The Cuban president, Ral Castro has lifted restrictions on ownership of mobile phones. Cuba has the lowest rate of cellular telephone use in Latin America and the right to own mobile phones had been restricted to the employees of foreign firms or those holding key posts in the communist-run state.
Some Cubans had evaded the ban by asking foreigners to sign contracts in their names, but mobile phones remain relatively uncommon in Cuba compared with the rest of the world. Castro--who formally assumed power from his brother, Fidel, in February-- promised in his inaugural speech to ease some of the restrictions on daily life within weeks.
Cuban telecom monopoly etcsa said it would begin selling mobile phone services to the general public by April end. The company has entered into an agreement with the Italian company, Telecom Italia, it said in a statement published in the Communist Party newspaper Granma.
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