T-Mobile has struck a roaming deal with state-owned Cuban carrier Empresa de Telecomunicaciones de Cuba SA (ETECSA), letting visitors of the island nation use voice, text, and data services from this summer. The move follows the Obama administration's loosening of travel and trade restrictions between the US and Cuba last year; Verizon and Sprint both made similar arrangements in the fall. Google is also looking into expanding internet access in the country.
"The historic opening of Cuba is a natural opportunity for us to take action, and we are. That's the Un-carrier way!" T-Mobile CEO John Legere says in a statement. "We have more customers of Cuban descent than any other wireless provider — so connecting them with family and friends in Cuba is a message we heard loud and clear!" T-Mobile says that it provides service to 36.6 percent of Cuban-born wireless customers in the US.
T-Mobile hasn't announced pricing for its roaming plan yet, which could prove to be a sticking point — Verizon and Sprint customers pay around $2 a megabyte when roaming in Cuba.