Telecommunications

Telecommunications: A Growing Sector with International Presence

Sector Overview

The National Telecommunications Council (CONATEL) is the entity mandated to regulate telecommunications in Haiti. It is under the supervision of the Ministry for Public Works, Transport and Communications (MTPTC). It was created in September 1969, and its mission defined in August 1987.

At an operational level, it is responsible for (a) proposing to the government the rates to be applied to different types of communications, (b) ensuring the oversight of telephone companies and the coordination of their network, (c) evaluating requests for new licenses and modifications proposed by existing firms, (d) arbitrating disputes between networks and conflicts arising between networks and users, (e) managing the band of radio-electric frequencies.

Telephone service

Four companies operate telephone services: NATCOM, HAITEL, COMCEL and DIGICEL. NATCOM was born of the acquisition by Vietnamese firm VIETEL of the majority of the stocks of TELECO during the privatization of TELECO, a semi-public company belonging to BRH (Haiti’s central bank), which had the monopoly on telecommunications. HAITEL (1998) has a majority of private Haitian capital; COMCEL (1999) and DIGICEL (2005) are direct foreign investments. The agreement struck with VIETEL opens the door for the re-establishment of a network of landlines which had disappeared from the Haitian market.

Cellular telephone service has a clientele of roughly 3.33 million individuals for a population of over 10 million individuals. It is provided by four private companies, with the following market shares : HAITEL (11.4%), COMCEL (24.7%) and DIGICEL (60%). NATCOM began operations during the first week of September 2011. It is also authorized to offer cellular telephone service.

HAITEL operates using CDMA/EVDO technology, while COMCEL and DIGICEL use GSM/EDGE. HAITEL offers coverage overr 25% of the national territory; COMCEL, 90% and DIGICEL, 95%.

Internet service

Internet access service is provided by four suppliers: ACCESS-HAITI, HAINET, ACN and LINK. They are authorized to use a network integrating high-speed internet services and all those involving broadband transmission. Several thousand Direct Way type VSAT are installed in Haiti. An interchange point ensures routing of local traffic from internet access providers. This interchange point is privately owned.

How CFI can assist you:

The telecommunications sector in Haiti has great potential for growth and great potential for investment. CFI can assist investors in learning more about opportunities in the telecommunications sector. CFI acts like a hub to cross-reference agencies and entities in order to provide business and legal information to investors. CFI provides help to investors by facilitating site selection or enterprise installation, choice of professional’s advisors, site visits, follow-up of the project until achievement.

For more information about the Telecommunications sector, please visit CONATEL's website