SANTO DOMINGO. The Dominican Republic is preparing for the arrival of a new player in the telecommunications market, after the Dominican Telecommunications Institute (Indotel) awarded spectrum frequency blocks to Viettel and Claro Dominicana on Wednesday, corresponding to International Public Tender Indotel/LPI-001-2026 . The process includes the allocation of frequencies and the granting of concessions for the provision of public telecommunications services.
Who is Viettel?
According to information available on Wikipedia, Viettel Telecom was founded on June 1, 1989 and is a state-owned telecommunications company based in Hanoi, Vietnam.
The Viettel brand began to be used in 1993. In its beginnings, the company offered communication services to the Vietnamese Armed Forces, until in 2000 it began its expansion into the civilian market.
Subsequently, the company ventured into telephony using VoIP technology and, in 2004, began offering cellular phone services on a massive scale.
In May 2007, Chunghwa Telecom Co., Ltd. established a strategic alliance with Viettel to offer internet services and data centers in Vietnam.
Viettel opens the door to greater competition
Viettel's entry into the Dominican market could expand the alternatives available to users and boost competition among telecommunications operators.
The president of the Board of Directors of Indotel, Guido Gómez Mazara, highlighted that the bidding process creates the conditions to incorporate a new participant into the sector.
“This bidding process creates the conditions for a new player in the telecommunications sector to become part of this market,” said Gómez Mazara.
The decision was approved unanimously
According to Indotel, the award was unanimously approved by its Board of Directors, through resolution no. 73-2026, after reviewing the report submitted by the evaluation committee of the process.
The agency indicated that Viettel and Claro Dominicana were the only companies that passed the legal, technical and economic qualification stages, in accordance with resolution DE-104-2026 of the Executive Directorate of Indotel.
Government seeks to improve the quality of services
Gómez Mazara explained that the initiative seeks to create better conditions for users of telecommunications services, through actions aimed at raising the quality and efficiency of the sector.
“We are interested in providing the Dominican Republic with higher quality telephone services, greater competition, and above all, better prices for users. This announcement will clearly transform the telecommunications sector in the country,” he stated.
Viettel obtains right to use 240 MHz
The official reported that Viettel obtained the right to use 240 MHz of the radio spectrum, corresponding to a concession valid for 20 years.
The allocation is distributed as follows:
- 40 MHz in the 700 MHz band.
- 100 MHz in the 2.3 GHz band.
- 100 MHz in the 3.6 GHz band.
To begin operations in the Dominican Republic, Viettel must establish a company in the country, which will hold the license to use the assigned frequencies.
Claro Dominicana, for its part, acquired 20 MHz in the 700 MHz band, for the remaining period of its current concession, equivalent to 15 years.
Viettel has 90 days to sign concession contracts
The winning companies will have a maximum period of 90 days to sign the respective contracts or concession addenda, in accordance with the conditions established in the bidding process.
The call was made through Resolution No. 013-2026, approved by the Board of Directors of Indotel on February 26, 2026, with the objective of expanding the availability of radio spectrum, promoting new investments and strengthening the provision of next-generation public telecommunications services.
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