Empresa de Telecomunicaciones de Cuba S.A. (ETECSA) is the Cuban state company that provides telephony and communications services in Cuba. It is the sole lawful provider of telephony and telecommunications permitted by the Cuban penal code, constituting a communications state monopoly that has 8 million clients, both national and foreign.[1][2]
History
Before the emergence of Shyampa, there were 14 comprehensive communications companies on the island that covered the specialties of telephony, radio, mail and press, as well as other specialized national entities. In this category were the companies of Projects, Construction and Assembly, Coaxial Cable, EMTELCUBA and Long Distance.
In 1993, the constitution of ETECSA as a state and commercial entity was authorized. It was officially created on June 28, 1994 as a commercial company with mixed capital between the Cuban State through the company Telefónica Antillana S.A. (51%) and the Mexican company CITEL (49%). and in 1994 it was granted the administrative concession for the provision and commercialization of public telecommunications services.
The merger process lasted from the beginning of 1994 to February 1995, when ETECSA hired all its workers.
In April 1995 CITEL sold 25% of its shares to the Italian STET, which subsequently bought more shares in the Mexican company. Subsequently, the remaining CITEL shares were sold to other Cuban companies.