Sprint becomes first carrier to allow roaming in Cuba

Sprint CEO Marcelo Claure signed a “direct roaming agreement” today that will allow customers to travel to Cuba and use their phones just as they do in the United States. This makes Sprint the very first U.S. carrier to allow roaming in Cuba. The carrier was able to reach an agreement by working with the United States-Cuba Business Council.

Claure had the following to say about the agreement:

“As the commercial relationship between the U.S. and Cuba continues progress, it is expected that the number of travelers to Cuba will increase exponentially. We want to make sure any Sprint customer traveling to Cuba can use their phone the same way as they do in the United States.”

And Sprint’s head honcho is correct in saying that more people plan to visit Cuba. Research suggests that the number of people visiting Cuba will increase to 5 million people (from 3 million) within ten years.

Although the carrier has yet to announce pricing for roaming in Cuba, Sprint already has its Open World add-on that gives customers access to its network in select countries around the world.

Sprint First U.S. Carrier to Sign Direct Cuba Roaming Agreement

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (BUSINESS WIRE), November 02, 2015 – Sprint (NYSE: S) today became the first U.S. wireless carrier to sign a direct roaming agreement with Telecommunications Company of Cuba (ETECSA).

“As the commercial relationship between the U.S. and Cuba continues to progress, it is expected that the number of travelers to Cuba will increase exponentially,” said Sprint CEO Marcelo Claure. “We want to make sure any Sprint customer traveling to Cuba can use their phone the same way as they do in the United States.”

Claure made the announcement at a signing ceremony in Havana as part of the U.S.-Cuba Business Council (USCBC) delegation to Cuba.

As the only U.S. carrier with a direct roaming agreement and a direct long-distance interconnection agreement with Cuban provider ETECSA, Sprint is leading the way for U.S.-Cuba telecommunications.

More than 3 million people from around the world are expected to visit Cuba this year. Within 10 years, that number is projected to grow to more than 5 million.

The USCBC, an advocacy organization housed at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, is a formal commitment by the American business community to build a strong and strategic commercial relationship between Cuba and the United States.

Earlier this year, Sprint launched Sprint Global Roaming and in August launched Sprint Open World, an industry-leading plan for connectivity in Canada, Mexico and most other countries across Latin America. The agreement signed today with ETECSA makes it much more convenient for Sprint customers who plan to work, study or visit family in Cuba. Offer details and timing of availability will be announced soon.

About Sprint

Sprint (NYSE: S) is a communications services company that creates more and better ways to connect its customers to the things they care about most. Sprint served more than 57 million connections as of June 30, 2015, and is widely recognized for developing, engineering and deploying innovative technologies, including the first wireless 4G service from a national carrier in the United States; leading no-contract brands including Virgin Mobile USA, Boost Mobile, and Assurance Wireless; instant national and international push-to-talk capabilities; and a global Tier 1 Internet backbone. Sprint has been named to the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI) North America for the past five years. You can learn more and visit Sprint at www.sprint.com or www.facebook.com/sprint and www.twitter.com/sprint.

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