Direct TV at Guantanamo Bay

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GermanDawg

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May 3, 2011
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Georgia
My Family and I are relocating from Germany to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba and I have heard conflicting stories about the availability of Direct TV programming there. The Naval Air Station Website says that there are two bars on base that have either Dish Network or Direct TV but I have called both services and they both say that they do not service Cuba. The problem is that we will not technically be in "Cuba" but only on the same island as Cuba and I am not certain that the call center person understands this. The Navy base is now and has been for some time U.S. soil. I have been told by people who have lived there that lots of people get Dish Network and Direct TV at GITMO and that the only requirement is a larger dish (80 cm???) and of course a receiver. I am not certain that these people may not be talking about stealing the signal though, something that I am not interested in doing. I have a 104 cm dish here in Germany that I have used for years with a dual LNB. GITMO is located about 400 miles almost due south of Miami. Does anyone know if it is possible to legally subscribe to either service at GITMO?
 
Only some SAT's and/or transponder' beam/signals will reach there. In other words it depends on what you want to get to answer your question. If you want access to everything; don't be too surprised that it likely will not be available.
 
The management here disapproves of "moving" discussions, but I hope they will make an exception in this case, due to the nature of the question.

First, thank you for your service to our country.

Nobody at any call center is going to understand the issues involved. They are trained to say they serve US addresses only.

Technically, yes you will be in Cuba. GITMO is Cuban territory leased "forever" to the USA under a treaty signed after 1898, and covered by a status of forces agreement signed with the last Cuban government the USA recognized (in 1958), which obviously do not cover sat TV.

As a servicemember assigned OCONUS, your AFN stuff from Germany will work and is perfectly legal. AFN will be the local cable.

Both DirecTV (US), which is what you are asking about, DISH, and DirecTV (Latin America) signals will be receivable on a technical basis. The issue is that DirecTV (US) only has a liscense to sell signals in the USA. What you will have to do is establish an address in the USA where the system "thinks" it is located. This is certainly what the bars you are talking about have done. If you looked at their bills, the boxes probably think they are in Norfolk or Washington or Miami.

However, you certainly should clear any actions with you commanding authority. GITMO is a serious place with serious rules.
 
The management here disapproves of "moving" discussions, but I hope they will make an exception in this case, due to the nature of the question.

I think you have this forum confused with another one.
 
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