Transcript Regulation and Competition: The Telecommunication in the

Regulation and Competition:
Telecommunications in the
Dominican Republic
Conference of the Caribbean/Latin
American Action:
Free Trade and Integration: Implications
for the Caribbean Basin
December 5th, 2001
Hotel Intercontinental
Miami, Florida
Lic. Orlando Jorge Mera
President
Instituto Dominicano de las
Telecomunicaciones
(INDOTEL)
AGENDA
•Telecoms Law No. 153-98
•INDOTEL’s Role
•Conclusions
Telecoms Law No. 153-98
• Enacted May 27th, 1998
• Creates a regulator with functional,
jurisdictional and financial autonomy
• Convergent regulation applicable to the
following sectors: telephony, radio, TV
and cable
Telecoms Law No. 153-98
Objectives of Public and Social
Interest
•Promote the development of telecommunications
•Ensure fair, efficient and sustainable competition
•Protect consumers rights
•Manage the spectrum efficiently
•Promote Universal Service
INDOTEL’s Role
• Promote Investments
• Establish Policies and Norms
• Supervise Service Providers
• Defend Consumers
• Manage the Spectrum
• Solve Controversies
• Administer the Telecommunications
Development Fund
INVESTMENT
CONSUMERS
SPECTRUM
MANAGEMENT
POLICIES
& NORMS
SUPERVISION
CONTROVERSIES
Promote Investments
Wireline
Industry Indicators
1,000,000
800,000
600,000
Wireline
400,000
200,000
0
1996
Wireline
Teledensity
Source: INDOTEL
1997
1998
1999
1996
1997
1998
618,551 704,389 772,180
7.9%
8.8%
9.4%
2000
1999
826,746
9.9%
2001 (1st.
Sem)
2000
894,164
10.5%
2001
911,152
n/a
Promote Investments
Wireless
Industry Indicators
1,000,000
800,000
600,000
Wireless
400,000
200,000
0
1996
1996
Wireless
82,547
Teledensity 1.1%
Source: INDOTEL
1997
1998
1999
1997
1998
141,592 209,384
1.8%
2.6%
2000
1999
424,434
5.1%
2001 (1st.
Sem)
2000
705,431
8.2%
2001
927,617
n/a
Promote Investments
Internet
Industry Indicators
60,000
50,000
40,000
30,000
Internet
20,000
10,000
0
1996
Internet
Source: INDOTEL
1996
5,819
1997
1998
1997
10,810
1999
1998
18,760
2000
1999
31,376
2001 (1st.
Sem)
2000
52,761
2001 (1st. Sem)
58,875
Promote Investments
25.0%
20.0%
Industry Indicators
15.0%
GDP Growth
Telecoms GDP Share
Telecoms Growth Rate
10.0%
1996
5.0%
2000
2001
3rd. Q
0.0%
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001*
GDP Growth
7.2 %
7.8 %
1.8 %
Telecoms GDP Share
3.8 %
5.4 %
6.6 %
Telecoms Growth Rate
16.3 %
15.7 %
22.7 %
Sources: 1.- Dominican Economic Report January-December 200, Central Bank of the Dominican Republic, March 2001
2.- Dominican Economic Report January-December 200, Central Bank of the Dominican Republic, August 2001
3.- Central Bank Homepage: http://www.bancentral.gov.do/pib.html
Promote Investments
•
•
•
Fiber Optic Project CDE-INDOTEL
- commerce Agenda
Entry of new Telco’s and ISP’s
Establish Policies and Norms
• Telecoms Law No. 153-98 establishes a
general regulatory framework.
• Regulator’s task is to establish policies and
norms to enhance regulatory framework
• Regulation of Services NOT Technology
• Minimum Regulation Principle
Establish Policies and Norms
September 200 to date:
• Universal Service Policy
• Universal Service Plan 2001-2003
• Rules concerning the Telecommunications
Development Fund
• Rules for the Solution of Controversies
between Consumers and Operators
• Rules establishing the Prohibition of the
Interception of Telecommunications
Establish Policies and Norms
Under Public consultation
• Regulation concerning the Acquisition of
Authorizations to Provide Telecommunications
Services in the D.R.
• National Frequency Attribution Plan
• Regulation of provision of Cable Service
• Regulation of provision of FM Service
• Rules concerning the Contribution to the
Development of Telecommunications
• Regulation for Ham Radio Users
• Routing Technical Plan
• Interconnection (SOON TO BE RELEASED)
Supervise Service Providers
• Revision of all concessions and licenses
granted prior and under Telecoms Law No.
153-98 to ensure legality of these
authorizations
• Shutdown of illegal radio and TV stations
• Shutdown of illegal call centers
Protect Consumers Rights
• Establishment of a Assistance Center for
Consumers
• Establishment of rules applicable to
consumer complaints
• Educational lectures on consumers rights
and obligations
Manage the Spectrum
• Limited resource
• Organization of the Spectrum
• Administer efficiently the available
frequencies
• Implementation of a spectrum monitoring
system
Solve Controversies
• Case by case basis
• Cases of frequency interferences between
radio, TV and cable operators
• Interconnection disputes
Administer the Telecommunications
Development Fund
Rural
Telephony
Tele-centers
Universal
Access
Cortesía de www.aguaita.com
Teleeducation
Cortesía de www.aguaita.com
Tele-
• Rural Telephony Project
medicine
• Tele-centers Project
• Telemedicine Project (in coordination with State Secretariat of
Health and Public Assistance)
• Teleducation Project (in coordination with State Secretariat of
Education)
Conclusions
• Regulator must balance: market needs vs.
consumers needs
• Regulator should be accessible and its
actions must be transparent
• Regulation should incentive the existence of
conditions of a competitive market
Th nk You!
Lic. ORLANDO JORGE MERA
PRESIDENT – INDOTEL
Internet : http://www.indotel.org.do
: [email protected]
Tel.: (809) 473-8553
Fax: (809) 732-3904
Av. Abraham Lincoln No. 962, Edificio Osiris
• Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic•