- Digital Summit LATAM brings together policymakers, regulators, and industry leaders from across regions. From your perspective, why is this type of cross-regional dialogue particularly important for Latin America’s digital transformation at this moment?
The current global context requires Latin America to confront the significant challenges involved in accelerating the digitalization of its productive processes, and with it, to seize opportunities in terms of attracting investment and fostering economic and social growth. Digital Summit LATAM is a forum for discussion and reflection where all actors within the digital ecosystem participate, enabling the exchange of diverse perspectives, highlighting key challenges, and identifying roadmaps to accelerate digital transformation in our region.
Now more than ever, Latin America must align its efforts to define a regional strategy aimed at expanding and improving connectivity infrastructure, promoting innovation, democratizing the adoption of new technologies, developing a specialized workforce, and ensuring inclusion.
- Over recent years, the Dominican Republic has advanced an ambitious digital agenda. How do you assess the region’s progress overall, and where do you see the biggest remaining gaps in Latin America’s digital transformation?
The Dominican Republic has made very solid progress and today stands out as a positive example in the region. There has been a strong and sustained rollout of digital infrastructure, particularly in fiber optic networks, expanded mobile broadband coverage, and targeted projects to connect rural and underserved areas. I believe that the progress made in expanding connectivity infrastructure has been a fundamental pillar of the results we can showcase today in the Dominican Republic.
At the same time, we have developed the most ambitious plan for digital skills development in the population—at a basic level to close access and capability gaps; at an intermediate level to ensure employability through stronger digital competencies; and at an advanced level to cultivate a specialized workforce in emerging technologies that enables digital entrepreneurship, innovation, and increased investment in this industry.
I also believe it is important to highlight that the Dominican Republic has robust national strategies that define action plans I consider essential for achieving digital transformation. These include the national strategies for cybersecurity, innovation, artificial intelligence, and the national strategy for attracting investment in the semiconductor industry.
Although we face the same challenges across Latin America, each country has its own context. Countries in the region should design long-term plans and strategies in collaboration with all actors in the digital ecosystem, academia, and civil society—strategies that are resilient to political changes and that clearly outline investment projects, funding sources, as well as mechanisms to ensure sustainability. Having a roadmap is essential to accelerate digital transformation in our countries.
- Public policy is often described as an enabler—or a bottleneck—for digital progress. What role should regulators play today to accelerate connectivity, innovation, and adoption while preserving competition and inclusion?
Regulators must foster an environment that encourages competition and innovation. This includes creating transparent policies, addressing infrastructure gaps, and ensuring fair market conditions, while also prioritizing affordable access and digital inclusion.
Public policy today is central to digital progress. Regulators should act as facilitators, not barriers, by providing clear, predictable, and technology-neutral rules that give investors’ confidence while keeping markets competitive. This means simplifying permits, lowering deployment costs, and updating regulatory frameworks to reflect new technologies and business models while safeguarding the public interest.
At the same time, regulators must actively address connectivity gaps through smart incentives, universal service mechanisms, and spectrum policies that promote both coverage and quality. Equally important is ensuring affordability and inclusion, so that competition delivers real benefits to consumers and supports widespread adoption, especially among underserved communities. In the case of the Dominican Republic, we promote investment by modernizing our regulatory process, through innovation sandboxes, creating incentives either in spectrum auctions or with direct State funding to enable operators to deploy infrastructure in underserved areas.
- Spectrum policy and next-generation networks are high on the Digital Summit LATAM agenda. How should regulators balance investment incentives, affordability, and long-term national digital objectives in the transition to 5G and beyond?
Having next generation digital infrastructure must be a priority for every government, as it is the foundation of digital transformation. It is essential for countries to make spectrum available to the market under conditions that ensure the rapid deployment of 5G. It is imperative to set aside the revenue‑driven approach traditionally taken by governments and instead establish incentives and facilitative measures that enable the swift rollout of next‑generation networks.
Considering these elements is crucial when designing spectrum access policies, particularly those implemented through auctions. It is also important to understand that different bands serve different purposes, so they should require different incentives and policies.
- One recurring theme at Digital Summit LATAM is collaboration between the public and private sectors. From your experience at INDOTEL, what models of public-private cooperation have proven most effective in expanding digital infrastructure and services?
Public-private partnerships (PPPs) have been essential in driving digital infrastructure expansion in the Dominican Republic, INDOTEL has been at the forefront of these efforts. A key example is the Program for the Expansion of Broadband Access (PEA), which has been supported by a loan from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). This initiative focuses on deploying fiber-optic networks in underserved rural areas, where private investment might be less viable due to lower population density.
Additionally, INDOTEL has worked with the IDB on a Digital Inclusion Program aimed at expanding access to ICT services and digital skills training in rural and marginalized communities. These projects have proven effective in bridging the digital divide and increasing access to the tools necessary for socio-economic development.
These efforts are a great example of how public-private cooperation, backed by international financing, can accelerate digital infrastructure development, ensuring that the benefits of digital transformation reach all corners of the country.
- Infrastructure alone is not enough—adoption and affordability remain key challenges. How can policy frameworks better address the social dimension of digital transformation, particularly for vulnerable and underserved communities?
Digitalization strategies must be comprehensive, with concrete actions aimed at ensuring investment in infrastructure, the digitalization of productive sectors, and the development of digital skills across all levels of the population. They should also include the digitalization of public services, the establishment of demand‑side subsidies for vulnerable populations—including support to improve access to devices—the creation of enabling legal frameworks for investment and innovation, the implementation of cybersecurity policies, and the adoption of emerging technologies.
- Latin America’s geography and demographics require flexible solutions. How do you see the role of fiber, wireless, satellite, and innovative last-mile technologies evolving under supportive regulatory frameworks?
Fiber, wireless, and satellite technologies each play a role in providing reliable connectivity across diverse geographies. Regulators must ensure flexible policies that accommodate these varying technologies, fostering innovation to reach remote areas with cost-effective solutions.
To address Latin America’s diverse connectivity needs, regulators must create flexible frameworks that enable the effective use of multiple technologies—fiber, wireless, , satellite, and last-mile solutions. The key is to allow these technologies to complement each other, based on regional needs. Regulators should streamline spectrum allocation, facilitate infrastructure sharing, and promote innovation in cost-effective solutions, particularly in remote areas. By fostering collaboration between public and private sectors, regulators can ensure sustainable, affordable connectivity that reaches underserved communities and supports long-term digital growth.
- As digitalization deepens, issues such as cybersecurity, digital skills, and trust are becoming central. What responsibilities should regulators assume in safeguarding digital ecosystems while encouraging innovation?
Regulators play a critical role in ensuring that digital ecosystems are both secure and innovative. They must establish clear and enforceable frameworks for cybersecurity, data privacy, and consumer protection, ensuring that businesses adhere to standards that protect users. This includes requiring strong encryption, transparent data handling practices, and clear user consent mechanisms.
Simultaneously, regulators must support digital skills development to ensure citizens can navigate the digital world safely and effectively, especially in vulnerable communities. A balanced approach is essential—while fostering innovation and new technologies, regulators must ensure that security protocols evolve with emerging threats, maintaining user trust and protecting the integrity of the digital space. Only by creating a secure and well-regulated environment can regulators encourage sustainable growth while safeguarding public confidence.
- From a regional perspective, how can Latin American regulators learn from each other—and from Europe and other regions—to accelerate convergence toward more resilient and inclusive digital markets?
This is a global market, and it requires collaboration among countries, regions, and continents to share best practices and understand the different approaches to addressing the challenges of the digital world. Forums such as the Digital Summit LATAM foster these types of interactions, which greatly benefit public‑policy makers
Latin American regulators can benefit greatly from sharing experiences within the region and learning from more mature markets like Europe. Collaborating on standards, regulatory frameworks, and market integration will accelerate the development of resilient and inclusive digital markets.
- Looking ahead beyond Digital Summit LATAM 2026, what do you see as the top policy priorities that will determine whether digital transformation truly translates into sustainable growth and social inclusion across Latin America?
Looking beyond Digital Summit LATAM 2026, policies will need to focus on furthering digital inclusion and ensuring that the benefits of digital transformation reach all segments of society. This means, not only expanding broadband access but ensuring it’s affordable and reliable, especially in underserved areas. Equally important is creating inclusive digital ecosystems where innovation thrives, but not at the cost of leaving behind marginalized communities.
Policies must prioritize digital education and reskilling, equipping people with the necessary skills to thrive in an increasingly digital world. The regulatory environment must continue to evolve to keep pace with technological advancements while safeguarding competition and privacy. Addressing the digital divide will require long-term, cross-sector collaboration, from governments to the private sector and international organizations.
The success of digital transformation will depend on measuring its impact on society, ensuring that economic growth is inclusive and sustainable, and that the digital revolution genuinely improves lives, reduces inequalities, and enhances opportunities for all.
Basically, areas such as infrastructure investment, innovation, digital skills development, the digitalization of public services, cybersecurity, emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, the digitalization of productive sectors, and the affordability of digital services will remain at the center of the policy dialogue in the years ahead.
