3.4 Dominican Republic Telecommunications

Overview

Mobiles/Cell Phones

Cell technology has allowed reaching the country's fields. In late 1987 CODETEL began installing cellular phones in remote and isolated areas, putting the Dominican Republic one of the first countries to operate any wireless system. Over the years, mobile technology has provided varied and modern services, also offered to cruise or ships and planes which enables communication of the crew and passengers when they are within the territory of the Dominican Republic; Codeflota, wireless communication network that can maintain exclusive and continuous contact between operational and administrative staff of a company by dialling only four digits; and Fixed Cellular service to rural areas where there are no communication facilities through the wired network.

Fibre Optic Cable

In the late 1980s started the installation of the first fibre optic ring to bind its headquarters in Santo Domingo with the ability to handle up to 100,000 trunk circuits. At that time the country operating in seven other companies operating inside several locations.

The June 14, 1990 CODETEL installing Fibre Optic Cable Sub-Mariner V Centenario (TCS-Trans Caribbean System). This cable allowed the sending of voice, data and video signals of low and high speed with excellent quality in international communications. The project involved companies such as AT&T, and telcos Codetel

The system Sub-Marine Cable for Fibre Optic Americas I, joint project of several international and had been initiated in 1992 entered service in September of that year. The system of 8,000km long is the first fibre optic cable that connects North, South and Central America and the Caribbean.

In Barbados, Colombia, United States, Haiti, Puerto Rico, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Virgin Islands and Dominican Republic.

The project Arcos-1 (Americas Region Caribbean Optical-Ring System 1), developed by the company New World Networking, based in Bermuda.

Among the countries that make up the system Arcos-1 are: Bahamas, Belize, Curacao, Colombia, Costa Rica, United States, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Turks & Caicos, Venezuela and Colombia.

Arcos-1 has 8,602 fibre optic cable and can run 15 Gbps initially, but in its final version may be extended up 960Gpbs.

Among the owners of the lines are companies such as AT&T, Impsat, Avantel of Mexico, MCI, CANTV of Venezuela, Codetel (Verizon Dominicana) and other communications providers in the region.

For more information on telecoms contacts, please see below and the following link:4.11 Dominican Republic Additional Service-Providers Contact List

Telephone Services

Is there an existing landline telephone network? Yes

Does it allow international calls? Yes

Number and Length of Downtime Periods (on average) N/A

Mobile Phone Providers Yes

Approximate Percentage of National Coverage Country approximately 80% of the service of four companies that are highlighted as major

Telecommunications Regulations

The government has entities to cover emergencies and safety of the population.

The National System for Prevention, Mitigation, and Disaster Response is a mechanism of the Executive to implement a set of measures to risk management whose main objective is the socialisation of prevention, risk reduction and mitigation, restoration of services and a rapid and sustainable recovery.

National Emergency Commission CNE, to undertake duties according to law and is the official spokesperson of the government in case of a threat or destructive event occurs and / or emergency.

The Emergency Operations Center (COE) is the operational arm of the CNE, responsible for maintaining and promoting joint coordination between the different levels, jurisdictions and functions of the institutions involved in the management and emergency response in the Dominican Republic.

Regulations on Usage and Import

Regulations in Place? Regulating Authority

Satellite Yes Instituto Dominicano de Telecomunicaciones INDOTEL

HF Radio Yes Instituto Dominicano de Telecomunicaciones INDOTEL

Page 1 UHF/VHF/HF Radio: Handheld, Base and Mobile Yes Instituto Dominicano de Telecomunicaciones INDOTEL

UHF/VHF Repeaters Yes Instituto Dominicano de Telecomunicaciones INDOTEL

GPS Yes Instituto Dominicano de Telecomunicaciones INDOTEL

VSAT No Instituto Dominicano de Telecomunicaciones INDOTEL

Individual Network Operator Licenses Required

Frequency Licenses Required

Existing Humanitarian Telecoms Systems

Existing UN Telecommunication Systems

WFP UNFPA UNICEF UNDP FAO WHO / PAHO

VHF Frequencies Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

HF Frequencies Yes No No No

Locations of Repeaters Shared Shared Shared Shared Shared No

VSAT No No No No No No

Satellite Phones / Iridium Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

Internet Service Providers

Are there ISPs available? Yes

If yes, are they privately or government owned? Privately

Dial-up only? No

Approximate Rates (local currency and USD - $) Dial-up

Broadband

Max Leasable ‘Dedicated’ Bandwidth

Dominican Republic has 31 registered ISPs as per Instituto Dominicano de las Telecomunicaciones:

Disclaimer: Inclusion of company information in the LCA does not imply any business relationship between the supplier and WFP / Logistics Cluster, and is used solely as a determinant of services, and capacities.

Please note: WFP / Logistics Cluster maintain complete impartiality and are not in a position to endorse, comment on any company's suitability as a reputable service provider.

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