ANGELICA NOBOA PAGAN
Partner
E-Mail: anoboa@npa.com.do

Jacinto Mañón St. #25, Edf. Profesional JM
Suite 204 Ens. Paraíso
Santo Domingo, Distrito Nacional
Dominican Republic
PHONE: 809.472-5753
FAX: 809.563-9877
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Telecommunications

Regulation of Telecommunications in the DR

The institutional framework of the public telecommunications utilities is, without doubt, the assembly of market regulation of greatest evolution in the Dominican legislation. The institutional reform in the sector, initiated in the previous decade, has proven efficient regarding the increase of terminal density, market opening, investment increase, and the benefits to the final consumer.  Nevertheless, the complexity of its regulation and the dynamism of the pertinent changes, require that the investors and service providers seek specialized counseling, capable to effectively attend in the prevention of risks and development of potential opportunities in the access to networks and services of telecommunications. 

Our service offer in telecommunications

From an independent perspective and based on the technical-legal criteria that we publicly support on access to market, free loyal and sustainable competition, contribution to universal service, demand satisfaction, reach of the liberty of negotiation, contracting and construction of infrastructure, convergence, objectives of terminal density and development, etc.; NOBOA PAGAN ABOGADOS is in an ideal position to assess and to represent businesses and institutions interested in anticipating risks and opportunities in servicing international, mobile, fixed phone system services installment, cable TV, television and sonorous broadcasting, digital television, services of aggregate value, data, circuits and international solutions, as well as satellite links; additionally, we are in high professional capacity to provide legal counsel in business proposals, public politics, as well as for solving legal telecommunications conflicts. 

Finally, it is necessary to emphasize our network of relations at a local and international level with institutions and personalities of the telecommunications sector, as well as our integral intellectual formation in the matter in prestigious institutions, like the Public Utilities Research Center (PURC) of the University of Florida, Telecommunications Report of Washington, the University of Tampa, United States, TELIA ACADEMY AB in Sweden, Leaning Initiatives on Reforms in Network Economies (LIRNE) Denmark, and the educational programs of the Department of Science and Technology of Spain. 

Our experience in telecommunications

Angelica Noboa Pagán has been involved in the reform of the Dominican sector of telecommunications since the beginning when the Dominican government, represented by the Technical Secretariat of the Presidency, the International Union of Telecommunications (UIT) thru the Program of United Nations for the Development and the telecommunications public utilities providers agreed the development of a new regulatory framework in the year 1995.  In this year, Dr. Noboa entered as an Executive Trainee in the Compañía Dominicana de telefonos, C. por A. (CODETEL), and took over the task of monitoring the editing of the general government bill of telecommunications, until its approval by the National Congress and promulgation by the Executive Power in the year 1998, under the number 153-98, process of high resonance in the public debate in which Dr. Noboa maintained a very noticeable participation. 

During that period Dr. Noboa participated in the discussion of an important number of regulations projects prepared by the UIT, subsequently delivered to the Dominican government.  As a consequence of her participation in the reform project that concluded with the approval of General Law 153-98 on Telecommunications, in 1999 Dr. Noboa was rewarded in the gold category the "Award to Quality and Client Service" of CODETEL, the highest recognition for an individual employee. She also won that year, silver and bronze medals, for her participation in two team projects related to the regulatory reform called “Telecom Law” and “Implementation of the Telecom Development Contribution” respectively. 

Further on as Market Regulation Manager of CODETEL, she participated in the discussion with the Dominican technical and diplomatic authorities in the elaboration of the telecommunications services offering enclosed to the Basic Telecommunications Agreement of the World Trade Organization (WTO), as well as in the advising in the beginning of the Dominican Institute of Telecommunications (INDOTEL) in themes such like the rebalanced pricing and the retention of the contribution to the development of telecommunications. 

In 2002, Mrs. Noboa Pagán, was appointed at the Dominican Institute of Telecommunications (INDOTEL) as Chairman’s Assistant to Mr. Orlando Jorge Mera. During the period in that role, Mrs. Noboa was part of the discussion of current Interconnection Ruling, as well as other regulatory pieces. She was also part of the technical team that assisted INDOTEL’s Board of Directors, in several interconnection conflicts as well as the issues raised by the North American International Carriers, related to the Dominican international calls termination rate, participating in the consult and discussion managements with the Federal Commission of Communications of the United States, to attend to this subject. 

A la fecha, NOBOA PAGAN ABOGADOS, sin descuidar su estricta política de manejo de conflictos de interés, ha sido consultada por más de 5 prestadoras de telecomunicaciones sobre temas relativos a la aplicación de la Ley No. 153-98. También ha representado a 2 de ellas ante el organismo regulador, en procesos de solución de conflictos de interconexión y temas conexos y consultas públicas de propuestas reglamentarias sobre costos y tarifas, portabilidad numérica, acceso igualitario, entre otros.

Distinguished accomplishments

  • In 2007, NPA advised, in the Dominican Republic, BT Group Plc, in the due diligence conducted for the worldwide acquisition of GBnet.
  • In 2006, in the public consultation process of the regulation on numerical portability, INDOTEL admitted a great number of the comments and recommendations promoted by NOBOA PAGAN ABOGADOS, in representation of Centennial Dominicana, for the operation of this legal prerogative in benefit of free competition and consumer rights
  • Also in 2006, during the stock sales process of a telecom provider
  • In year 2004, INDOTEL thru resolution 181-04, admitted the criterion promoted by the firm in representation of Centennial Dominicana, as participant in an interconnection conflict, as well as by other businesses, with respect to the need to revise the standard of indexation of the access charges of foreseen in the interconnection agreements. 

NPA articles on Telecommunications
  • "Reasonableness in the Regulation of telecommunications".  By A. Noboa Pagán.
  • "Obligation of the concessionaires of telecommunication services" By A. Noboa Pagán. 
  • "Albert O. Stein versus the Digital Subscription Line services of (DSL) of Pacific Bell.  By Y. Martínez Oller. 
  • "Protection of the Confidential Information of Telecommunication companies" by.  L. A.  Veras Sepúlveda. 
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