Government to Introduce 12 Month Telcom Rate Freeze

And to address public concerns about the proposed consolidation and potential rate hikes, Prime Minister Briceño says the Public Utilities Commission will implement a freeze. Internet and telecom rates will not change for the next 12 months, and this regulation will apply whether the consolidation goes ahead or not.

 

Prime Minister John Briceño

“Technology changes so it’s a lot of investment that have to take place to be able to keep up, and that is where the Public Utilities Commission comes in. In my discussion with Minister Chebat, he said that the PUC is already working in setting up a regulation, sorry, an SI whereby that he will sign probably next week, whereby they were saying that there’ll be no rate increase probably for the next twelve months in the telecom industry with or without any consolidation. Once – I think now more than ever you start to realize that probably we need to start to put some regulations in that industry, in that sector the same way you have it in the water and energy sectors.”