It just got a whole lot cheaper for Americans to stay connected by phone in Cuba . The good news this week is that IDT Corporation (NYSE:IDT) announced the launch of its Boss Revolution Cuba Plus calling plan at a cheaper rate. IDT and ETECSA (Empresa de Telecomunicaciones de Cuba S.A.), Cuba’s phone company have been talking since 2014. IDT signed one of the very first American business deals with Cuba. The signed deal was to restore telephone communications with Cuba.
What this signifies is lower prices for consumers. The competition just got whole lot stiffer for companies such as Sprint and Verizon who offer roaming from $2.49 to $2.99 per minute. Cuballama and Rebtel and other companies who offer VOIP connections to Cuba will have to take note that they don’t lose their market. IDT has lowed the rates, folks.
Canadian and European companies already offer cheaper international roaming and data prices for less than what Americans have to pay. Existing relations between these countries and Cuba made this possible.
There are other alternatives available for phone connections while in Cuba. One option for the frequent traveler to Cuba is to buy an unlocked mobile phone which will work on Cuba’s 2G mobile, GSM 900 network.
You can also rent a cellphone from ETECSA. If you rent a phone from Cuba’s ETECSA, there’s a refundable deposit fee, daily rental fee, charges for local phone calls and long distance. Check out some of the unlocked Cuba cell phones on our telephone page. For travel, we like the cell phones with two slots that can hold two SIM cards. Makes traveling and staying connected at home and overseas a lot easier.
From the press release by the IDT Corporation:
“Customers who sign up for Boss Revolution Cuba Plus can call to Cuba using the Boss Revolution app, any mobile phone or landline for just $0.65 per minute. Because of IDT’s direct connection with Cuba, Cuba Plus callers will get both a competitive rate and the best possible call quality without the interference and dropped calls associated with indirect routing.
Bill Pereira, CEO of IDT Telecom, said, “Boss Revolution has long been a leading provider of calling services to the Cuban American community. We understand the importance of good call quality, since these conversations allow our customers to stay in touch with – and participate in the lives of – loved ones back home. Now, we are pleased to leverage our direct connection with Cuba to power our Cuba Plus calling plan. Quite simply, the Boss Revolution Cuba Plus plan is the best way to stay in touch with family and friends in Cuba.”
The Boss Revolution Cuba Plus plan includes all the features of the Boss Revolution international calling service including great rates to the rest of Latin America and around the world. And like all Boss Revolution prepaid calling plans, Cuba Plus is free of hidden fees and minimum usage requirements.
Customers can enroll in Cuba Plus and fund their account at any participating Boss Revolution retailer or online at bossrevolution.com. Cuba Plus customers will also be able to purchase Cubacel airtime credit through their Boss Revolution retailer, online or through the Boss Revolution app. Cubacel airtime credit can be used in Cuba for both domestic and international calling.”
Staying connected by phone in Cuba just got a whole lot easier. In our opinion, we think competition in phone rates is always a good thing. Most potential clients will chose the cheaper price package to stay connected. We wouldn’t be surprised if the other telephone companies follow suit and reduce their prices in the near future.
