What Comisión Nacional de Telecomunicaciones does

Comisión Nacional de Telecomunicaciones (CONATEL) is the national telecommunications regulatory agency of Paraguay, established by law to regulate, supervise, and control all telecommunications services throughout the territory of the Republic. Its mandate spans spectrum management, licensing and concessions, service quality enforcement, consumer protection, equipment homologation, and digital inclusion policy. CONATEL is headquartered in Asunción (Presidente Franco 780) with regional offices in Ciudad del Este and Encarnación, and is governed by a Directorio led by President Juan Carlos Duarte Duré.

CONATEL's operational platform comprises a portfolio of regulatory systems rather than commercial products: the Registro Nacional de Servicios de Telecomunicaciones, the Registro de Homologación de Equipos, the Registro de IMEI, the Sistema de Mediciones RNI (non-ionizing radiation monitoring), the Plan Nacional de Frecuencias (PNAF) for spectrum allocation, digital terrestrial television (TDT) registration, number portability infrastructure (Portabilidad Numérica), the Telecentros community access network, and public broadcast coverage maps (Mapas de Radiodifusión). Underlying technology consists of radio spectrum monitoring and control systems, RNI measurement infrastructure, TDT platforms, and national frequency management databases. The institution also administers the Fondo de Servicios Universales (FSU), a fund financed by mandatory operator contributions used to subsidize connectivity in underserved areas.

CONATEL's revenue model is structurally non-commercial: it collects regulatory fees, spectrum usage charges, and homologation fees from licensed operators, and manages operator-contributed funds under the FSU. Its go-to-market is event-driven — public tenders (licitaciones), spectrum auctions (700MHz, 1700-2100MHz bands), concession contracts (e.g., the COPACO basic services concession via Resolution 0822/2026), public consultations, and international engagement through the ITU and GSR. Customer segments are horizontal: licensed telecommunications operators (primary), equipment manufacturers and importers, and citizens/end-users reached through universal service programs. Recent strategic activity has centered on spectrum auction execution, satellite broadband expansion via Starlink (1,600 kits), equipment homologation reform, and ITU Council positioning ahead of PP-26.

Name

Comisión Nacional de Telecomunicaciones

Legal name

Comisión Nacional de Telecomunicaciones

Website

https://conatel.gov.py

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

CONATEL is Paraguay's national telecommunications regulatory agency, established by law to license operators, manage radio spectrum, enforce service quality, and administer the Universal Service Fund for digital inclusion across the country.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Telecommunications Regulation

NAICS

Regulation and Administration of Communications, Electric, Gas, and Other Utilities (92613), Regulation, Licensing, and Inspection of Miscellaneous Commercial Sectors (92615)

SIC

Communications Services, Nec (4899)

akta.pro primary industry

Communications, Media & Spectrum Regulators (BPAIAOAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Licensing & Permitting Authorities (General) (BPAIAOAB)

Keywords

• Telecommunications regulation
• Spectrum management
• Frequency allocation
• Universal service fund
• Regulatory authority

Headquarters

HQ city

Asunción

HQ country

Paraguay

HQ region

Latin America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Regulatory fees and spectrum usage charges: CONATEL collects regulatory fees from licensed telecommunications operators, spectrum usage fees, and homologation charges. Revenue also includes fees from the national registry of telecommunications services.
2. Fondo de Servicios Universales (FSU) management: The Universal Service Fund, funded by mandatory contributions from operators, is managed by CONATEL to subsidize telecommunications access in underserved areas, telecenters, and digital inclusion projects.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

CONATEL is Paraguay's national telecommunications regulatory commission, exercising regulatory, supervisory, and control authority over all telecommunications services nationwide. It manages radio spectrum allocation, issues concessions and licenses to operators, administers the Universal Service Fund (FSU), performs equipment homologation, operates the IMEI registry and RNI radiation monitoring systems, and oversees digital terrestrial television (TDT) broadcasting.

Product overview

CONATEL (Comisión Nacional de Telecomunicaciones) is Paraguay's national telecommunications regulatory agency, not a commercial product company. The institution operates a portfolio of regulatory systems and administrative platforms including: the Registro Nacional de Servicios de Telecomunicaciones for service provider registration; the Registro de Homologación de Equipos for device certification; the Registro de IMEI for mobile device tracking; the Sistema de Mediciones RNI for radiation monitoring; the TV Digital/TDT system for digital television regulation; the Fondo de Servicios Universales (FSU) for universal access subsidies; Portabilidad Numérica for number portability; Telecentros community access centers; the Plan Nacional de Frecuencias for spectrum management; and spectrum auctions including Banda 700MHz and Banda 1700-2100MHz. These services function as government regulatory infrastructure rather than commercial products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• National Frequency Plan (PNAF)

Quantifiable outcome

• 1,600 Starlink kits launched for interior communities
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• International Telecommunication Union (ITU)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 June 2026Paraguay, through CONATEL, reinforces its presence in the ITU Council heading to PP-26 (Plenipotentiary Conference 2026). CONATEL participates in the Global Symposium of Regulators (GSR-26) and related ITU working groups, positioning Paraguay in global telecommunications governance.
• Compañía Paraguaya de Comunicaciones S.A. (COPACO)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 April 2026CONATEL and COPACO signed a concession contract for the exploitation of basic telecommunications services including national long-distance, international long-distance, and point-to-point circuit rental. The agreement was authorized via Resolution of Directory No. 0822/2026. This is a core regulatory partnership affirming COPACO's role as a key national telecommunications operator.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• INDOTEL (Instituto Dominicano de las Telecomunicaciones): Dominican Republic's telecommunications regulator. Comparable functional scope including spectrum management, concessions, and universal service fund administration in a smaller single-country market.
• ATT (Autoridad de Regulación y Fiscalización de Telecomunicaciones y Transportes): Bolivia's telecom and transport regulator. Comparable LATAM regulator with authority over licensing, spectrum, and service quality oversight in a similarly sized single-country market.
• IFT (Instituto Federal de Telecomunicaciones): Mexico's autonomous telecommunications regulator. Comparable regulatory authority over spectrum, concessions, and competition in a large regional market with similar product and licensing frameworks.
• URSEC (Unidad Reguladora de Servicios de Comunicaciones): Uruguay's communications regulator. Highly comparable given similar small-market LATAM profile, with overlapping responsibilities for spectrum, licensing, and consumer protection.
• SUBTEL (Subsecretaría de Telecomunicaciones): Chile's telecommunications regulator under the Ministry of Transport and Telecommunications. Comparable mandate over spectrum auctions, concessions, and homologation in a regional LATAM market.
• ENACOM (Ente Nacional de Comunicaciones): Argentina's telecommunications and communications regulator. Same functional role in a neighboring Mercosur country, regulating licenses, spectrum, and universal service funds.
• CRC (Comisión de Regulación de Comunicaciones): Colombia's communications regulatory commission. Comparable role overseeing telecom competition, spectrum, and consumer protection in a regional LATAM jurisdiction.
• ANATEL (Agência Nacional de Telecomunicações): Brazil's national telecommunications regulator. Directly comparable as a Latin American spectrum and licensing authority with comparable mandate over mobile, fixed, broadcasting, and satellite services.

Broad incumbents

• Ofcom (Office of Communications): United Kingdom's converged communications regulator. Comparable scope across spectrum, broadcasting, and consumer protection, but operating at materially larger scale and with broader international influence.
• FCC (Federal Communications Commission): United States federal communications regulator. Much larger, well-funded incumbent with overlapping authority over spectrum, broadcasting, and equipment homologation, serving as a global benchmark for CONATEL's mandate.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/conatelpy

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

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 Comisión Nacional de Telecomunicaciones