The Puerto Rican Government also built a state-of-the-art telecommunications system, which allows for instant access to the US and international markets via high-speed          technologies.79 The Island is currently linked to the USA, Europe, South America and the Caribbean by high capacity undersea fiber optic cables and an extensive satellite network.2

   Puerto Rico possesses a great number of ISP's, ASP's, and B2C sites offering all types of services and products to consumers as well as B2B exchanges where multinational and local companies can interact online and ease/increase the flow of business through an e-commerce platform. 

   However, Puerto Rico also faces some challenges when it comes to e-commerce… Apparently there exists some confusion among E-businesses in the US about the US-Puerto Rico relationship, specifically when it pertains to uninterrupted commerce. This misunderstanding may be allowing E-businesses to establish trade barriers with Puerto Rico clients, in a possible violation of the rights the people of the island. Some E-businesses are treating Puerto Rico clients as if they lived in a Latin American nation or other unspecified foreign market. At times, they refuse to sell products or provide services to this market. Or else, they provide products and services under different terms or on a limited basis compared to what is readily available nationwide, including Hawaii and Alaska.80 The refusal of those companies to sell or provide services to Puerto Rico under similar terms as provided nationwide, may be an act of discrimination against US citizens in Puerto Rico

   If Puerto Rico is going to be treated as prescribed by the law, the federal government must clarify on a priority basis the US-Puerto Rico relationship with respect to commercial dealings, including E-commerce transactions. It is a known fact that US citizens in Puerto Rico must be treated as residents of a State of the Union, as provided in the Puerto Rico Federal Relations Act, which governs the relationship between Puerto Rico and the US (US Code Title 48, Chapter 4, Section 737). In addition, the US Commerce Department has clearly stated in its Web page that Puerto Rico is not an export market.
Government/Corporate Programs for E-Commerce
E-Business Day
E-BUSINESS DAY is a forum to help business people gain access to what is the largest economic revolution in history. E-business puts everyone, multi-national or mom-and-pop, on the same footing, with access to prospects around the globe.

Vivire.com
Vivire.com provides small and medium size business owners with information to help them take their business to the Internet. Covers - basic technology details, e-commerce, marketing and the Internet at the workplace.

INSI of Puerto Rico
Design, programming, e-commerce and web hosting for web sites.
To contact us:  INITEB Puerto Rico     To view the class country reports menu, click here.