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ICTs and Media Companies
OVERVIEW
MINISTRY
In October, 1972, the national government stimulat-
ed the legal framework for telecommunications. As a
result of the need of decentralizing the functions of
the state: regulation, planning and operation.
This monopolistic system needed a draft towards a
new scheme of intensive changes that the market
was demanding. As a result, in 1991, 75 per cent of
the population had officially a telephone line.
on August 10, 1992, the Ecuadorian sector of tele-
communications was restructured by the approval of
the Special Law of Telecommunications in which the
basic services of telecommunications were kept as
an exclusive monopoly of the State, with the transfor-
mation of the IETEL in a State Company of Telecom-
munications (EMETEL).
An important aspect of this law was the creation of
the Superintendence of Telecommunications (SUP-
TEL) as a regulative and control body, under the su-
pervision of the National Congress.
Subsequently, the law was subject to changes due
to the fact that all the regulative functions were con-
centrated into just one public organization (the Su-
perintendence of Telecommunications), that lead to
inefficiency in the sector. This led to the reform of the
Special Law of Telecommunications and the approv-
al of the Law of Broadcasting and Television. This led
to the creation of several independent organizations:
the National Council of Telecommunications (CONA-
TEL), International Union of the Telecommunications
(UIT), the National Secretariat of Telecommunica-
tions (SENATEL), the Superintendence of Telecom-
munications (SUPTEL).
In March 2000, with the promulgation of the Law for
the Economic Transformation, the policy for the sec-
tor of telecommunications was re-oriented towards
the regime stablishing a free market, which can be
seen in the reform of the article 38 of the Special
Law of Telecommunications, delegating the produc-
tion and promulgation of an appropiate regulative
framework to CONATEL.
To confront the new challenge, both CONATEL
and the SENATEL are working together in order to
strengthen the sector of telecommunications, direct-
ing their efforts to the consolidation of a free market.
On August 13th, 2009, the President of the Republic
Econ. Rafael Correa Delgado issued an executive
order establishing the Ministry of Telecommunication
and Information (MTI).
Delgado established the MTI in order to refine the
telecommunications industry within Ecuador. It´s
primary was to provide the country with telecom-
munications services such as the internet, telephone
lines, television and so on.
At present the Minister of Telecommunications, is Mr.
Jaime Guerrero Ruiz.
Receiving antennas on the top of a hill in Guayaquil
Regulations
Considered to indispensable to provide telecom-
munications services a legal framework consistent
with the importance, complexity, scale, technology
and expertise of these services, so that companies
can develop this activity with business management
criteria and social benefit, the Special Telecommuni-
cations Act was amended.
The government has implemented reforms in the
state constitution, both regarding the role it plays in
the provision of telecommunications services, and
regarding the prohibition of monopolies. In addition,
some changes were made to the Special Telecom-
munications Act that are not incorporated in the
general regulations, making it necessary therefore
to issue a new one.
The new regulations established procedures for
the registration, amendment and cancellation of tel-
ecommunications activities in the Public Register of