Unidad Reguladora de Servicios de Comunicaciones

What Unidad Reguladora de Servicios de Comunicaciones does

URSEC (Unidad Reguladora de Servicios de Comunicaciones) is the Uruguayan government agency responsible for regulating telecommunications, postal, and audiovisual communication services nationwide. Established in 2001 under Law No. 17,296, the agency holds statutory authority over the sector and serves as the exclusive regulatory body for communications in Uruguay. Its mandate covers licensing, supervision, and consumer protection across the communications ecosystem, encompassing both licensed operators and end-user citizens.

The agency's core operational functions include the management of public consultations on changes of ownership and licensing matters (such as the ongoing consultation on the Cable Video Uruguay Ltda transfer, deadline June 24, 2026), oversight of licensed operators, and the administration of the National No-Call Registry (Registro Nacional de No Llamar), which had surpassed 468,000 registered users. URSEC also runs public selection processes for technical and legal staff, including an open Economist position and sworn Notary roles for its Legal Regulatory Unit. The agency operates within a cooperation framework with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and works in alignment with the Presidency of the Republic on digital transformation initiatives.

As a government entity, URSEC is publicly funded rather than commercially revenue-generating. Its technology stack is built around standard web-based digital services for registry management, public consultations, and licensing administration. The agency serves two principal stakeholder groups: licensed communications operators (subject to regulatory oversight) and the general public (as beneficiaries of consumer protection and service quality enforcement). With 1–10 employees disclosed and 25 years of continuous operation, URSEC is a small, institutionally entrenched regulatory body occupying a structural monopoly on its statutory mandate.

Name

Unidad Reguladora de Servicios de Comunicaciones

Legal name

Unidad Reguladora de Servicios de Comunicaciones

Website

https://ursec.gub.uy

Company type

Public

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

URSEC is the Uruguayan government regulator for telecommunications, postal, and audiovisual communication services, overseeing licensed operators and protecting consumer interests across Uruguay's communications sector.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Montevideo

HQ country

Uruguay

HQ region

Latin America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

URSEC is a Uruguayan government regulatory agency that regulates and supervises telecommunications, postal, and audiovisual communication services. Its core offerings include the National Do Not Call Registry, radio equipment homologation certification, mobile number portability oversight, consumer complaint handling, electronic domicile registration for regulated agents, public operator listings, semiannual market reports, and a public database of regulatory resolutions issued since 2001.

Product overview

Unidad Reguladora de Servicios de Comunicaciones (URSEC) is a Uruguayan government regulatory agency that provides a portfolio of regulatory services and digital platforms for the communications sector. The organization's offerings include regulatory compliance services (device homologation, number portability, electronic address registration), consumer protection mechanisms (no-call registry, consumer complaints), public information services (operator listings, market reports, resolutions database), and digital transaction platforms (online inquiries, web scheduling, online procedure management). These services are accessed through the Uruguay government portal ecosystem (gub.uy) and dedicated URSEC platforms, serving both regulated agents (telecommunications and postal operators) and the general public.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• National Do Not Call Registry (Registro Nacional No Llame) Registry where Uruguayan consumers register their phone numbers to opt out of receiving unsolicited advertising, offers, sales, or gift promotions via telephone contact. As of June 2026, the registry has over 468,000 registered users.
• Radio Equipment Homologation (Homologación de Dispositivos Radioeléctricos) Certification service for radioelectric equipment imported into Uruguay, ensuring devices comply with technical standards and regulations before market entry.
• Mobile Number Portability (Portabilidad Numérica) Regulatory service enabling Uruguayan mobile telephone users to retain their phone number when switching to a different telecommunications operator, overseen by URSEC.
• Online Inquiries to URSEC (Consultas en Línea a la URSEC) Online portal for citizens and operators to submit inquiries about telecommunications services, postal activities, and other URSEC procedures.
• Consumer Complaints (Reclamo de Consumidores) Procedure enabling consumers to file complaints regarding telecommunications and postal services in Uruguay for regulatory intervention and dispute resolution.
• Electronic Address Registration (Domicilio Electrónico) Registration system for individuals and companies that interact with URSEC through registrations, authorizations, or licenses, enabling formal electronic communication with the regulator.
• Web Scheduling (Agenda Web) Online appointment scheduling system for citizens to book in-person hearings and procedures before URSEC, operated via the Presidencia de la República's SAE platform.
• Online Procedure Management (Gestión de Trámites en Línea) Online platform for managing ongoing administrative procedures and files with URSEC, used by regulated operators and citizens.
• Commercial Operator Listings (Listado de Operadores Comerciales) Public registry and listings of commercial operators by service type, covering postal, telecommunications, broadcasting, and radio services in Uruguay.
• Market Reports (Informe de Mercado) Semiannual statistical market information reports published by URSEC covering the Uruguayan communications sector.
• URSEC Resolutions Database (Resoluciones de URSEC) Official database of regulatory resolutions and decisions issued by URSEC, available for public consultation from 2001 onwards.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• International Telecommunication Union (ITU)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerURSEC participates in ITU (Unión Internacional de Telecomunicaciones) activities and commemorated the 2026 World Telecommunication and Information Society Day, highlighting URSEC's role in international telecommunications governance and alignment with global standards.
• Presidencia de la República (Presidency of Uruguay)coreOthersURSEC operates within the Uruguayan government's institutional framework (gub.uy) and uses the SAE (Sistema de Agendamiento Electrónico) of the Presidency for scheduling citizen appointments. This is an institutional/government partnership rather than a commercial one.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Regional players

• Ofcom - Office of Communications (UK): The UK regulator for broadcasting, telecommunications, and postal services, with concurrent competition and consumer-protection duties. Closely comparable to URSEC's combined telecom/postal/audiovisual mandate.
• ENACOM - Ente Nacional de Comunicaciones (Argentina): Argentina's national communications entity regulating telecom, postal, and audiovisual services with consumer-protection duties. Comparable regional Latin American peer to URSEC.
• ARCEP - Autorité de Régulation des Communications Électroniques, des Postes et de la Distribution de la Presse (France): France's regulator for electronic communications, postal, and press distribution with associated competition duties. Closely comparable in combined telecom + postal remit to URSEC's mandate.
• BIPT - IBPT (Belgium): Belgium's federal regulator for electronic communications and postal services. Comparable to URSEC in combining telecom and postal regulatory functions in a single national authority.
• CRC - Comisión de Regulación de Comunicaciones (Colombia): Colombia's regulatory commission for communications, including telecom, postal, and audiovisual services. Directly comparable to URSEC's multi-sector regulatory scope in another Latin American jurisdiction.
• IFT - Instituto Federal de Telecomunicaciones (Mexico): Mexico's autonomous constitutional body regulating telecommunications, broadcasting, and competition in those sectors. A strong Latin American peer to URSEC given geographic and sector overlap, with analogous telecom/competition remit.
• ANATEL - Agência Nacional de Telecomunicações (Brazil): Brazil's national telecommunications agency, regulating telecom services, spectrum, and consumer rights. Comparable to URSEC as a regional Latin American telecom regulator with consumer-protection functions.
• FCC - Federal Communications Commission: The US national regulator for interstate and international communications by radio, TV, wire, satellite, and cable. Directly comparable to URSEC as a multi-modal communications regulator, but operating in US territory with a vastly larger scope and staff.
• CNMC - Comisión Nacional de los Mercados y la Competencia (Spain): Spain's national regulator overseeing markets including telecommunications, audiovisual, and postal with competition-defense powers. Comparable to URSEC in combined sector and competition remit.
• SUBTEL - Subsecretaría de Telecomunicaciones (Chile): Chile's telecom regulator under the Ministry of Transport and Telecommunications, overseeing telecom services, spectrum, and consumer affairs. Comparable regional counterpart to URSEC in the Southern Cone.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat1 record

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/Ursec_oficial
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ursec

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Unidad Reguladora de Servicios de Comunicaciones