On the last Friday of May 2025, ETECSA set a limit of 360 CUP every 30 days for adding national-currency balance to mobile phones.
Cuba’s only telecommunications company also changed its combined plans and announced new “extra plans” with prices that are very high compared with the average salary on the island, 5,839 CUP. For the first time, there are also options to buy directly in USD, extending the dollarization of the economy into telecommunications.
The new measure ends a rare period of relative relief that began shortly after the July 11, 2021 protests, when people in Cuba had access to packages at comparatively affordable prices. Before that, mobile service and internet access had always been expensive , and now one cheap first option remains. But people who use more than 6 GB will need to get balance through transfers , international recharges , or, as a last resort, the “extra plans”.
Protests against ETECSA’s new measures#
Social media has become the main channel for expressing dissatisfaction with the changes. Cubans both inside and outside the island have shared memes, videos, and critical messages, using the word “tarifazo” to describe the price shock.
So far, the authorities themselves have had to acknowledge the negative impact of the measure. Their response has mainly been explanations and promises to make web access easier for some groups, such as students.
This article is a clear, updated guide to what is happening in Cuba with mobile internet and mobile service, and to the new plans now available.
How can you recharge a mobile phone balance in Cuba?#
1. National recharges#
Mobile lines in Cuba can receive national recharges of only up to 360 CUP every 30 days. This new cap does not prevent people from receiving more balance by transfer or international recharge. To make ETECSA’s tangle easier to understand: the limit is not on the number of plans you can buy, but on how much money you can add to your national-currency balance.
2. Balance transfers between Cuban mobile phones#
The new conditions allow up to three transfers per day, with an individual cap of 500,000 CUP per transaction. Each transfer costs 5 CUP, deducted from the sender’s main balance.
3. International recharges#
International Cubacel recharges have not changed so far, so they remain a way to receive balance and do not have any special limit. Through this channel, you can recharge main balance directly or send a combined plan .
In this scenario, many people have thought about buying additional lines. But ETECSA has placed limits on that too. For now, each person can buy only one mobile line.
New combined plans for mobile phones in Cuba#
ETECSA has adjusted its combined plans, which now last 35 days. As long as you have balance on your phone, you can buy as many of these plans as you want.
- 360 CUP plan: 6 GB of mobile data + 60 minutes for national calls + 70 SMS
- 240 CUP plan: 4 GB + 35 minutes + 40 SMS
- 120 CUP plan: 2 GB + 15 minutes + 20 SMS
Data plans can be bought the usual way, with the *133# code, and are deducted from the main balance as before.
What happens when the monthly 360 CUP runs out and I have no more balance?#
Once you have already added 360 CUP to your balance from inside Cuba, you have to wait 30 days to do it again. Then you have two other ways to receive more balance: the international recharges mentioned above, or balance transfers.
If you cannot access either of those options, the only remaining way to keep buying more data is through the expensive extra plans, both in CUP and USD. These are not bought with balance. They are bought directly through Transfermovil, MiTransfer wallet, the Servicios en Linea app, or with international dollar accounts at ETECSA commercial offices in Cuba.
Extra data plans in Cuban pesos#
- 3 GB for 3,360 CUP
- 7 GB for 6,720 CUP
- 15 GB for 11,760 CUP
These can be bought through Transfermovil, MiTransfer wallet, the Servicios en Linea app, or at ETECSA commercial offices.
To show the difference: before, a 16 GB plan cost 950 CUP. Now, for almost 13 times that price, you get one gigabyte less. That is why these extra plans should be considered only as a last option.
Extra data plans in dollars#
These USD plans can be activated from Cuba with international cards at ETECSA commercial offices or through MiTransfer wallet.
- 4 GB for 10 USD
- 8 GB + 75 minutes + 80 SMS for 20 USD
- 16 GB for 35 USD
For context, before the change, buying the 8 GB and 75-minute plan cost 500 CUP, barely 1.35 USD on the informal market according to El Toque . In other words, that plan increased almost 15 times in value.
Plans only for calls and messages#
In addition to data and combined packages, there are plans that include only minutes for calls or a number of text messages. Both can be bought with balance or through Transfermovil, and they are useful if you do not need to connect to the internet.
Voice plans#
If you only want to make national calls, you can use your balance for these plans.
- 5 min for 37.50 CUP
- 10 min for 72.50 CUP
- 15 min for 105 CUP
- 25 min for 162.50 CUP
- 40 min for 250 CUP
- 80 min for 480 CUP
- 120 min for 690 CUP
SMS plans#
There are also message-only plans, although SMS is used less and less on the island because messaging apps such as WhatsApp and Telegram are more useful and global.
- 20 SMS for 15 CUP
- 50 SMS for 30 CUP
- 90 SMS for 50 CUP
- 120 SMS for 60 CUP
- 200 SMS for 90 CUP
Plan for national apps#
ETECSA also announced a plan that allows users to buy 600 MB for 25 CUP, but it can only be used in the Cuban messaging app ToDus or with Nauta email. These two platforms do not allow international communication, have very few active users, and have raised concern because of privacy issues .
Special data plan for students#
After social pressure from protests on social media, ETECSA announced a special plan for university students. It allows them to buy a second 6 GB mobile data package for 360 CUP, in addition to the plans already available with the 360 CUP allowed monthly through national recharges. In total, students will be able to get 12 GB per month for 720 CUP.
ETECSA has not yet explained the purchase process for this special package or the eligibility criteria for students.
So, what is the best data plan after ETECSA’s announced changes?#
After reviewing all mobile service plan options in Cuba, one thing is clear: the best strategy is to buy plans with mobile phone balance and avoid the “extra” options, whether in CUP or USD.
Remember that as long as you have balance, you can buy as many combined plans as you want, and these are definitely the best option. Among them, the 360 CUP plan gives the best cost-benefit ratio.
- 360 CUP combined plan: 6 GB + 60 min + 70 SMS
Of course, since you can add only 360 CUP to your Cuban-peso balance in one month, you can buy only one of these plans unless you receive more balance. To keep accessing them, it is better to pay for a balance transfer (there are already reports of balance resale : 360 CUP of balance sells for 1,000 CUP) or use an international recharge, before turning to extra plans with prices that are far too high.
How can you check the balance of active plans?#
Some of the ways to check balance were updated with the new mobile service announcements. The Servicios en Linea app also offers a fuller view of data use, balance, and recharge cycles.
Codes for mobile service in Cuba#
- *222# — Check balance and all active resources
- 222328# — Data plans
- 222266# — Bonuses and USD plans
- 222869# — Voice plans
- 222767# — SMS plans
- 222732# — International recharge status
With Fonoma , you can send international recharges to Cuba :
