CONATEL adds new opportunities for modernization and technological investment after OFAC licenses

Published at: 22/08/2026 04:17 PM

The National Telecommunications Commission (CONATEL), in its role as a regulatory body and guarantor of the Nation's technological sovereignty, reports on the issuance of General Licenses No. 61 and No. 62 approved by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the United States Department of the Treasury.

These instruments, which represent the recognition of the institutional legitimacy of the Venezuelan State, include the supply of goods, technology, software and services, as well as the negotiation of agreements and investments aimed at strengthening, modernizing and maintaining the national telecommunications infrastructure.

The measure empowers natural and legal persons, under U.S. jurisdiction, to carry out direct and indirect commercial and technological operations with players in the Venezuelan market, making explicit mention of the National Telephone Anonymous Company of Venezuela (CANTV) and CONATEL.

In this regard, General License No. 61 enables the provision of equipment, software licenses, hardware components and specialized services for installation, repair, operation, updating and ongoing technical support.

This technical scope broadly encompasses the different segments of the national connectivity ecosystem:

— Digital connectivity services: Fixed telephony, mobile telephony, data transmission and high speed Internet access.

— Broadcast and communication media: Subscription television, sound broadcasting and services for news agencies.

— Transport infrastructure: Deployment, maintenance and upgrade of fiber optic networks, satellite transmission systems and submarine cable links.

For its part, General License No. 62 authorizes the negotiation and signing of contingent contracts aimed at the development of infrastructure projects, the expansion of operational capacities, the incorporation of new digital service providers and the structuring of strategic alliances or joint ventures in the sector.

The resolution specifies that any contract, project or service to be deployed in Venezuelan territory must unavoidably comply with the Organic Telecommunications Act (LOTEL) and the regulatory provisions issued by CONATEL.

These mechanisms, the result of the impetus of sovereign peace diplomacy, reaffirm the intention to strengthen telecommunications infrastructure with the objective of promoting the development and stability of essential services, understood as the axis of social and economic well-being.