Executive summary
Switch to digital broadcasts in the Dominican Republic put back to 2021The Dominican Republic’s fixed-line teledensity is well below the Latin American average, a legacy of under-investment in network infrastructure over the years. In common with other markets in the region, the mobile sector has become the preferred platform for voice services. With the rapid development of HSPA and LTE services, mobile broadband has also taken off.
The Dominican Republic’s income inequalities are still reflected in the distribution of telephony services, with many communities having very restricted access to service. The government has been addressing the issue of access in recent years and has funded a number of public projects to extend the reach of services to rural and underserved areas.
Considerable changes have developed since the auction of spectrum in May 2014, particularly with the launch of commercial LTE services.
Consolidation in the sector was seen in late 2013 when Orange Group, having invested some $150 million in its local network, sold Orange Dominicana to Altice Group. At the same time, Altice Group acquired the integrated telecoms services provider Tricom Telecom (both deals closed in 2014).
Key developments:
Regulator begins work on an update of the General Telecommunications Law; ASO delayed to 2021; Orange Dominicana rebranded as Altice Hispaniola; Aster contracts Ericsson to deploy its Mediaroom TV platform; Wind Telecom expands LTE infrastructure; Telemicro acquires Viva; mobile number portability time reduced to two days; report update includes the regulator’s market data to February 2016, operator data to Q1 2016, recent market developments.
Market penetration rates in Dominican Republic’s telecoms sector – 2015 (e)
Penetration of telecoms services:Penetration
Fixed-line telephony11.5%
Fixed broadband6.4%
Mobile SIM (population)88.1%
(Source: BuddeComm based on industry data)
Companies mentioned in this report:
Claro (América Móvil); Orange Dominicana; Tricom; Viva
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1. Executive summary
2. Key statistics
3. Country Overview
4. Telecommunications market
4.1 Historical overview
5. Regulatory environment
5.1 Historical overview
5.2 Regulatory authority
5.3 Telecom sector liberalisation
5.4 Privatisation of Codetel
5.5 Foreign investment
5.6 Number Portability (NP)
6. Fixed network operators
6.1 Introduction
6.2 Claro Dominicana
6.3 Tricom
6.4 Dgtec
7. Telecommunications infrastructure
7.1 Overview of the national telecom network
7.2 International infrastructure
7.2.1 Submarine cable networks
7.2.2 Satellite networks
7.3 Wholesale
8. Fixed-line broadband market
8.1 Introduction and statistical overview
8.2 Market analysis
8.3 Broadband statistics
8.4 Fixed-line broadband technologies
8.4.1 Hybrid Fibre Coax (HFC) networks
8.4.2 Asymmetrical Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL)
8.4.3 Fibre-to-the-Premises (FttP) networks
8.4.4 Other fixed broadband services
9. Digital media
9.1 Introduction
9.2 Digital switchover
9.3 Pay TV
9.4 Videostreaming
9.5 Communications: VoIP
10. Mobile market
10.1 Market analysis
10.2 Mobile statistics
10.3 Mobile broadband
10.4 Forecasts – mobile subscribers – 2016; 2018; 2021
10.5 Regulatory issues
10.5.1 Spectrum
10.6 Mobile Infrastructure
10.6.1 Long-term Evolution (LTE)
10.6.2 High capacity mobile voice/data services (1xRTT)
10.6.3 General Packet Radio Service (GPRS)
10.7 Major mobile operators
10.7.1 Codetel (Claro Dominicana)
10.7.2 Altice Hispaniola (Orange Dominicana)
10.7.3 Tricom
10.7.4 Viva (formerly Trilogy Dominicana)
10.8 Mobile content and applications
10.8.1 Mobile banking
11. Related reports
Table 1 – Country statistics Dominican Republic – 2014 (e)
Table 2 – Telephone network statistics – 2015 (e)
Table 3 – Internet provider statistics – 2016
Table 4 – Internet user statistics – 2015 (e)
Table 5 – Broadband subscribers – 2015 (e)
Table 6 – Mobile phone statistics – 2015 (e)
Table 7 – National telecommunications authority
Table 8 – GDP growth – 2000 - 2015
Table 9 – Tricom subscribers by sector – 2014 - 2016
Table 10 – Historic - Fixed lines in service – 1996- 2009
Table 11 – Fixed lines in service – 2010 - 2016
Table 12 – Historic - Internet users – 1996 – 2009
Table 13 – Internet users – 2010 – 2016
Table 14 – Historic - Internet subscribers – 1996 – 2009
Table 15 – Internet subscribers – 2010 – 2016
Table 16 – Internet subscribers by technology – 2011 - 2015
Table 17 – Fixed-line broadband subscribers – 2003 - 2016
Table 18 – Cable broadband subscribers – 2011 - 2016
Table 19 – DSL residential and corporate subscribers – 2004 – 2016
Table 20 – Orange Dominicana DSL RGUs – 2015 - 2016
Table 21 – Orange Dominicana fibre infrastructure – 2015 - 2016
Table 22 – Orange Dominicana fibre RGUs – 2015 - 2016
Table 23 – WiMAX subscribers – 2013 - 2015
Table 24 – WLL lines in service (historic) – 1999 - 2011
Table 25 – Pay TV subscribers – 2008 – 2016
Table 26 – Pay TV addressable homes – 2011 – 2015
Table 27 – VoIP subscribers – 2008 - 2016
Table 28 – Historic - Mobile phone subscribers and penetration rate – 1996 - 2009
Table 29 – Mobile phone subscribers and penetration rate – 2010 - 2016
Table 30 – Postpaid and prepaid percentage of subscribers – 2001 - 2016
Table 31 – Postpaid and prepaid subscribers – 2002 - 2016
Table 32 – Active mobile broadband subscribers and penetration – 2007 - 2016
Table 33 – Mobile data lines by type – 2013 - 2016
Table 34 – Forecast mobile subscribers – lower growth scenario – 2016; 2018; 2021
Table 35 – Codetel mobile subscribers – 2015 - 2016
Table 36 – Altice Hispaniola mobile subscribers – 2008 - 2016
Table 37 – Altice Hispaniola revenue – 2008 - 2015
Table 38 – Altice Hispaniola financial data – 2014 - 2015
Table 39 – Altice Hispaniola revenue by sector – 2014 - 2015
Table 40 – Tricom mobile subscribers – 2015 - 2016
Table 41 – Viva mobile subscribers – 2015 - 2016
Chart 1 – Fixed lines in service – 2005 - 2016
Chart 2 – Internet subscribers – 2005 – 2016
Chart 3 – Mobile phone subscribers and penetration rate – 2005 – 2016
Exhibit 1 – Major submarine cable networks serving the Dominican Republic
