On rooftops in Havana, Matanzas and Santa Clara, affluent Cubans are secretly installing Starlink dishes to access stable internet, bypassing the state ban and Etecsa's monopoly. Professionals like programmers rely on smuggled equipment powered by solar batteries amid blackouts and unreliable connections. Elon Musk confirmed on March 16 that the service works in Cuba, though it is not authorized.
Cubans evade customs by disassembling Starlink dishes and hiding them in televisions or computer towers, sometimes bribing officials with $20 bills. Once inside, they install them in spots with clear sky view but camouflaged, such as fake air-conditioning boxes or painted gray. They connect to backup batteries or small solar systems to withstand blackouts.
Damian, a programmer from Matanzas working for foreign clients, told 14ymedio: “With Etecsa I couldn’t sustain a full meeting. Everything would drop. Now I pay the subscription with help from my brother in Miami. It’s expensive, yes, but it lets me work.” Other professionals share this need for job survival.
Elon Musk tweeted on March 16, 2026: “It works in Cuba, it’s just not allowed to be sold there.” Many activate accounts in Mexico or the US for roaming use on the island, though not a long-term fix.
Costs are steep: kits priced $300-450 in the US or Mexico fetch $1,300-1,800 on Cuba's black market, plus $90-150 monthly fees via resellers. An ecosystem of resale and shared Wi-Fi networks has emerged, despite government confiscations.
