Indotel proposes new law to modernize telecommunications and digital infrastructure

Santo Domingo.- The Dominican Institute of Telecommunications (Indotel) presented a proposed General Law on Telecommunications, Digital Infrastructure and Connectivity aimed at updating the sector’s legal framework and addressing the challenges posed by the country’s technological transformation.

The proposal builds on Law 153-98 and incorporates regulations for technologies and infrastructure that have become essential to the sector, including fiber optics, advanced mobile networks, satellite communications, submarine cables and data centers.

Indotel board member Fausto Rosario Adames, representing Chairman Guido Gómez Mazara, said the proposal would focus regulation on telecommunications networks, services, infrastructure and related resources, while excluding content, e-commerce and digital platforms not directly linked to the sector.

Among its main measures are a single concession system, a single electronic window to facilitate infrastructure deployment, greater network sharing, stronger competition and more efficient radio spectrum management.

The proposal also seeks to strengthen consumer protections through service-quality and continuity requirements, transparent billing, number portability, accessibility for people with disabilities and improved complaint mechanisms. It would also establish a sector-specific cybersecurity regime to protect the integrity and resilience of telecommunications networks and infrastructure.

Indotel said the draft was submitted to the Executive Branch’s Legal Counsel and will undergo consultations with telecommunications operators, users, academics, experts, entrepreneurs and civil society before being submitted to Congress.

The institution said the goal is to present a mature proposal that establishes the regulatory foundations for a more connected, inclusive, innovative and competitive Dominican Republic.