IDT Opens Door to Direct U.S.-Cuba Telephony

On Feb 20, 2015

Newark-based IDT Corporation, a provider of international telephony and payment services and the largest U.S.-based carrier of international long distance calls, reaches an agreement with Empresa de Telecomunicaciones de Cuba S.A. (ETECSA), Cuba’s national telecom provider, to exchange international long distance voice traffic between the United States and Cuba directly.

The agreement was filed February 19 with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and is subject to FCC review for a period of 10 days.

If the FCC allows the agreement to take effect as expected, IDT will be the only U.S. carrier to have a direct interconnection into Cuba.

“We are very pleased to have reached this groundbreaking agreement with ETECSA. This is an important first step in the liberalization of telecommunications between the U.S. and Cuba,” said Bill Pereira, Chief Executive Officer of IDT Telecom. “Ultimately, the agreement will help make it easier and more affordable for our customers to call friends and family in Cuba.”

The announcement follows on the heels of revisions to the Cuban Assets Control Regulations announced by the U.S. government earlier this month.

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