Bolivia has simplified the licensing regime for the provision of satellite services. Through Supreme Decree No. 5666, of 27 July 2026, the Government introduced amendments and additions to the General Regulation to Law No. 164 of 8 August 2011, the General Law on Telecommunications and Information and Communication Technologies for the Telecommunications Sector, approved by Supreme Decree No. 1391 of 24 October 2012.
According to the decree’s recitals, the measure seeks to expand service coverage, help narrow the digital divide and support universal access to telecommunications and ICT services through satellite systems.
Purpose and scope
The decree amends two provisions of the Regulation:
The opportunity lies in the simplification; the risk, in the detail.
- Article 53, on Satellite Service, is amended;
- a new Paragraph III is added to Article 179, on annual payments for licences and authorisations.
The reform sits within the principle of technological neutrality set out in Article 5(7) of Law No. 164, under which the State promotes the free adoption of technologies.
A unified definition of Satellite Services
The new Article 53 defines Satellite Services as services provided to the public, as well as to other telecommunications operators and/or providers, through space radiocommunications and satellite systems. The category comprises:
- the Space Station Service;
- the Earth Station Service;
- Satellite Radio Links.
By grouping the different components of satellite operations into a single regulatory category, the definition reduces ambiguity as to which activities fall within the regime.
Authorisation for the Space Station Service
Where only the Space Station Service is to be provided, the decree establishes that an Authorisation from the Telecommunications and Transport Regulation and Supervision Authority (ATT) alone will be required. The applicable conditions, requirements and procedures will be set out in a Ministerial Resolution issued by the Ministry of Public Works, Services and Housing.
This is a lighter instrument than a licence. Its practical scope, however, will depend on the content of that Ministerial Resolution, which has yet to be issued.
A single licence for service and frequencies
The decree provides that a single Licence will be required for the provision of Satellite Services and for the use of frequencies, in accordance with Article 32(I) of Law No. 164.
This unification avoids duplicating authorising instruments for the same project. It does not, however, alter the competence of the central level of the State — exercised through the ATT — over the administration, allocation, authorisation, control, supervision and oversight of the use of electromagnetic frequencies under the National Frequency Plan.
Basis for calculating annual payments
The new Paragraph III of Article 179 establishes that annual payments for the Licence for the Provision of Satellite Services and for Authorisations for Satellite Radio Links will be calculated on the basis of:
- the estimate of gross income for the first operating period; and/or
- the gross income obtained from the financial statements corresponding to the provision of satellite services.
The rule gives predictability to new entrants, which in their first operating period do not yet have financial statements relating to the service.
Implementing regulation pending
The Single Transitory Provision establishes that, within a period of up to ten (10) calendar days, the Ministry of Public Works, Services and Housing, in coordination with the ATT, will approve the corresponding regulation. The Minister of Public Works, Services and Housing is charged with the execution and enforcement of the decree.
Practical implications for businesses
For satellite operators, connectivity providers and corporate users, the rule opens opportunities while leaving significant definitions to the implementing regulation.
Market entry
Operators providing only the Space Station Service face a lighter procedure, subject to ATT Authorisation.
Project structuring
A single licence covering both service and frequencies simplifies the regulatory planning of a satellite deployment.
Financial modelling
The basis for calculating annual payments allows the regulatory cost of the first period to be estimated more precisely.
Rural and corporate connectivity
Sectors operating in areas without terrestrial coverage — mining, hydrocarbons, agribusiness, logistics — may gain further satellite connectivity options.
Monitoring window
The Ministerial Resolution and the ATT regulation, which will define requirements, procedures and operating conditions, warrant close monitoring.
Strategic perspective
Supreme Decree No. 5666 does not liberalise Bolivia’s satellite market nor displace the State’s regulatory role: the ATT retains competence over the spectrum and over the granting of licences and authorisations. What it does is reduce the administrative friction of entry and give an objective basis to the calculation of annual payments.
The opportunity lies in the simplification; the risk, in the detail. Until the Ministry of Public Works, Services and Housing and the ATT publish the implementing regulation, the effective scope of the new regime remains partly undetermined. Companies that prepare their regulatory strategy now will be better placed to take advantage of the opening once the operating rules are published.
