June 11 (UPI) — Internet price hikes of up to 800% have sparked student protests in Cuba led by the Federation of University Students.
Students and professionals across the island say the hikes — implemented by the state-run telecommunications company ETECSA — are severely disrupting academic work, research and public health services.
The new rates have made basic Internet packages unaffordable for many. A 3GB plan now costs $19, while the average monthly salary in Cuba is $14.
For many students, even remittances from relatives in the United States no longer cover food, transportation and Internet access. Now, the money only stretches to the first two.
An economist, human rights activist and independent journalist from Santiago de Cuba who requested anonymity due to past government reprisals, called ETECSA’s price hikes “a clear and direct form of censorship.”
He said that by drastically raising the cost of Internet access, the government is excluding much of the population — especially the most vulnerable — from public discourse and access to critical information about their own lives.
“The Internet is essential for coordinating aid with other colleagues,” said a doctor in Havana who is labeled an activist by the communist government and barred from working in the public health system.
That has forced her to find other ways to help. She now works as a human rights advocate and provides medical care to people living in extreme poverty.
“Digital exclusion means social exclusion and lost opportunities for the poor. Censorship doesn’t just silence us — it blocks access to tools that could save lives and change realities,” she added.
A university student at the University of Camagüey, said Internet access has become a luxury his family can no longer afford since ETECSA raised its prices.
“This increase directly affects my academic performance because I often can’t do research or submit assignments on time,” he said.
The price hike is limiting participation in virtual classes and other educational activities. The student said many classmates have been forced to drop out or miss important coursework because they can’t afford internet access.
“The measure has only been in place a short time, but in a few months, the dropout numbers will be alarming,” he said.
ETECSA had previously earned millions of dollars through international mobile recharges sent by relatives abroad. These recharges included promotional packages with mobile data, prepaid credit and bonus offers.
After Cuba’s economic restructuring eliminated the convertible peso and triggered a deep devaluation of the Cuban peso, many families found it more cost-effective to send U.S. dollars directly to relatives on the island. Exchanging those dollars on the informal market gave them more purchasing power and access to internet packages at better prices.
As a result, ETECSA began losing a significant portion of its foreign currency income, prompting the company to shift its strategy.
The company capped domestic recharges at just 360 pesos — a move that severely limits the ability to buy internet packages within Cuba. The policy has effectively revived international recharges as the only practical way to obtain mobile credit or data.
The policy ensures a continued flow of foreign currency under a tightly controlled financial model, even if it means digitally excluding much of the population that does not receive remittances from abroad.
Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel defended the policy, saying that while the country works to expand mobile internet access, “coercive measures” by the United States and “fraud against ETECSA” are aimed at suffocating the government.
The rising cost of internet service, combined with the island’s deepening energy crisis, has fueled growing public frustration. Observers say the restrictions on internet access could position students as a leading voice of opposition, though fears of renewed government repression remain widespread.
