NewsWhore
04-27-2010, 04:20 PM
The television investigative journalism program "Nuria en el 9" focused Saturday's show on the high cost of Internet access in the DR. In addition to having the most expensive electricity service in Latin America, the Internet service in the DR is also the most expensive in the region. Combined with what were described as "abusive" charges by telecoms companies, the report points out the high taxes charged by the government. Taxes on Internet services in the DR are now at 28%, while the average in Latin America is 14%.
Deputy Pelegrin Castillo of FNP party is campaigning for zero taxes on Internet services. Interviewed on the program he stated that Internet access should not be treated as a luxury, but as a need.
Hiddekel Morrison of Asociatic - the Association of Information and Communications Technology Users in the Dominican Republic - is also leading a consumer campaign. He says that only 5% of the Dominican population has Internet accounts. Morrison says there are 400,000 Internet accounts in a country of 10 million people. The Dominican Telecommunications Institute usually gives the figure as 3 million people with access to the Internet, but Morrison says this is because they are multiplying the number of connections many times over. Morrison says that the distortion of statistics affects the country's chances of accessing assistance programs.
The DR has nine Internet service providers, but this has not led to competition that would bring prices down. Morrison says that the average price is the same for the service of one mega among suppliers. Morrison is campaigning for lower Internet costs. He says a 1MB account costs US$66, compared with Latin America where the average is US$19. "The price in the DR is three times the average," he says. He says this has motivated Asociatic to campaign for zero taxes.
He also says that people are not getting what they are paying for. Morrison says that Indotel does not fulfill its role as regulator, and has limited itself to increasing the availability of the service at Internet centers nationwide.
Luis Scheker of Indotel says the reason for the high cost is the electricity component of the Internet service, which keeps the prices high, combined with a deficient energy service. For more information, see:
www.nuria.com.do/casos.php (http://www.nuria.com.do/casos.php) and www.audienciaelectronica.net (http://www.audienciaelectronica.net)
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#6)
Deputy Pelegrin Castillo of FNP party is campaigning for zero taxes on Internet services. Interviewed on the program he stated that Internet access should not be treated as a luxury, but as a need.
Hiddekel Morrison of Asociatic - the Association of Information and Communications Technology Users in the Dominican Republic - is also leading a consumer campaign. He says that only 5% of the Dominican population has Internet accounts. Morrison says there are 400,000 Internet accounts in a country of 10 million people. The Dominican Telecommunications Institute usually gives the figure as 3 million people with access to the Internet, but Morrison says this is because they are multiplying the number of connections many times over. Morrison says that the distortion of statistics affects the country's chances of accessing assistance programs.
The DR has nine Internet service providers, but this has not led to competition that would bring prices down. Morrison says that the average price is the same for the service of one mega among suppliers. Morrison is campaigning for lower Internet costs. He says a 1MB account costs US$66, compared with Latin America where the average is US$19. "The price in the DR is three times the average," he says. He says this has motivated Asociatic to campaign for zero taxes.
He also says that people are not getting what they are paying for. Morrison says that Indotel does not fulfill its role as regulator, and has limited itself to increasing the availability of the service at Internet centers nationwide.
Luis Scheker of Indotel says the reason for the high cost is the electricity component of the Internet service, which keeps the prices high, combined with a deficient energy service. For more information, see:
www.nuria.com.do/casos.php (http://www.nuria.com.do/casos.php) and www.audienciaelectronica.net (http://www.audienciaelectronica.net)
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#6)