Internet for All

Since the inception of Indotel in 1999, how would you evaluate its contribution to the development of the IT sector in the country?

Indotel has made significant contributions to the development of the telecommunications sector. With the passing of the Telecommunications Bill in 1998, conditions were created for international carriers to come to the Dominican Republic and develop their business. Today, the telecoms market in the DR has a dynamic market with multiple companies continuously investing and growing, bringing the Dominican Republic to the top of the region. We are one of the biggest markets in terms of traffic and we are fourth in the world in long distance. As for specific contributions, Indotel’s market regulation has ensured a competitive environment that promotes investment in new technologies and a strong legal framework for local and multinational companies that decide to operate here. Customer protection is also another important piece of our regulatory agenda. Part of a healthy market is a customer base that is properly informed of its rights so it can properly gauge offers and select the carrier that best fits its needs. Nonetheless, trends in technology are constantly changing. We are now working to regulate the data market so our operators have better conditions to invest more in infrastructure and connect the whole country. As of the end of 2016, a little less than half of the population is not actively using ICT services like the internet, and with this in mind one of the goals of this administration is to provide universal access to said services. To that effect we have created a program called República Digital, or Digital Republic, with the express goal of connecting all Dominicans to the internet.

How are you going to achieve this transformation?

Steps are being taken toward a new regulation in internet services that enforces infrastructure sharing and a standardized fee payment structure. This strategy aims to maximize the use of the existing telecoms facilities and reduce the entry costs in areas that are already being served, so that investment goes toward positively increasing the service footprint, impacting communities instead of redundant construction work that will neither add value to the telecommunication network nor contribute toward universal inclusion. Additionally, as part of the DR Digital initiative, we have two projects geared toward infrastructure. One is the National Fiber-Optic Network, which has been constructed by the Dominican Electrical Transmission Company (ETED), making this government-owned infrastructure; however, we are proposing a public-private partnership (PPP) for the operation and exploitation of this resource. The service providers will be able to access the most remote regions of the country with a significantly reduced entry price tag. This plan includes a scheme of subsidies for service providers willing to engage lower-income communities. The second project that relates to infrastructure is the creation of a public spaces Wi-Fi network, which will encompass 5,000 schools and more than 1,200 public areas. The government will monitor access and regulate content consumed, but the service will be offered free of charge to the public.

With this mass adoption of the internet by Dominicans, what areas of regulation and education will you focus on?

We will have new internet regulation that ensures quality and consumer safety. Cyber security is another big issue regarding the DR Digital initiative. A cyber event response center is being created for the Dominican Republic in order to properly measure and study cyber attacks, help detect vulnerabilities before they are exploited by malicious elements, and generate proper policies and regulations taking into account how dynamic the whole cyber environment is. The other big regulatory element is the OTTs, especially considering the challenge that foreign companies present as they bring services to consumers in the Dominican Republic without any regard for local laws or regulations.