US and Cuba restores direct telephone connection

US and Cuba launched direct telecommunications connection between the two countries, “initially” only for phone calls, but could be extended to other links in the future, said on Wednesday the Cuban state enterprise Etecsa.

“It has established a direct interconnection between the US and Cuba, initially to service international voice calls” reported Etecsa, which would allow the extension of the agreement to other forms of communications later.

This connection is “protected by the service agreement signed between Empresa de Telecomunicaciones de Cuba SA ETECSA and Domestic American company IDT Telecom, Inc. (IDT),” added in a press release published on its website.

This is the first agreement between companies in both countries after the restoration of diplomatic relations between the US and Cuba after half a century of interruption, announced on December 17 by Barack Obama and Raul Castro.

“The restoration of direct communications between the US and Cuba helps provide better facilities and better quality in communications between the peoples of both nations,” said Etecsa.