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AT&T to launch roaming access in Cuba

Catching up with rivals, AT&T's agreement with local telecom ETECSA should let customers connect easily while visiting the island.

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AT&T's latest deal will make it easier for mobile customers to connect while traveling in Cuba.

CNET/Marguerite Reardon

AT&T mobile customers visiting Cuba should be able to connect there more easily, thanks to a roaming and interconnection deal with telecom provider Empresa De Telecomunicaciones De Cuba, known as ETECSA.

The company said Monday it would specify wireless roaming availability and pricing there at a later date. Typically, deals like this make voice calls cheaper to numbers in Cuba and would allow customers visiting the island to access voice, text and data roaming without having to swap a SIM card.

"Cuba is a growing international calling destination for our customers," Bill Hague, AT&T's executive vice president of global connection management, said in a release. US President Barack Obama restored the country's diplomatic relations with Cuba last year, easing travel to and from the country after more than 50 years of estrangement.

Competitors Sprint, Verizon and T-Mobile have similar deals in Cuba.