Cuba. But again, it will be expensive if you don’t have a Cuba roaming plan.

Data charges are very expensive and data does not always work in Cuba, and is very slow. Don’t use data…

 

By |2017-06-19T19:34:43+00:00March 7th, 2016|2 Comments

2 Comments

  1. Kat September 27, 2019 at 11:11 pm - Reply

    Cell phones DO NOT WORK in Cuba. I was there with my boyfriend (Sept 2019) and none of our phones were working. No one can ring you and no one can text you. Of course you can’t do it either. You just go to Etecsa and ask for a mobile internet card. It’s 1CUC for 1 hour. And the internet works only in parks!! No where else! Other than that you phone is dead and you are helpless if something happens!

    • Luis Arteaga February 27, 2020 at 1:10 am - Reply

      Cell phone from Verizon (Galaxy 8+) do work in Cuba at 2/20, some places on 3G and some even 4G but be aware that you will paid $3 per minute of voice calls and $2 per Mb of data. It can get very expensive in a hurry. A friend of mine got a bill of $1200 dolars in just 5 days in Cuba. Put your phone in airplane mode or use a cubacel simcard instead.

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