Cubans line up for their first cellular phone lines

By Marc Frank

HAVANA (Reuters) - Hundreds of Cubans lined up at state-owned telephone offices on Monday to buy cellular phone services previously available only to government officials and foreigners.

President Raul Castro, who took power in February, has moved quickly to ease restrictions in the communist country and the new reform allows Cubans to buy cellular phones for the first time or register those they had held illegally.

"It is an advance, like other things that are happening in Cuba now," said Alejandro, smiling with his new contract in hand. The self-employed Cuban has used a cellular telephone illegally for years in the name of a foreigner.

"Before we had to get the line through a foreigner, who was the only person authorized to do so," said Mayerlin, a mother of two, waiting in line for her telephone.

Thousands of Cubans were expected to take advantage of the opportunity to buy the service in the coming days, even though it costs the equivalent of nine months' pay for the average wage-earner.

"It is a very good measure, but what we earn does not correspond with the price," said 33-year-old Gustavo, who nevertheless waited with around 100 others at an office in Havana's colonial district to buy the service.

Cuba has the lowest rate of cellular telephone use in Latin America. Customers will pay for their calls with prepaid cards bought in hard currency, and will be able to receive and make international calls.