May 19, 2015

The Honorable Tom Udall The Honorable Jeff Flake United States Senate Washington, D.C.

Dear Senator Tom Udall and Senator Jeff Flake,

Engage Cuba applauds your bipartisan efforts in crafting the Cuba DATA Act. We support your proposal to expand opportunities for investment by U.S. companies in telecommunication infrastructure in Cuba. Increased investment in Internet and phone access are critical to facilitating economic development and the expansion of human rights, both of which will continue to create job opportunities in the United States and improve the lives of the Cuban people.

Estimates have shown that it would cost about $2.5 billion to upgrade the island's telecom infrastructure for basic high-speed Internet as well as more reliable land-line and cellphone service.

However, the embargo on investment has left Cubans cut off from their families and much of the outside world and American companies stuck watching foreign companies engage in multimillion dollar partnerships to overhaul telecom infrastructure a mere 90 miles from our coast. In addition, the embargo has done nothing to empower Cubas citizens or entrepreneurs.

The Cuba DATA Act represents yet another opportunity for Americans to engage with the Cuban people as they work to define their own future and advance their basic human rights, said James Williams, President of Engage Cuba. We think the time has come for a smarter and more effective Cuba policy and this legislation takes us in the right direction.

The Cuba DATA Act addresses that need by repealing dated, ineffective red tape that restricts Americans from being able to fully and securely support the Cuban people with communication services and equipment, said Ricardo Herrero, #CubaNow.

We hope this bipartisan legislation will move Congress to permit normal trade relations with Cuba, consistent with strategic U.S. leadership in the hemisphere, said Bill Reinsch, President of the National Foreign Trade Council.

This legislation sends a powerful signal that Congress is ready to leave the Cold War and enter the digital age, engaging openly and respectfully on ideas that benefit the people of both countries, said Sarah Stephens, executive director of CDA. We support this important initiative, which would remove outdated impediments for U.S. telecommunications firms to enter the Cuban market and open opportunities for the world to connect more deeply to Cuba and Cuba to better connect with the world.

With this legislation, we are declaring that our country is serious about engaging in a constructive and fruitful relationship to ensure our countries can bring forth furthering economic opportunity and personal liberty.

We appreciate your efforts and look forward to working with you and your staff to advance this legislation.

Sincerely,

James Williams Engage Cuba

Mavis Anderson Senior Associate, Latin America Working Group

Ric Herrero Executive Director, #CubaNow

Bill Reinsch President, National Foreign Trade Council

Sarah Stephens Center for Democracy in the Americas

Susan Segal Council of the Americas