Viettel Enters Dominican Telecom Market With 240 MHz

Santo Domingo — The Dominican Republic is preparing to welcome a new telecommunications operator after the Dominican Telecommunications Institute (Indotel) awarded spectrum to Vietnamese state-owned company Viettel Global Investment (VGI) following an international public tender.

Indotel President Guido Gómez Mazara announced the decision during a press conference, saying the process is intended to increase competition, expand investment and improve the quality of telecommunications services available to consumers.

VGI was selected alongside Claro Dominicana, with the two companies receiving different spectrum allocations and concession terms under the tender conducted by the Dominican telecom regulator.

Viettel Awarded 240 MHz Of Spectrum

Viettel was awarded a total of 240 MHz across several frequency bands for the provision of public telecommunications services. The allocation includes 40 MHz in the 728-748 MHz segment paired with 738-803 MHz, 100 MHz in the 2300-2400 MHz band and another 100 MHz in the 3600-3700 MHz band.

The spectrum will allow Viettel to establish a telecommunications operation in the Dominican market. However, the company must first create a locally incorporated entity that will become the holder of the license associated with the assigned frequencies.

Viettel was granted a 20-year concession, while Claro received a separate spectrum award for the remaining period of its existing concession, equivalent to 15 years.

Claro Also Receives New Spectrum

Claro Dominicana was awarded 20 MHz in the 718-728 MHz segment paired with 773-783 MHz for public telecommunications services. The award applies for the remaining term of the concession agreement signed on September 22, 2021.

Both companies have 75 days from publication of the resolution to establish the required guarantees of compliance under the tender conditions. They must also sign the corresponding concession agreement or amendment within a maximum of 90 days.

Gómez Mazara said the participation of Viettel alongside an established operator such as Claro creates conditions for greater competition in the telecommunications sector. He said the objective is to improve service quality while creating better conditions for consumers.

The arrival of a new international operator could alter the competitive landscape of the Dominican telecommunications market as companies seek to expand coverage, improve network performance and attract customers. The final impact, however, will depend on Viettel’s local establishment, network deployment and commercial launch.

AWS Spectrum Blocks Remain Unassigned

The tender also included 30 MHz in the AWS band, but Indotel said no offers were submitted for those blocks. The regulator therefore declared the spectrum allocation unsuccessful for that portion of the auction.

Indotel said the tender was conducted under its regulatory responsibilities and emphasized the transparency of the process. Under the tender conditions, up to 30% of the corresponding payments may be made through Indotel development projects, subject to the applicable requirements.

Regulator Seeks More Investment And Competition

The tender was launched through Resolution 013-2026, approved by Indotel’s governing board on February 26, 2026. Its stated purpose was to expand the availability of radio spectrum, encourage investment and strengthen the delivery of next-generation public telecommunications services.

The process was conducted under the Dominican Republic’s General Telecommunications Law 153-98, the National Frequency Allocation Plan established through Decree 266-23 and applicable international standards and recommendations.

For Dominican consumers, the most significant change is the potential entry of a new operator into a market where additional competition could put pressure on providers to improve service quality and pricing. Viettel’s next steps will be to establish its Dominican company, complete the required regulatory procedures and move toward the deployment of services using the spectrum awarded through the tender.