Art. 25.2 of the Organic Law on National System of Public Procurement provides that preference must be given to the bidder of goods, works or services that incorporate a greater component of Ecuadorian origin or to actors of the popular and solidarity economy and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), through the application of mechanisms such as: proportional margins of preference over the bids of other suppliers, market reserve, delivery of advances, preferential subcontracting, among others. Art. 38 of the General Regulations to the Organic Law of the National Public Procurement System further clarifies the preference for MSMEs and actors of the popular and solidarity economy.

According to Art. 313 of the Constitution of the Republic of Ecuador 2008, the State reserves the right to administer, regulate, control, and manage strategic sectors, including telecommunications. Furthermore, according to Arts. 316 of the Constitution of the State and 14. of the Organic Law on Communications, public telecommunications services are provided directly by the State, through public telecommunications companies, or indirectly through delegation to mixed economy companies in which it has a majority shareholding.

According to Art. 6 of the Companies Law, commercial presence is required if the activities that a foreign company is going to be exercising in Ecuador involve the execution of public works and the provision of public services.
In addition, registration in the Unified Registry of Suppliers (R.U.P.) is required to participate in public procurement according to Art. 18 of Organic Law on the National System of Public Procurement and Art. 18 of its Regulation.

The Corporación Nacional de Telecomunicaciones (National Corporation of Telecommunications) is the dominant provider of fixed telecommunication services and is fully owned by the Ecuadorian Government. It was created by Executive Decree No. 218, which specifically establishes that the Ministry of Telecommunications and the Information Society, representing the State, is the sole shareholder.
La Empresa Pública Municipal de Telecomunicaciones, Agua Potable, Alcantarillado y Saneamiento de Cuenca (Etapa EP, Municipal Public Company of Telecommunications, Drinking Water, Sewage and Sanitation of Cuenca), created by a January 2010 ordinance, is another case in which the telecom operator is a state-owned enterprise. Initially created in February 1948 as Empresa Municipal de Electricidad, Agua Potable y Teléfonos (EMLAT), ETAPA EP provides municipal internet and fixed, wireless and public telephone services.

It is reported that bidding on government procurement can be cumbersome and non-transparent. Payments can often be delayed without explanation despite provision of goods and services and proper work orders and receipts. Personnel turnover within government entities sometimes requires restarting bidding processes as the new personnel do not want to continue processes for fear of national comptroller audits. It is reported that the lack of transparency poses a risk that procuring entities will administer a procurement to the advantage of a preferred supplier.

Ecuador is not a party to the World Trade Organization (WTO) Agreement on Government Procurement (GPA). However, the country has been an observer of the WTO GPA since 2019.

According to Art. 313 of the Constitution of the Republic of Ecuador 2008, the State reserves the right to administer, regulate, control, and manage strategic sectors, including telecommunications. Furthermore, according to Art. 316 of the Constitution of the State and Art. 14 of the Organic Law on Communications, public telecommunications services are provided directly by the State, through public telecommunications companies, or indirectly through delegation to mixed economy companies in which it has a majority shareholding.

According to Art. 98 of the Organic Law on Communications, all the advertising that is disseminated in Ecuadorian territory through the media must be produced in Ecuadorian territory by Ecuadorian natural persons or foreigners residing in Ecuador or produced abroad by Ecuadorian persons residing abroad or foreign legal entities whose ownership of the majority of the share package corresponds to Ecuadorians and whose payroll for its realisation and production is made up of at least 80% of Ecuadorian nationals. In addition, the importation of advertising pieces produced outside the country by foreign companies is prohibited, with the exception of what is established regarding foreign legal entities, with a majority of shares owned by Ecuadorians. According to the same article, advertising production is understood as television and movie commercials, radio spots, photographs for static advertising, or any other audiovisual piece used for advertising purposes.

According to Art. 6 of the Organic Communication Law, foreign companies or individuals (except foreign citizens who reside regularly in Ecuador) cannot own more than 49% stakes in "national" social media. These are defined as those social media that reach more than 30% of the Ecuadorian population.

According to Art. 6 of Company Law, commercial presence is required if the activities that a foreign company is going to be exercising in Ecuador involve the execution of public works and the provision of public services.

According to Art. 98 of the Organic Code on Social Economy of Knowledge, Creativity, and Innovation, applicants who do not have residency in Ecuador must have an agent domiciled in the country who can help them register industrial property rights and answer petitions of competent national authority.

Ecuador is a party to the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT).

Ecuador has a clear regime of exceptions to copyright that follows fair use, which allows the lawful use of copyrighted works by third parties without the need to obtain permission. Art. 211 of the Organic Code of the Social Economy of Knowledge, Creativity and Innovation follows the fair use model for copyright exceptions and establishes five factors for the determination of fair use:
- The purposes and nature of the use;
- The nature of the work;
- The amount and importance of the part used in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole;
- The impact of the use on the current and potential market value of the work; and
- The possession and effective exercise of other fundamental rights.
In addition, Ecuador is a member of the Andean Community of Nations and is subject to Decision 351, issued in 1993. Art. 22 of the Decision establishes a list of mandatory exceptions in the domestic market but also allows the adoption of additional exceptions in the domestic law of the members, as long as they comply with the international standards of the so-called three-step test.

Ecuador is not a signatory of the 1996 World Trade Organization (WTO) Information Technology Agreement (ITA) nor the 2015 expansion (ITA II).