Cuba has announced that its citizens will within the next few days be able to avail themselves of unrestricted use of mobile phones - the latest liberalisation move by Raul Castro who recently lifted a ban on sales of a raft of consumer goodies including PCs and TVs.

According to official party newspaper Granma, Cuban telecomms monopoly ETECSA said in a statement: "ETECSA is ready to offer a public mobile phone service."

Reuters notes that Cubans who already have mobile phones "through foreigners or their work places" will be able to legally register them in their own names.

The only catch to the plan is that Cubans will have to cough for the service in hard currency, something ETECSA explains is "in order to fund telecommunications development in Cuba". ®

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