T-Mobile announced via an official blog post this morning that it has inked a deal with ETECSA (Empresa De Telecomunicaciones De Cuba, S.A), a Cuban telecoms company, to offer cheaper calls to Cuba from the US, and offer roaming there for the first time.
If you’ve ever travelled abroad with your smartphone, there’s a chance you’ve been stung by a hefty roaming bill because you’ve used data in another country. Depending on which carrier you’re with, that could cost you hundreds of dollars just for doing regular, everyday stuff. And you can forget about using your device as a hotspot.
That’s where Skyroam comes in. It’s an affordable mobile hotspot you can take with you to countries in Europe, Africa, South Pacific, Middle East, Asia or The Americas and pay only one single flat rate per day for (sort of) unlimited usage.
Sprint today announced a new agreement with the Telecommunications Company of Cuba that will allow the fourth-largest US carrier’s subscribers to roam in Cuba. The move comes on the heels of changes to US-Cuban relations recently implemented by the US government.
The Sprint press release (below) mentions two of the company’s global roaming initiatives, but doesn’t specify whether Cuba will join the existing programs or will be part of a different offer.
The company says the exact details and the timing of the launch will be announced at a later date.
OVERLAND PARK, Kan. – Nov. 2, 2015 – Sprint (NYSE: S) today became the first U.S. wireless carrier to sign a direct roaming agreement with Telecommunications Company of Cuba (ETECSA).
“As the commercial relationship between the U.S. and Cuba continues to progress, it is expected that the number of travelers to Cuba will increase exponentially,” said Sprint CEO Marcelo Claure. “We want to make sure any Sprint customer traveling to Cuba can use their phone the same way as they do in the United States.”
Claure made the announcement at a signing ceremony in Havana as part of the U.S.-Cuba Business Council (USCBC) delegation to Cuba.
As the only U.S. carrier with a direct roaming agreement and a direct long-distance interconnection agreement with Cuban provider ETECSA, Sprint is leading the way for U.S.-Cuba telecommunications.
More than 3 million people from around the world are expected to visit Cuba this year. Within 10 years, that number is projected to grow to more than 5 million.
The USCBC, an advocacy organization housed at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, is a formal commitment by the American business community to build a strong and strategic commercial relationship between Cuba and the United States.
Earlier this year, Sprint launched Sprint Global Roaming and in August launched Sprint Open World, an industry-leading plan for connectivity in Canada, Mexico and most other countries across Latin America. The agreement signed today with ETECSA makes it much more convenient for Sprint customers who plan to work, study or visit family in Cuba. Offer details and timing of availability will be announced soon.
Following T-Mobile’s announcement yesterday that it has expanded its Simple Global program, which provide inclusive data and texts while travelling, Sprint has made a similar move with its Open World plan, adding an additional 33 destinations.
Sprint now offers free calls and texts, plus 1GB of free data, in 14 countries. A further 50 countries get free texts, calls for $0.20 per minute and data for $30/GB …
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T-Mobile’s mission to change the entire U.S. wireless industry took another step forward this morning. In an Uncarrier Amped move dubbed ‘Mobile without Borders‘, T-Mobile announced that it will offer its American customers free telephone call roaming to and from Mexico and Canada. For the first time, it will also include free 4G LTE data. Postpaid, prepaid and business customers will be able to make use of it from Wednesday, July 15th. It’s a killer move, and effectively erases the virtual borders between the U.S. and its neighboring countries.
Unlike the current Simple Global feature, when a T-Mo subscriber crosses the Mexican or Canadian borders, they won’t be reduced down to EDGE speeds. They retain 4G LTE connectivity seamlessly, providing there is LTE coverage in that area. T-Mo partnered with carriers in those two countries to pull this move off. There’s only one small asterisk — the feature is being offered in specific cities within Canada and Mexico — as discussed below…
