China’s Huawei to Supply Smartphones to Cuba

Cuban state telecoms company Etecsa and China’s Huawei signed an agreement that will bring smartphones to the island and improve the quality of both voice and data services, Cuba’s official ACN news agency reported Friday.

The deal will enable Etecsa to acquire smartphones “in a reliable way with guarantees,” as well as parts and technical training to enable repairs, ACN said.

The contract “will improve the quality of voice and data services offered by Etecsa,” according to the article.

Etecsa and Huawei have worked together to develop “important telecommunication solutions,” said Javier Villariño, the Chinese firm’s director of sales in Cuba.

Huawei, with operations in more than 170 countries, has had a presence in Cuba for more than a decade, Villariño said.

Trade between Cuba and China, the Caribbean nation’s No. 2 trading partner, totaled $1.59 billion in the first nine months of this year, an increase of almost 57 percent from the same period in 2014.

More than 40 Chinese companies are taking part this week in the Havana International Fair, the largest business event in Cuba.