Ronald Spina, general manager of CNT EP, assumed leadership of the National Telecommunications Corporation (Corporación Nacional de Telecomunicaciones, CNT) amid a restructuring process that transformed the financial results of the Ecuadorian state operator. In just over two years, the company went from a net loss of US$130.88 million in 2024 to a net surplus of US$22.12 million, while increasing its EBITDA margin from 1.7% to 7.54% and accelerating the rollout of FTTH and 5G.

Spina was part of the management team led by Roberto Kury, who in 2025 became Ecuador’s Minister of Telecommunications. Since then, he has been in charge of the state-owned operator.

In an interview with Convergencialatina, the executive said the recovery was based on strict cost discipline, an aggressive mobile strategy, and the expansion of the FTTH network and the corporate business.

-Convergencialatina: How did you manage to move from losses to profits?

-Ronald Spina (RS): Through strict cost control. In a telecommunications company, an EBITDA close to zero could only be explained by poor management. CNT had significantly lost revenue and there was no efficient cost control.

-Convergencialatina: Did you arrive at CNT with a defined plan?

-RS: No. The plan was built along the way, analyzing the numbers and understanding the company. CNT has enormous potential: it owns Ecuador’s largest fiber backbone, reached 3.5 million homes passed with fiber in 2025, and operates two interconnected Tier 3 data centers. Each has 4,000 square meters of facilities, located on 12,000-square-meter plots.

-Convergencialatina: Where did you find the biggest cost overruns?

-RS: In all areas. We worked on every cost line to make them competitive and aligned with the market. We also reviewed supplier relationships, where there were ongoing negotiations but low efficiency. The optimization process is still ongoing.

-Convergencialatina: Beyond cost adjustments, how did you work on revenues?

-RS: We defined three priority lines: mobile, fixed, and corporate business, especially linked to the public sector.

-Convergencialatina: How did the mobile segment evolve?

-RS: We decided to move forward with 5G and become the first operator in Ecuador to launch it commercially at scale. The strategy was to use technological improvement to gain market share. We are the third operator in number of lines and the one with the smallest market share, so growth potential is significant.

The 5G rollout also helped improve the brand image and reverse the company’s declining trend.

We first conducted pilot tests, but we understood that a pilot is not enough for a commercial launch. Expectations are only validated with real coverage in major cities.

-Convergencialatina: How many active 5G lines do you have?

-RS: We have more than 300,000 postpaid lines and 1.3 million prepaid lines. In Ecuador, 5G devices account for approximately 15% of the market, and all customers with compatible devices have access to the 5G network.

We currently offer aggressive plans: 20 GB for US$12.99 plus taxes and 30 GB for US$18.99, as well as an unlimited plan. We also offer bonuses for specific segments, such as public servants.

In general, competitors offer plans at the same price but with 10 GB less. We need to be aggressive because we have low market share.

-Convergencialatina: Are these plans financially sustainable?

-RS: Yes. This year we aim to exceed a 20% EBITDA margin. We project revenues of around US$480 million, and we also estimate cost reductions of between US$20 million and US$30 million per year.

-Convergencialatina: Which vendors supported the rollout?

-RS: Nokia and Huawei. In both cases, we achieved speeds of up to 1.8 Gbps and very low latency.

-Convergencialatina: What is the current mobile ARPU?

-RS: Postpaid ARPU is around US$15.50, and prepaid is US$5. We are also cleaning up the customer base and reactivating inactive users. The average recharge of the active base is around US$4.50.

-Convergencialatina: What potential do you see in the fixed business?

-RS: We have 3.5 million homes passed with FTTH, but only 13% penetration (444,164 connected households). There is a significant growth opportunity, which we expect to capture through improved commercial capacity and brand perception.

The fixed business has two main components. On one hand, fixed telephony, which still represents about 800,000 lines and around US$80 million annually, although it is declining. On the other, fixed internet, where we aim to increase uptake on the already deployed network.

-Convergencialatina: Does the Starlink agreement aim to expand that coverage?

-RS: Yes. In Galápagos, costs were very high, and we reached an agreement with Starlink to provide satellite connectivity. We are also working with them on services for areas without terrestrial infrastructure. We estimate that this segment represents about 10% of the market.

-Convergencialatina: CNT suffered a major cyberattack years ago. How is cybersecurity today?

-RS: We recently received an international award in Panama for our cybersecurity work. In addition, we launched our own SOC last July.

After the 2018 attack, we invested heavily in a comprehensive plan that is also part of the state cybersecurity strategy. Today we protect all layers, including DNS, with next-generation technology.

-Convergencialatina: That connects with the corporate business and the relationship with the state.

-RS: Exactly. We are now the digital partner of the Ecuadorian state. Public-sector-related business represents about 50% of our revenue.

The other half comes from the private sector, where we work with key industries for Ecuador such as oil, mining, bananas, and shrimp exports.

-Convergencialatina: What do companies demand today?

-RS: There are three main demands: connectivity, cybersecurity, and artificial intelligence. In some cases, private 5G networks also appear, especially where spectrum availability and network slicing opportunities exist.

-Convergencialatina: What types of AI-related projects does the private sector request?

-RS: There is still limited development due to a lack of knowledge. Most current requests are related to data analytics.

Last year we signed an agreement with Palantir for Customs. We host the data processing in our data center. The contract is worth around US$8 million and allowed Customs to increase revenue by approximately US$420 million.

-Convergencialatina: How important is the corporate business today?

-RS: It accounts for around US$200 million. In addition to connectivity, we sell cloud and software licenses with brands such as Microsoft, Google, AWS, Oracle, and Cisco.

We work directly with vendors to improve margins and avoid intermediaries. In cybersecurity, we operate with Palo Alto, Fortinet, and other top-tier providers. Our goal is to adapt to each client’s needs with the required technology and competitive commercial conditions.