The Dominican Republic has improved its high-speed internet infrastructure to meet rising demand, with around 1.26 million fixed broadband subscriptions reported in 2025, but until now Internet speeds have often lagged behind other jurisdictions.
The Dominican Institute of Telecommunications (Indotel) has now approved a new resolution that raises the minimum speed requirements for broadband internet.
The Dominican Republic now matches countries like Argentina, Chile, and Peru in setting higher broadband standards.
The new rules require fixed broadband services to offer a minimum download speed of 30 Mbps, up from 4 Mbps. The upload speed must be at least 10 Mbps, a significant jump from the standards set in 2020.
However, internet speeds remain slower than many regional neighbors. In 2024, the country’s average download speed was 54.94 Mbps, compared to the Cayman Islands at 118.83 Mbps and Barbados at 97.27 Mbps.
Affordability remains a barrier in the DR. The average monthly cost for broadband in 2025 was $38.70 USD, ranking the country 89th globally for pricing.
This high cost limits access for many, with 35.5% of households without internet citing expense as the main reason. By contrast, Barbados offered faster speeds for a similar price, such as a 120 Mbps plan for $55 USD monthly in 2019.
Claro, Altice, and Wind Telecom are the main internet providers in the Dominican Republic, offering fiber optic, cable, and DSL services. Urban areas generally receive better service compared to rural regions where speed and coverage are less reliable.
Other Caribbean nations have seen faster progress in speed and access. Grenada and Saint Lucia, for example, have significantly increased internet speeds since 2019 through targeted infrastructure improvements.
To close the digital gap, the Dominican Republic needs to lower service costs and expand high-speed internet to more rural areas. Encouraging competition among providers and investing in infrastructure could improve both speed and affordability.
Sources: DR1, OpenAI.
