Cuba Cell Company to Drop Tariffs

By Circles Robinson

HAVANA TIMES, April 22 — Cell phone call prices in Cuba will begin to drop the first week of May, announced the Communications Ministry on Thursday, which says the goal is to increase service access and use.  The changes involve both international and local calls.

For Cubans calling family and friends abroad the good news is that the steep rates will drop from 42 to 75%.

A month later, in June, a two-tiered pricing takes effect for national cellphone calls.  The rate will remain US $0.55 between 7 a.m. and 10:59 pm. and drop to US $0.12 for the remaining late night and early morning hours.

In Cuba, both the caller and receiver pay elevated rates of US $0.55 per minute to make or receive a call.

According to the Ministry, that will also change in November when a new service will allow the caller to pay US $ 0.75 but the receiver will not have to pay at all.  The same rate will apply for a new service of reverse charge calls.