By María Josefina Arce

Among the sectors seriously affected by the inhumane US blockade is communications, whose economic losses in the last ten years are estimated at 500 million dollars.

With nearly 98% of the damage, it is ETECSA, the Cuban Telecommunications Company, the entity of the system, which also includes the postal service and new technologies, that suffers the greatest damage.

The Cuban company cannot acquire Telecommunications equipment that has 10% American components, which makes it impossible to access cutting-edge technology, affecting the modernization process in that sphere.

According to the commercial vice president of ETECSA, Lidia Esther Hidalgo, currently 85% of the Telecommunications network of the Caribbean country has obsolete technology.

Washington's hostile policy has even led to several international suppliers deciding to suspend their repair services for technology installed in the national territory.

Furthermore, it has been a practice during all these decades to prevent Cuba from connecting to the submarine fiber optic cables that pass near our country, even 30 kilometers away.

The economic blockade has prevented Cuban and American companies from advancing in the conclusion of mutually beneficial agreements in the telecommunications sector.

The unilateral measure limits access to the INTERNET, the use of information and the exchange of knowledge, a violation of the right of Cubans to use that service.

Cuba has denounced the difficulties it has faced in participating in meetings and other virtual events convened by organizations of the United Nations System, due to its restricted access to the platforms used.

Despite all these obstacles, the country tirelessly seeks alternatives to improve and extend its service in the area of ​​telecommunications to citizens and institutions from various sectors.