CEO Altice Dominicana talks about fiber optic development

The socioeconomic conditions of some cities are one of the main limitations that presents the deployment of fiber optics throughout the country, but the main obstacle faced by telecommunications companies to make investments in this regard are the permits that sometimes, in addition to taking going out, they are usually very expensive.

In the opinion of the CEO of Dominican Altice, Ana Figueiredothe cost of installing a kilometer of fiber optics is practically the same as in other countries where the company has a presence, the real difference with the Dominican Republic lies in the cost of permits.

He said that the costs per kilometer of fiber optics are basically the same as in other countries, in the Dominican Republic it is possibly a little more expensive because of the materials, because it is an island the transportation issue could have an influence, but the workforce it is cheaper than in France, for example, which is a technical workforce, but in total it is almost the same price in all countries.

“The issue of permitting is important that it be given, not only in a fast way, but also that in economic terms it is viable for investment, because many times for a kilometer of fiber, I pay as much for permitting as the cost for technology or cost of labor and that makes it not as fast and as competitive as in other countries”, said Figueiredo when participating in the Free Dialogue.

He reiterated that the permits in it are much more numerous in the country and that in many countries where these permits also operate, they are free. “I mean, in the towns that are more remote or more peripheral, the municipalities invite us to deploy and we make the investment in infrastructure and we don’t pay any type of permit,” he explained.

“We have every interest in deploying fiber optics throughout the country, as long as the right conditions are created to do so. We know of the government’s interest in expanding, there are some tenders that will be starting and obviously we will also compete. It is also important to define who is going to build it, but also how it is going to be operated and who is going to operate that network”, added Figueiredo.

He said that since Altice’s arrival in the country, they have deployed more than 14,000 kilometers of fiber optics throughout the country and have a presence in 28 provinces.

Figueiredo also complained that in some provinces there are market players that do not comply with all the rules, which is why he believes it is important that there be equality from a regulatory point of view, since he understands that whoever breaks the rules obviously has a price associated with them. to that breach.

While Desireé Logroño, Vice President of Institutional Relations of Dominican Alticeexplained the complexities that they present as a company to be able to expand in some provinces of the country.

“In the towns, in many of them, there is a monopoly at the level of cable and internet services and where they (cable companies) put up all the barriers to entry, legal and illegal, for example, they prevent the city council from granting permission because they are a family of power in that town and we as a multinational company do not have that type of management and that is not going to happen”, he affirmed.

“And how I compete with a local cable company that broadcasts HBO USA channels (which should not be available for the region), I cannot, we have presented that type of inconvenience, but as I said, this has improved a lot, Onda (National Office of Copyright) is trying to do a job that has never been done before in the past, Onda was a luxury institution, now it is trying to attack those content issues,” he said.