Edwin San RomanEdwin San RomanIndependent ConsultantIndependent ConsultantIndotelIndotelGeneva Geneva September 8September 8thth, 2008, 2008

Workshop on Regulatory Policies on Workshop on Regulatory Policies on Universal Access to Broadband Universal Access to Broadband

Services Services

Broadband changing lives (video). From public phones to broadband Some statistics about Dominican Republic. Model 1: Public- Private Partnership. Model 2: Private. Model 3: Private-Private Partnership. Model 4: Using Universal Service Funds. What a Grand Mother says when telecom

arrives (video).

Our project is for them…

to have a better future and be able to join the information and communications society.

Video

Video

From public phones to broadband

2000 2004 May 2008 1/Change

2000 / 2008Number of fixed lines 894,164 936,155 920,009 3%Number of mobile lines 705,431 2,534,063 5,780,028 719%Fixed and mobile lines 1,599,595 3,470,218 6,700,037 319%Internet users 211,044 839,904 2,028,314 861%Internet subscribers 52,761 106,296 296,529 462%Internet penetration 2.4% 9.0% 21.6% 800%Fixed teledensity 10.2% 10.0% 9.3% -9%Mobile teledensity 8.1% 27.2% 58.4% 621%Fixed and mobile teledensity 18.3% 37.2% 67.7% 270%Population (thousands) 8,263 8,873 9,361 13%GDP (millions of US$) 23,673 21,817 41,246 74%GDP per cápita 2,865 2,459 4,406 54%Area (km2)

Year

48,7301/ Population and GDP information correspond to 2007 data.

Source: INDOTEL, Dominican Republic Central Bank

By July 2007, in only in 62 of the 383 districts of the country the citizens were able to contract broadband and home phones.

Showed that there is demand in the rural areas.

Demonstrated that there is willingness to pay.

Demonstrated that it is possible to use low cost NGN infrastructure to provide services.

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We started bringing broadband in Los Botados overcoming hills, even with helicopters, climbing towers. We had the support of the City Mayor Ramon and the company Centennial Dominicana .

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Young people assembled by themselves computers for the Informatics Training Center - ITC (CCI).

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Now children, young people and adults receive training at the ITC.

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Thanks to broadband, hundreds of kids, young people and adults have gained expertise in computer usage and have graduated from training courses.

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Creative and enthusiastic young people are now using broadband Internet even using “pots” placed on top of coconut trees as antennas.

Public- Private Partnership◦ Indotel promoted the project.◦ Los Botados City Council supported the project.◦ Centennial Dominicana (now Viva) executed it.

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With the support of Estrelatel, a small telecom company, broadband and home phones arrived to Hato Damas. 

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Today in Hato Damas kids can access the knowledge and information society at the Centre of Education Daughters of Mary. Sister Eugenia can also speak by phone with her family in Canada.

Private◦ Indotel was the "facilitator".

Estrelatel implemented the project.

Nadia wants to have access to the Internet to do homework and be able to connect with the world.

Nilson needs the Internet to find out weather conditions and plan his fishing operations.

Ramoncito needs to have a phone at home to communicate with his family in the world.

Indotel promoted the project and was supported by Estrelatel, a Dominican telecom company that installed the service.

Ciramar, a company located in the area, as part of its Social Responsibility program is providing funds for the project.

Private - Private Partnerships (Social Responsibility programs) ◦ Indotel was the "facilitator“. ◦ Estrelatel run the project. ◦ Naval Shipyard (Ciramar) is funding the project .

 

Select a broadband provider and all other services that can be provided over it, such as residential phones.

The project will be implemented initially in 503 localities that, by the time the tender documents were being developed, did not have broadband or residential telephony coverage.

Residential telephony. Broadband from 256/128 to 1.5 Mb/256

(similar conditions than those offered in big cities such as Santo Domingo and Santiago).

Internet cafés and call centerss. Web pages of all the municipalities and

districts.

Internet access centers and call centers should be managed by small local entrepreneurs.

Twelve months for the 503 localities.

The project includes an awareness and training program to final users and to local entrepreneurs for the usage of phones and computers and for the management of internet and call centers.

The successful tender will develop a portal at least 100MB capacity for each of the localities of the project. Each site should include relevant information of the community.

The value estimated by the INDOTEL for the full implementation of the project was US$ 4 649 737.87, including all applicable taxes.

1. Telecable del Nordeste2. Cerronet.3. Brightstar Dominicana.4. Soluciones Estratégicas

Globales.5. Tecno Easy CxA.6. Codetel.7. Wind Telecom.8. Centennial Dominicana.9. ETG

Telecomunicaciones.10. Spielcom Cable TV.

11. Mundo 1 Telecom.12. Skymax.13. SLV Soluv.14. Pacific Telecom

Dominicana.15. Baratz y Asociados.16. Estrela Telecom.17. Bec-Tel.18. TQ Telecommunications

Group19. Compusoluciones20. Rural Telecom

Of 20 firms that were interested in the project.

5 firms (20%) completed the initial requirements.

2 companies (10%) prequalified. 1 enterprise (5%) presented a technical –

economical proposal.

Economic offer: Zero dollars.

Deployment period: 345 days.

The company awarded, after his market and field studies decided to deploy a 3G (UMTS) infrastructure throughout the country.

In the last 15 years, the company had deployed , 534 base stations. Within this project it is deploying 250 3G base stations and is upgrading former stations to 3G.( 285 already)

By the end of October 2008, 103 localities By the end of January 2009. 103 localities By the end of April 2009,148 localities By the end of Julio 2009,148 localities will have broadband and home phone services.

Video

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