Public Telephone Vandalism Growing in Cuba

HAVANA TIMES — Cases of vandalism against public phones in Cuba soared by 25 per cent last year compared to 2011, according to Omar Tejedor, the director of public telephones for the ETECSA national phone company, reported the Café Fuerte website.

Theft and “cannibalism” against the telephone network amounted to 260 cases across the country in 2012, which meant a cost to the economy of more than $20,000, since a single unit can cost between $34 and $46 dollars, while reinstallation costs about $1,000.

Between this past December 17 and 31 alone, 14 acts of vandalism were recorded, which is to say one incident a day, stressed Tejador.

For 2013, ETECSA plans to install 1,300 new public telephones and modernize another 1,200 units (those with more than 15 years of service).