Telecom sector proposes law to expand tower installation amid municipal opposition
Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.
TLDR
- Guatemala's telecommunications sector is advocating for a new law to facilitate the installation of cell towers, citing opposition from municipalities.
- The current regulatory landscape is inconsistent, with varying requirements and costs across different municipalities, hindering expansion.
- The sector proposes unifying local regulations and potentially creating a national framework to address these challenges and improve connectivity.
The telecommunications sector in Guatemala faces a significant hurdle in expanding its infrastructure: a patchwork of municipal regulations and outright opposition to the installation of cell towers. As discussed in Prensa Libre's 'Guatemala No Se Detiene' segment, the industry is pushing for legislative action to streamline this process, arguing that improved connectivity is vital for national development.
Hay fuerte oposición en cuanto a la instalación de torres de telecomunicaciones. Generalmente, el gran problema que todos conocemos, el antagonismo, viene por parte de las municipalidades
Ricardo Valenzuela, president of the Telecommunications Guild, highlighted that while a law is being discussed in Congress for urgent infrastructure related to energy, it does not directly address the needs of the telecom sector. The primary obstacle, he explained, lies with autonomous municipalities, each setting its own rules, leading to unpredictable and often exorbitant costs and complications for tower installations. This variability creates uncertainty for both local and foreign investment.
En cuanto a la infraestructura de telecomunicaciones, hay un porcentaje que está regulado y otro que no
Herbert Rubio, Superintendent of Telecommunications (SIT), echoed these concerns, emphasizing the need for unification. He pointed out the wide disparities in municipal licensing requirements and fees, ranging from reasonable to 'exorbitant.' The involvement of local community development councils (Cocodes) also plays a role, with some actively opposing infrastructure deployment. Valenzuela stressed the importance of making municipalities aware that telecommunications towers are crucial for community development, suggesting a review of local regulations followed by a national alignment.
En algunos lugares es muy sencillo y a un precio muy razonable, y en otros lugares es exorbitante. Además, ponen muchas complicaciones para poder hacerlo. La unificación es clave
The autonomy of municipalities makes finding a short-to-medium term solution challenging without a coordinated effort. The sector's proposal aims to create a more predictable and supportive environment for expanding network coverage, which is essential for bridging the digital divide and fostering economic growth in Guatemala. Without a unified approach, the expansion of vital communication infrastructure will continue to be hampered by local resistance and regulatory fragmentation.
Si nos vamos al marco legal, hay que hacer conciencia en las municipalidades de que el hecho de una torre de telecomunicaciones es importante para el desarrollo de la comunidad. Esto empezaría con una revisión de las regulaciones locales y luego trasladarlo al Congreso de la República para contar con una ley que nos alinee a todos
DistantNews Editorial
Originally published by Prensa Libre in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.
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