ECUADOR - Telecoms & IT
Minister, Telecommunications and Information Society
Bio
Augusto Espín Tobar is an electronics engineer with a specialization in telecommunications. He holds a Master’s degree in Telecommunications Management from Oklahoma State University and a Master’s degree in Electronic Engineering in Telecommunication and Broadband Network from the Escuela Politécnica de las Fuerzas Armadas (ESPE). He was Vice-Minister of the Coordinating Ministry of Strategic Sectors, a member of the Special Committee of Hydrocarbons Tenders and Vice-Minister of MINTEL’s Information Society department. He was also a research professor in data networking and manager of the Electronic Engineering Faculty’s research center at the Scientific and Technology Research Center.
This government has set the pace for an aggressive negotiation process for 4G. These negotiations have been well structured and all main parties have taken part; we have been the driving force throughout the entire process. We reached a global pre-agreement last October and ever since we have been formalizing everything under the main regulatory frameworks and public bodies. The final and official agreement was reached in January with that the formulation of key legislation, and we are now in the process of implementation. We have already granted licenses to operations—Movistar and Claro for example. There has been a great deal of interest from the main international operators in obtaining an operational license. This has been a long process for all parties and has generated $330 million for Ecuador to date; the Ecuadorian government has long been investing in network and technology for the implementation of 4G technologies. This also means an improvement in the national network and in service quality for all Ecuadorians.
Ecuador offers numerous opportunities for R&D, especially in terms of the shift in the production matrix. Ecuador has huge agricultural potential and is a leading international exporter of certain products; R&D can make this, and other potential sectors, still more competitive, increasing their technological threshold. Certain challenges lie ahead and to cope with them we first need a large consumer base with internet access. The ITC sector along with R&D has a key role to play in changing the national production matrix. We are in the process of aligning ourselves with the government’s strategy and contribute by making sure that more Ecuadorians have internet access, improving services in fixed telephony, and investing in key segments of the sector, such as education, to boost future development. 4G technologies are therefore a key component in our efforts to contribute to the development of the ITC sector
It created a clearer regulatory framework for all parties involved in the sector, providing the operation basis for operators, and stimulates the sector as a whole. It has also eased up the licensing process for operators; operators today know the benefits and rules of the game. The law also provides support and protection to consumers and sets a clearer understanding of rights, duties, and fines for all parties. The new regulatory framework in the sector represented a turning point in Ecuador’s ITC industry. For example, the law now foresees several levels of fines for operators and today a sole regulatory body monitors and implements regulatory policy. All this is vital in such a fast-paced changing industry as ITC, a sector that will drive the growth of Ecuador and its economy in the near future thanks to its flexibility, and within this context, the new law is a key step. One of the challenges ahead of us is to increase broadband penetration in Ecuador, and we aim to offer a $10 per month service to broadband users and consumers. Clearly, a larger number of internet users would also make a positive contribution to the software development industry. Meanwhile, the country is currently engaged in the implementation of a national cloud system that should become the basis of all of the abovementioned developments.
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