Cell Phone

Unlocked GSM 900mhz cell phone, or unlocked 900+1800, should work fine.

For activation and rates check cubacel.cu, usually they have a "special" running but then again "Cuba es Cuba".

Office right at the airport arrivals, or you can do it later in town...

Oh, I forgot... the cell phone gets activated under your passport (not by the Cuban) and since the service is basically prepaid you have no worries when you leave, the Cuban keeps paying to keep the acct open..

I gave my cell phone to a friend last month on my trip to Havana. To transfer the phone to him and to pay all the fees to set up a phone line for him cost me 140CUC. That included unlocking the phone, a Motorola RAZR V3 and putting a little money into his account to get him started.

When I was in Havana during March, I heard that Cubans were going to be able to pay for cell phone activation without having a tourist involved. I checked on this at the Cubacel office in Miramar, and was told "not yet", but left with the impression that this change was going to happen soon. Anyone know anything about this?

I heard the same thing earlier this month. As with anything else in the enchanted isle, don't hold your breath waiting for it to happen.

I gave someone in Santiago de Cuba my old LG Chocolate before leaving last Sunday (27th) and when I left they purchased a sim on the Monday or Tuesday somewhere in the city and are now talking to me by text quite regularly, I believe they paid about 120CUC for it but I am not exactly sure as I was not there or am I sure how it operates but I'm guessing from the previous answers it must be a pay as you go similar to what we have here and they are putting money on it as they need it, as to any of the costs regarding texts/calls outside of Cuba I haven't got a clue but I could email them and find out if anyone is interested

All info, albeit in Spanish can be found at

www.cubacel.cu<BR><BR>more specifically

http://www.cubacel.cu/productos.aspx?Categ=prepagos