Cuba is a country apart: internet runs through the state operator, ETECSA, and stays slow and uneven. There is no perfect solution. Wi-Fi is paid with Nauta cards. A travel eSIM works by roaming on the Cubacel network, over 3G/4G in the cities. Prepare everything before you leave and download your offline maps.
Let me say it straight away: staying connected in Cuba is far from easy, and no operator in the world can promise you otherwise. The country has one of the most controlled and slowest internet setups in the region. We would rather tell you frankly than sell you a dream.
That said, there are solutions that work, provided you understand how the country operates and prepare everything before departure. Here is the honest guide, option by option.
Why Cuba is not like anywhere else
A single company controls telecoms in Cuba: ETECSA, the state operator. Its mobile network is called Cubacel. There is no competition, no real 5G, and the infrastructure is saturated in places.
In practice, expect 3G/4G in the cities and tourist areas, and coverage that weakens fast once you move away. Add the country’s frequent power cuts, which also affect the network. This is not a passing glitch, it is Cuba’s structural context in 2026.
Wi-Fi and the Nauta cards
Public Wi-Fi is the historic solution for Cubans and travellers. It relies on the Nauta cards sold by ETECSA, which you buy and top up. You then connect from more than 1,200 hotspots across the country, often public squares and hotel lobbies.
The principle: you scratch the card’s code, enter it on the login portal, and time is counted by the hour. An app now lets you top up your Nauta account online and track your balance, but you have to fund it first with cash at an ETECSA office.
It is the cheapest option, but also the slowest and most restrictive. Ending up on a public-square bench watching the signal bar is part of the Cuban experience, let us say with a smile.
The local Cubacel SIM card
You can buy a Cubacel tourist SIM card at the airport or an ETECSA office. It gives you a Cuban number and a data plan on the local network.
The weak points are real. You have to show your passport, wait in a queue that can be long, and the plans have a short validity. The price stays high for what you get, because ETECSA holds a monopoly. For a short trip, the time spent obtaining it weighs in the balance.
eSIM and roaming: what really works
Here is the point many guides oversell, so let us be precise. ETECSA does not offer eSIM. But travel eSIMs work in Cuba another way: they connect by roaming on the Cubacel network, the country’s only mobile network.
In plain terms, the eSIM does not create a new network, it plugs you into the existing one through a roaming agreement. The result therefore depends on Cubacel coverage: good on 3G/4G in the cities and tourist areas, limited in the countryside and the mountainous interior. No 5G.
The eSIM’s decisive advantage over the local SIM is simplicity. You buy and install it before departure, you switch on data on arrival, with no passport, no queue and no ETECSA office. For a traveller landing in Havana who wants to be up and running straight away, it is the most practical option.
This is where Orange has a real asset in Cuba. The service has more than 300 million customers and relies on the networks of 26 subsidiaries and over 700 roaming agreements worldwide. These agreements are precisely what lets you connect to the right local network, here Cubacel, in a managed way. The eSIM for Cuba is set up before departure, with 24/7 support and a full refund if you do not use it. One point of transparency: in Cuba, data stays more expensive and slower than elsewhere, whatever the provider. That is the country, not the offer.
Do you need a VPN in Cuba?
It is useful if you want access to services that are sometimes filtered on the Cuban network. Good news: travel eSIMs that run through Cubacel roaming often avoid the Nauta portal’s restrictions, which makes access more open than with public Wi-Fi.
If you go for a VPN, choose one with an obfuscation protocol, more discreet and more reliable in this context. Install and test it before you arrive, as downloading it once on the ground can be tricky.
The honest comparison of solutions
| Solution | Pros | Limits |
|---|---|---|
| Wi-Fi + Nauta card | The cheapest | Slow, restrictive, limited hotspots |
| Local Cubacel SIM | Cuban number, local data price | Passport, queue, short validity |
| Travel eSIM (Cubacel roaming) | Ready before departure, no paperwork, 3G/4G in cities | Data pricier than elsewhere, not everywhere covered |
| Home plan roaming | Nothing to install | Very high out-of-region rates, unpredictable |
- No solution is perfect in Cuba: prepare accordingly.
- Download offline maps, translations and tickets before you leave.
- For mobile use with no paperwork, an eSIM on roaming is the most practical.
- Keep Nauta cards as a backup for hotel Wi-Fi.
- Install and test your VPN before arrival if you want one.
Our verdict
Cuba is not a place where you stay connected around the clock, and you have to accept that before you go. The country runs slowly on the network side, and that is a fact on the ground.
For most travellers, the most effective combination is simple. A travel eSIM on roaming to be operational the moment you land, with no queue and 3G/4G in the cities. Offline maps to find your way everywhere, including where the network drops. And possibly Nauta cards for hotel Wi-Fi as a fallback.
If you choose the eSIM, Orange’s edge is concrete: its roaming agreements plug you cleanly into the local network, setup happens before departure, and the eSIM is fully refunded if you do not use it. You leave knowing what to expect, with no false promise.
Sort your Cuba connection before you take off
