Your connection options
There are three practical ways to get online in Cuba, all running on the state provider ETECSA. Mobile data on an ETECSA SIM is the most portable and often the most reliable for a working visitor. Wi-Fi in your casa particular is convenient when it exists, but it is frequently shared and can be slow. Public Wi-Fi hotspots, found in some parks and plazas, are a fallback rather than a foundation.\n\nMany working travellers combine options — a SIM for day-to-day work and calls, plus whatever Wi-Fi the accommodation offers as a backup. Redundancy matters more here than raw speed.
Speeds, coverage and outages
Speeds vary widely by location and time of day, and even a good connection can drop without warning. Periodic outages affect the whole country and are simply part of the environment. Large uploads, sustained video calls and cloud syncing are the tasks most likely to suffer.\n\nCoverage is generally best in Havana and the larger cities and thinner in rural areas. Do not assume that a strong signal in one neighbourhood means the same a few streets away. If a task absolutely cannot fail, have a plan for what you do when the network is down — because at some point during a longer stay, it will be.
Practical habits that help
Work offline wherever possible and sync when the connection is good. Keep files, references and drafts downloaded so an outage does not stop you entirely. Schedule important calls for times when the network tends to hold up, and warn colleagues in advance that your connection may be intermittent.\n\nBefore booking, ask the host directly how their internet has performed recently and whether mobile data is strong in that neighbourhood. Honest answers up front let you choose accommodation that fits the way you work, rather than discovering the gap after you have committed.
Power and connectivity go together
It is worth stressing that internet and electricity are linked here. A connection you have relied on all week is useless during a power outage unless there is a backup, and outages are periodic across the country. When you assess a location for working, you are really assessing both its connectivity and how it copes when the power is off.\n\nAsk each host how frequently the power goes out in that neighbourhood and how long interruptions typically last. Keep your devices charged ahead of time and treat any window of good, powered connectivity as valuable. Planning around both variables together is what keeps a working stay from being derailed.