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Operator claims to have more customers of Cuban descent than any other wireless provider.
T-Mobile said it has signed an interconnection and roaming agreement with Cuba-based operator Empresa De Telecomunicaciones De Cuba (ETECSA).
The company has been pre-empted here by U.S. rivals Verizon, which in March struck an interconnection deal with ETECSA, and Sprint, which established a mobile roaming agreement with ETECSA in November 2015. However, John Legere, president and CEO of T-Mobile US, was in characteristically bullish mood about his company’s launch.
“The historic opening of Cuba is a natural opportunity for us to take action, and we are. That’s the un-carrier way!” Legere said. “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!”
The U.S. operator claimed that more than a third (36.6%) of Cuban-born wireless customers are with T-Mobile – which it said is more than AT&T and triple the number of Verizon customers.
It added that Cuba is the number one requested addition to T-Mobile’s international roaming on social media. “Naturally, the un-carrier is listening and responding to its customers,” T-Mobile said.
It is understood that AT&T plans to sign a roaming deal with ETECSA as well.
