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Telecommunications in Chile: service types, concessions and permits, spectrum tenders, broadcasting rules, spectrum fees, internet as a public service and net neutrality

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Last verified: 2026-10-26 · Status: Stable

Chile's General Telecommunications Law gives free and equal access to the radio spectrum through concessions, permits and licences granted by the State. Public and intermediate telecom services and radio broadcasting need a concession granted by supreme decree, and only legal entities can hold one. Public and intermediate concessions last 30 years and are renewable; radio concessions last 25 years, with a renewal preference. Limited services (private networks) need a ten year permit from the Undersecretariat of Telecommunications (SUBTEL), which is deemed granted if SUBTEL does not answer within 60 days. Where a technical standard limits the number of concessions, they are awarded by public tender. Since July 2024 internet access is a public telecom service, and since 2010 providers may not arbitrarily block or discriminate against lawful content.

USD figures use the Central Bank exchange rate of CLP 986.58 per US dollar published in the Diario Oficial for 23 October 2026 (CVE 2891564). UTM amounts use the SII value of CLP 72,151 for October 2026. Spectrum fees are paid at the UTM in force on payment.

Key facts

Term of public and intermediate telecom concessions, renewable	30 yearsLey Nº 18.168 art. 8, as of 2026-10-26 · in force
Term of radio broadcasting concessions, with renewal preference	25 yearsLey Nº 18.168 art. 8, as of 2026-10-26 · in force
Term of limited service permits, renewable	10 yearsLey Nº 18.168 art. 9, as of 2026-10-26 · in force
Days after which a limited service permit is deemed granted if SUBTEL does not decide	60 daysLey Nº 18.168 art. 9, as of 2026-10-26 · in force
Annual spectrum fee cap for a radio broadcasting concession (single band)	90 UTM per yearLey Nº 18.168 art. 32 d), as of 2026-10-26 · in force
Annual spectrum fee cap per free to air television transmitter or repeater	360 UTM per yearLey Nº 18.168 art. 32 e), as of 2026-10-26 · in force
Internet access classed as a public telecom service	Yes textLey Nº 21.678; Ley Nº 18.168 art. 3 b), as of 2026-10-26 · in force

The rule

1. Telecom services are classified as free to air or broadcasting services, public telecom services meant for the community in general and designed to interconnect with other public services, limited services for specific companies or persons (which may not carry traffic to or from public network users, except internet access by registered telecom communities), amateur radio, and intermediate services. Intermediate services are networks provided to other concessionaires or permit holders, or international long distance telephony to the public. Internet access is included in public telecom services. Intermediate concessionaires that only provide physical infrastructure need only meet the requirements of a specific regulation.
Cost to do it: Depends on the service type; see rules 2 and 5.Ley Nº 18.168, Ley General de Telecomunicaciones, as amended by Ley Nº 21.678, Art. 3, 2024-07-03 official text · verified 2026-10-26 · changed: Ley Nº 21.678, published on 3 July 2024, added internet access to the definition of public telecom services in art. 3 letter b).

2. Use of the radio spectrum is free and equal through concessions, permits or licences granted by the State. A concession granted by supreme decree is needed to install, operate and exploit public services, intermediate services provided through networks, and radio broadcasting. Concessions are granted only to legal entities. They last 30 years for public and intermediate services, renewable for equal periods at the holder's request, and 25 years for radio broadcasting, with a preferential right to renewal. The concession decree must be published in the Diario Oficial at the holder's cost within 30 days of SUBTEL's notice that the Comptroller has processed it, or the concession is extinguished by law. A person whose concession or permit was revoked cannot get another for five years.
Cost to do it: Publication of the decree in the Diario Oficial, the technical project signed by a telecom engineer or technician, and annual spectrum fees where spectrum is used.Ley Nº 18.168, Ley General de Telecomunicaciones, Art. 8, 1982-10-02 official text · verified 2026-10-26

3. Limited telecom services need a permit granted by exempt resolution of SUBTEL. Permits last ten years and are renewable, except limited television services that use no spectrum, whose permits are indefinite. SUBTEL must decide within 60 days of the application; otherwise the permit is deemed granted. Experimental stations and local or community band stations need a five year licence, renewable for equal periods.
Cost to do it: Application costs and annual spectrum fees where spectrum is used.Ley Nº 18.168, Ley General de Telecomunicaciones, Art. 9, 1982-10-02 official text · verified 2026-10-26

4. Free to air broadcasting concessions are granted by public tender, called in the first month of each four month period, and at least 180 days before a broadcasting concession expires. The concession goes to the applicant whose project best ensures optimal transmission or service. The incumbent has a preferential right if it matches the best technical offer, and ties among new applicants are settled by public draw. A company and its related companies may file only one application per locality in a tender. The Ministry must also call a public tender for any telecom concession or permit where a published technical standard allows only a limited number, awarding it on the best technical conditions and, if tied, by auction. Presidents, managers, administrators and legal representatives of free to air broadcasters must be Chilean. Foreigners may sit on the board if they are not a majority.
Cost to do it: Technical project and, in tied spectrum tenders, the auction price.Ley Nº 18.168, Ley General de Telecomunicaciones, Art. 13, art. 13 A, art. 13 C and art. 22, 1982-10-02 official text · verified 2026-10-26

5. Holders of concessions, permits and licences that use the radio spectrum pay annual fees to the Treasury, computed by decree from power, bandwidth, frequencies and number of stations, within statutory caps. Radio broadcasting: up to 90 UTM a year, unless operating in more than one band, plus 1 UTM per studio to transmitter link. Free to air television: up to 360 UTM a year per transmitter or repeater, plus up to 4.5 UTM per studio to transmitter link and 4.5 UTM per mobile link per band. Fixed and mobile single channel and multichannel stations: up to 4.5 UTM per transmitter. Multi access fixed or mobile services: up to 25 UTM per multi access centre. Satellite services: up to 10 UTM per transmitter or receiver. Non profit services that protect life and property are exempt.
Cost to do it: Annual spectrum fees within the caps listed.
Example: The 90 UTM cap for a radio station is CLP 6,493,590 a year; the 360 UTM cap per television transmitter is CLP 25,974,360; the 25 UTM cap per multi access centre is CLP 1,803,775. / About US$6,582, US$26,328 and US$1,828 a year respectively.Ley Nº 18.168, Ley General de Telecomunicaciones, Art. 31, art. 32 and art. 33, 1982-10-02 official text · verified 2026-10-26

6. Internet access providers may not arbitrarily block, interfere with, discriminate against, hinder or restrict any user's right to use, send, receive or offer lawful content, applications or services. They must offer service that does not arbitrarily distinguish content by source or ownership. They may manage traffic and the network within their authorised activity, provided this does not harm competition. They may block content only at the user's express request and cost, and never arbitrarily against providers of services and applications. SUBTEL sanctions breaches.
Cost to do it: No fee; compliance cost of network management policies.Ley Nº 18.168, Ley General de Telecomunicaciones, as amended by Ley Nº 20.453 and Ley Nº 21.046, Art. 24 H and art. 24 I, 2010-08-26 official text · verified 2026-10-26

Service	Authorisation	Term	How granted
Public telecom services, including internet access	Concession by supreme decree	30 years, renewable	On application; public tender if a technical standard limits the number
Intermediate services through networks	Concession by supreme decree	30 years, renewable	On application; public tender if limited
Radio broadcasting	Concession by supreme decree	25 years, renewal preference	Public tender
Limited services	SUBTEL permit	10 years, renewable (indefinite for limited TV without spectrum)	Deemed granted after 60 days without decision
Experimental and local or community band stations	SUBTEL licence	5 years, renewable	On application

Authorisations by service type (Ley Nº 18.168 art. 8, 9 and 13)

Worked example

A foreign tower company sets up a Chilean SpA and applies for an intermediate services concession limited to physical infrastructure, which only needs the requirements of the specific regulation. The concession lasts 30 years and is renewable, and the decree must be published at its cost within 30 days of SUBTEL's notice (Ley Nº 18.168 art. 3 and 8).
A mining company wants a private radio network for its site. It applies to SUBTEL for a limited service permit; if SUBTEL does not decide within 60 days the permit is deemed granted for ten years. Each fixed transmitter pays up to 4.5 UTM a year, CLP 324,680 or about US$329 (Ley Nº 18.168 art. 9 and 32 f)).
A media investor buying a radio broadcaster can hold the shares, but must make sure the president, managers and legal representatives are Chilean and that foreigners are not a majority of the board (Ley Nº 18.168 art. 22).

Step by step

1. Set up a Chilean legal entity: concessions are granted only to legal entities (Ley Nº 18.168 art. 8; see entities/choosing-an-entity).
2. Classify the service under art. 3 and choose the concession, permit or licence route.
3. Prepare the technical project signed by a telecom engineer or technician and file with SUBTEL; for broadcasting, wait for the tender called in the first month of each four month period (art. 13 and 13 A).
4. Publish the concession decree in the Diario Oficial within 30 days of SUBTEL's notice (art. 8).
5. Budget annual spectrum fees and diary renewal dates; for broadcasting, the renewal tender is called at least 180 days before expiry (art. 13 and 32).

Common traps

Missing the 30 day publication of the concession decree: the concession is extinguished by law (Ley Nº 18.168 art. 8).
Filing two applications for the same locality through related companies in a broadcasting tender: none of them is considered (art. 13).
Appointing foreign managers or a foreign board majority at a free to air broadcaster: managers and legal representatives must be Chilean (art. 22).
Using a limited service network to carry public traffic: limited services may not give access to traffic from public network users (art. 3 c)).
Blocking or throttling lawful content outside traffic management rules: net neutrality is enforced by SUBTEL (art. 24 H and 24 I).

Sources

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