Text messaging opens up communications between the US and Cuba

SMS Cuba last week announced the launch of the first direct, phone-to-phone text messaging service between the US and Cuba. The new SMS service allows American users to communicate directly with their contacts in Cuba in an instant, two-way, phone-to-phone messaging service.Communications between the countries have suffered extensively in the past due to a number of factors. Most notably, it has been limited because of telecommunications restrictions enforced by the US embargo on Cuba.Diplomatic tensions between the nations have restricted communications stretching back to the Cold War. In 1960 the embargo was first introduced, banning exports from the US to Cuba except for food and medicine, it was later expanded to all exports. Since then, the embargo has been extended by legislation that further restricted American citizens from traveling to Cuba or doing business in or with Cuba.Despite historical tensions, however, there has been a recent string of efforts to improve relations, which has been openly expressed as a goal of the Obama administration. The President shook hands with Raul Castro at the Summit of the Americas in Panama in April, which was the first meeting between US and Cuban state leaders since the two countries severed ties in the 60s.In March, Cuba’s state-owned telephone company ETECSA announced it had signed a deal with IDT, based in New Jersey, to restore direct telephone connections between the US and Cuba. Now, the new launch of text messaging services is the next development in communications that showcases promisingly thawing relations between the countries.Allowing direct SMS communication couldn’t have come at a better time. More recently, there has been a growing need for Americans to have reliable communications with Cuba, due to rapidly expanding travel and business interests as well as family ties. This new service could be the solution to meet these communication needsIf you would like to talk about how SMS can improve communication, give us a call on 1300 764 946.