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A fire that occurred in a telephone cabinet in Marianao, Havana, left hundreds of people without phone service, as confirmed by the Cuban Telecommunications Company S.A (ETECSA).
The fire occurred in a Q1 cabinet located on the sidewalk, near the intersection of 120th and 49th streets, according to what was specified on the social media of the communications monopoly in Cuba.
The incident left around 400 customers without landline service, authorities said. As of now, the causes of the fire are unknown.
"The causes are being investigated, and forces and resources are being organized for a restoration in the shortest time possible," ETECSA wrote in a post.
In the comments to the post, internet users did not rule out the possibility that it was an arson committed by someone.
"I keep saying, until they enforce the law firmly, all of this will continue. They’ve burned all the garbage bins, they stone the buses; the only ones affected by this are the people who have less and less every day," someone stated.
The ETECSA service has experienced disruptions in recent days. According to a post published this Friday, part of the infrastructure that supports the services is damaged.
On Hospital Street, between San Rafael and San José, in the Centro Habana municipality, there was a cut of two high-caliber cables from the underground network, an incident that also left the residents of Havana without phone service.
In April, two recently recorded fires in the Havana municipality of San Miguel del Padrón caused severe disruptions to telecommunications services, leaving hundreds of customers without phone service or internet access in several communities in the east of the capital.
One of the incidents occurred on the Pitirre road, right in front of the 1580 penitentiary, where the flames destroyed nearly 200 meters of telephone wiring.
A second fire was reported in the Monterrey Popular Council, where the accumulation of trash at the base of a pole, next to the smart cabinet near the Cuevita Fair, ignited a blaze that left that node completely out of service.
According to the ETECSA executive, the fires disrupted all outgoing signals from the equipment, affecting users in that area.
Frequently Asked Questions about Fires and Impact on Telecommunications in Cuba
How many customers were affected by the fire in Marianao?
The fire in a telephone cabinet in Marianao, Havana, left around 400 customers without fixed-line telephone service. The Telecommunications Company of Cuba S.A. (ETECSA) is working to restore the service as soon as possible.
What other areas of Havana have experienced telecommunications outages recently?
In addition to Marianao, telecommunications outages were reported in the Centro Habana municipality and in San Miguel del Padrón due to fires and vandalism. Recently, fires in San Miguel del Padrón and cable cuts in Centro Habana have affected more than 200 customers without phone service or internet access.
What are the causes of fires in telephone cabinets in Cuba?
The causes of fires in telephone cabinets in Cuba are varied and include possible acts of vandalism and inadequate maintenance of the infrastructure. The accumulation of trash and nearby vegetation have also been contributing factors to these incidents.
How is ETECSA responding to these service disruptions?
ETECSA has implemented measures to restore the service as soon as possible, including the organization of resources and technical personnel. Preventive measures are also being evaluated to avoid similar future incidents, such as modifying the routing of cables and better protecting damaged cabinets.
What impact do these incidents have on the daily life of Cubans?
The interruption of telecommunications services directly affects the daily lives of Cuban citizens, who rely on public telephony and internet access to communicate and work. The lack of telecommunications services adds another difficulty to the already existing challenges in daily life in Cuba.
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