Page 298 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Cuba

296  SUR VIV AL GUIDE

Communications These are useful for local calls.
You must insert at least one
The telephone is by far the most widespread system of 5-centavos coin (also known as
communication in Cuba. Unlike the inefficient postal service, a “medio”), or use a 20-centavos
the telephone network has improved considerably. Today coin (a “peseta”) to talk for a
there are public telephones that work with pre-paid phone few minutes.
cards. Although internet usage is still restricted, Cuba took a
huge leap forward in 2015 when public Wi-Fi zones were
established around the country. Cuba also has five national
television channels and a number of radio stations. Many hotels
have a satellite dish and broadcast a TV channel especially 5- and 20-centavos coins
for tourists. The leading daily newspaper is Granma, while
Granma Internacional is printed weekly in various languages. Private Telephones
The only direct-dial calls that
can be made from private
Telephone Numbers
public telephones that can telephones are to numbers within
If you are calling from abroad, be used to make direct-dial Cuba; international calls must
dial the international access international calls without be made through an operator.
code of your country (eg 00 in the help of the operator. Calls to foreign countries are
the UK), followed by the Cuba Telephone cards (tarjetas always reverse charge, unless
country code (53), the local area propias) with scratch-off you use an ETECSA telephone
code, and lastly the local phone codes can be purchased at with a contract specifying pay-
number you want to reach. hotels, post offices and ETECSA ment in convertible pesos. This
The local area codes, which telephone centres for $5, type of phone can be found in
may have one or two digits, are $10 and $20. To make a call, hotels, in travel agencies, in
given in brackets in front of all lift the receiver and wait for some public offices and in the
phone numbers listed in this the dialling tone. Either press homes of foreigners who work in
guide. For local calls, there is the button marked 166, or dial Cuba, rarely in Cubans’ private
no need to dial the area code. 166 and wait for instructions; homes. Telephone cards can be
For Havana numbers, always you will be offered an English- used from private lines.
dial all eight digits. The number language option if needed.
of digits of local numbers varies, You will then be asked to enter Mobile Phones
since the phone network the 12-digit number on your
system is in the process of scratch card, followed by the There are four main GSM
being updated. hash (#) key; then dial the frequencies (Global System for
number as below. Mobile Communications) in use
A few fuctioning coin- around the world, so if you want
Public Telephones
operated phones still exist. to guarantee that your phone
You can make local, long- will work, make sure you have
distance, and international a quad-band phone. Tri-band
calls from hotels, but while phones from outside the US
this is certainly the easiest are also usually compatible.
way, since the operator does A few US-based service providers
everything for you, it is also the have begun offering roaming in
most expensive. Throughout Cuba. Contact your service
the country there has been an provider to see if they are among
increase in the number of Telephone card them. Also, check your insurance
policy in case your phone is stolen,
and keep your network operator’s
Dialling Codes
helpline number handy.
• Directory inquiries 113. To use your mobile phone
• To make a long-distance call via the operator, dial 00. abroad you may need to enable
• To make a reverse charge (collect) international call via the operator, “roaming” for your phone. Keep
dial 180. in mind that rates are high and
• To dial long-distance within Cuba, dial 01 then the area code, except for that you are charged for calls
calls to or from Havana. For calls to the capital add 0 before the eight- you receive as well as calls you
digit phone number; when dialling from it, dial 0, area code and number. make, and you have to pay a
• To make a direct-dial international telephone call from a public premium for the international
telephone with a phone card, dial 119, followed by the country code leg of the call. Check rates for
(Australia 61; Ireland 353; New Zealand 64; UK 44; USA and Canada 1), Internet data usage with your
the area code and then the local telephone number. provider as these can be very
high as well.

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