Colombia CRC Regulatory Innovation Framework Consultation

Colombia CRC Regulatory Innovation Framework: Public Consultation on Sandboxes, Experimentation Mechanisms and Guidance Routes

On September 30, 2026, Colombia's Comisión de Regulación de Comunicaciones (CRC) published for public consultation the document "Hacia un nuevo marco de innovación regulatoria" ("Towards a New Regulatory Innovation Framework"). The proposal expands the set of tools the regulator uses to support innovative projects in the communications sector, shifting from a single-instrument approach centred on the regulatory sandbox to a broader, risk-based innovation policy.

Comments will be accepted until October 16, 2026.

Background: From Sandbox Pioneer to an Innovation Policy

The CRC was one of the first regulators in Latin America to create a regulatory sandbox for communications services, established in 2020 through an addition to Resolución CRC 5050 de 2016. Since 2021, the sandbox has received 31 proposals across two cohorts, and three experimental projects have been authorised.

The most recent example is the ConTIGO Digital project by Colombia Móvil (Tigo), authorised under Resolución CRC 8083 de 2025 within the second cohort of the Convergent Regulatory Sandbox. Its 12-month experimentation phase, which tests a conversational AI tool for customer service, began on June 18, 2026.

Drawing on this experience, along with technology trials and evidence-gathering exercises carried out without any regulatory flexibility, the CRC concluded that innovative projects have different needs, and that not all of them require a sandbox.

What the Colombia CRC Regulatory Innovation Framework Proposes

The framework introduces three types of regulatory response, each matched to the purpose, uncertainty and risk level of the initiative:

Route	When it applies	Regulatory flexibility
1. Regulatory sandboxes	Tests that can only be carried out if the CRC temporarily relaxes certain rules	Yes, temporary exemptions, with safeguards and monitoring proportional to risk
2. Experimentation mechanisms	Validating a technology, testing an implementation model or generating evidence within the existing rules	No operates under current regulation
3. Other support routes	Initiatives that need guidance, coordination with other authorities, removal of a specific barrier, or inclusion of the issue in the CRC Regulatory Agenda	No administrative or policy response

Under this model, regulatory flexibility would be reserved for tests that genuinely require it, while other projects could progress through faster routes without weakening user protection or safeguards.

The CRC also aims to ensure that experimentation produces structured knowledge for future regulatory decisions, rather than simply authorising one-off pilots. CRC Executive Director Felipe Augusto Díaz Suaza noted that the sandbox will remain a necessary tool, but that the regulator wants to avoid good ideas being held back simply because they do not fit a single mechanism.

Consultation Structure

The consultation document poses 24 questions across seven thematic blocks, including:

• The proposed mechanisms and how each would operate

• Risks, safeguards and performance indicators

• The use of the Simplemente CRC platform as the single entry point for innovation requests

  
  

What This Means for Manufacturers

Although the framework is not a type-approval rule, it is relevant for equipment manufacturers, technology vendors and their local partners operating in Colombia:

• A clearer path for testing new technologies. The proposed experimentation mechanisms would allow technologies to be trialled and validated under existing rules, without going through a full sandbox application. This may benefit vendors of emerging solutions such as IoT, satellite direct-to-device, AI-based network or customer-service tools, and new broadband access technologies.

• Pilots with operators may become easier to structure. Manufacturers typically enter innovation projects alongside licensed operators. A lighter, proportional route could shorten the time between a commercial proposal and a live trial in Colombia.

• A channel to flag regulatory barriers. The "other support routes" option would give industry a formal way to request guidance or ask the CRC to address a barrier through its Regulatory Agenda, which can include equipment-related requirements within the CRC's remit.

• Scope limits remain. The CRC can only relax rules it has issued itself. Spectrum authorisations (ANE), ICT policy and licensing (MinTIC) and technical regulations from other authorities fall outside a CRC sandbox. Cross-agency matters are handled through the separate Sectoral Regulatory Sandbox run jointly by MinTIC, the CRC and the ANE.

• Evidence will shape future rules. Because the framework is designed to turn experimentation into regulatory learning, data from trials could influence future CRC decisions affecting devices and services.

  
  

Certification Impact Summary

Area	Impact	Notes
CRC homologation of terminal equipment	No direct change	The consultation does not modify homologation procedures or technical requirements
Existing certificates	No impact	Current certificates remain valid; no re-certification required
Testing / validation of new technologies	Potentially positive	Experimentation mechanisms could enable trials under existing rules
Temporary rule flexibility	Unchanged in principle	Sandbox remains available for tests requiring exemptions from CRC rules
Spectrum / ANE requirements	Not covered	Remains subject to ANE rules and the joint Sectoral Sandbox
Regulatory barriers affecting products	New channel	Barrier removal and agenda inclusion proposed as formal response routes

Overall assessment: Low immediate compliance impact; medium strategic relevance for companies planning to introduce innovative technologies or business models in Colombia.

Timeline and Required Actions

Key Milestones

Date	Milestone
2020	CRC creates the Regulatory Sandbox for communications services (addition to Resolución CRC 5050 de 2016)
2021 – 2026	31 proposals received across two cohorts; three experimental projects authorised
June 18, 2026	12-month experimentation phase begins for Tigo's ConTIGO Digital (Resolución CRC 8083 de 2025)
September 30, 2026	CRC publishes "Hacia un nuevo marco de innovación regulatoria" for consultation
October 16, 2026	Deadline for comments (sandboxconvergente@crcom.gov.co)
To be announced	CRC publication of comments received and response document
To be announced	Final regulatory decision / adoption of the new framework

Required Actions

1. Review the consultation document on the CRC project page (code 2000-41-7-24) and identify which of the 24 questions are relevant to your products or business model.

2. Submit comments before October 16, 2026 to sandboxconvergente@crcom.gov.co, particularly on safeguards, indicators and eligibility criteria for experimentation mechanisms.

3. Coordinate with local operators and partners to align positions on planned pilots or technology trials in Colombia.

4. Map your innovation pipeline against the three proposed routes to anticipate which one each future project would likely follow.

5. Monitor the CRC's response document and final decision, as the adopted text will define application procedures, timelines and the role of the Simplemente CRC platform.

6. Continue normal homologation activities – current CRC equipment certification requirements are unaffected by this consultation.

   
   

Conclusion

The Colombia CRC regulatory innovation framework marks a shift from a sandbox-only model to a proportional innovation policy that distinguishes between projects needing temporary rule flexibility, those that can be tested under existing rules, and those that only need guidance or coordination. While it does not change certification requirements, it could make Colombia a more accessible market for piloting new technologies. Stakeholders have until October 16, 2026, to help shape how these routes will work in practice.