What is the official telecom regulator in El Salvador?

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The official telecommunications regulator in El Salvador is the Superintendencia General de Electricidad y Telecomunicaciones (SIGET), which translates to the General Superintendency of Electricity and Telecommunications.

Establishment and Mandate
SIGET is an autonomous organization of the State of El Salvador, created in 1996 and linked to the Ministry of Economy. Its establishment marked a significant shift in El Salvador's telecommunications sector, moving from a state-controlled model to a privatized and competitive el-salvador phone number list framework. The Telecommunications Law, enacted in 1997, further solidified SIGET's role as the primary regulatory body. SIGET's mandate is broad, encompassing both electricity and telecommunications sectors. Its core responsibilities include fostering the development of these sectors, promoting and improving the quality of services, ensuring reasonable rates, settling disputes between operators, addressing practices contrary to free competition, and publishing statistical information on the sector.

Key Regulatory Functions
SIGET plays a crucial role in various aspects of telecommunications regulation. It is responsible for approving electricity and telecommunications tariffs, ensuring they are fair and accessible to consumers while allowing operators to recover their costs and invest in infrastructure. The superintendency also determines technical standards for telecommunications equipment and services, a vital function for ensuring interoperability and quality of service. Furthermore, SIGET manages the allocation and utilization of the radio spectrum, a finite and valuable resource for wireless communications. This includes launching public tenders for spectrum frequencies, as seen with their 2022 tender for mobile spectrum in the 1755MHz-1770MHz/2155MHz-2170MHz frequency range.



Promoting Competition and Oversight
A significant aspect of SIGET's work involves promoting free and fair competition within the telecommunications market. While the Superintendency of Competition also regulates the economic side of the market, SIGET acts as a technical advisor and is responsible for watching for practices that may hinder competition. This includes preventing agreements between operators to fix prices or distribute markets, and ensuring that cross-subsidies between different telecommunication services do not undermine competition. SIGET is authorized to supervise and monitor investment contracts, utilizing various tests, client databases, and audits to ensure that operators fulfill their obligations, ultimately guaranteeing sustainable, quality, efficient, and safe services for end-users.

Adapting to Technological Evolution
SIGET continuously aims for an innovative, clear, and predictable regulatory framework that is attuned to the rapid technological evolution of the telecommunications sector. This is evident in its decisions regarding emerging technologies, such as its allocation of the entire 6GHz band for unlicensed technologies, which facilitates the implementation of Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7 products and aims to unlock the full social and economic potential of Wi-Fi technology. Such forward-looking regulatory approaches are essential for El Salvador to embrace digital transformation and enhance connectivity across the country.