By Marc Frank
HAVANA (Reuters) - Hundreds of Cubans lined up atstate-owned telephone offices on Monday to buy cellular phoneservices previously available only to government officials andforeigners.
President Raul Castro, who took power in February, hasmoved quickly to ease restrictions in the communist country andthe new reform allows Cubans to buy cellular phones for thefirst time or register those they had held illegally.
"It is an advance, like other things that are happening inCuba now," said Alejandro, smiling with his new contract inhand. The self-employed Cuban has used a cellular telephoneillegally for years in the name of a foreigner.
"Before we had to get the line through a foreigner, who wasthe only person authorized to do so," said Mayerlin, a motherof two, waiting in line for her telephone.
Thousands of Cubans were expected to take advantage of theopportunity to buy the service in the coming days, even thoughit costs the equivalent of nine months' pay for the averagewage-earner.
"It is a very good measure, but what we earn does notcorrespond with the price," said 33-year-old Gustavo, whonevertheless waited with around 100 others at an office inHavana's colonial district to buy the service.
Cuba has the lowest rate of cellular telephone use in LatinAmerica. Customers will pay for their calls with prepaid cardsbought in hard currency, and will be Able to receive and makeinternational calls.
NEW FREEDOMS
Raul Castro has moved quickly to lift what he has called"excessive prohibitions" in Cuba since succeeding his ailingolder brother Fidel Castro as president in February.
Cubans are now allowed to buy DVD players, computers andother electronic goods, and stay at tourist hotels previouslyreserved only for foreigners.
But increased access to consumer goods and services comesat a price many Cubans can't afford.
The average state wage is around 400 Cubans pesos, or 9pounds, per month. Most consumer goods are priced inconvertible pesos, or CUCs, a hard currency worth 24 times morethan the peso.
About 60 percent of Cubans have access to hard currencyfrom cash remittances sent by relatives living abroad, mainlyin the United States, or through factory and farm bonuses andtips from foreign tourists.
A cellular telephone line costs 110 CUCs and the cheapestcellular phone is priced at 60 CUCs, equivalent to about 33pounds.
"It is expensive for us. I can't pay that in one month orin 10 months," said Mayerlin. She said only Cubans who rentrooms to foreigners, work for a foreign company or receivemoney from abroad could afford the prices.
Cuban telecommunications monopoly ETECSA, a joint venturein which Telecom Italia has a 27 percent stake, last monthannounced it would begin selling the service to Cubans. It saidthe income would be used to expand land lines, where Cuba hasthe sixth lowest density in Latin America.
Many Cubans have for long wanted access to cellular phonesand hoped it would be among the first steps taken by RaulCastro, who succeed his brother as Cuba's first new leader inalmost half a century on February 24.
"We used to go crazy looking for a foreigner to get us aline," said Rosario Iglesias, a Havana housewife. "It is a verygood decision that benefits all Cubans and raises our selfesteem."
(Additional reporting by Rosa Tana Valdez and NelsonAcosta; Editing by Kieran Murray)
