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PAC Opposes ICE Bill, Saying It
Will Leave 400.000 Costa Ricans
Without Telephone Service
The Partido Acción Ciudadana
(PAC) announced yesterday that
it will use every mechanism to
ensure that the Legislative
Assembly does not approve the "Ley
de Fortalecimiento del Instituto
Costarricense de Electricidad
(ICE)" and the "proyecto de Ley
General de Telecomunicaciones".
The approval of the two bills
that would strengthen ICE's
position in the marketplace and
telecommunications in general in
the face of the free trade
agreement with the United
States, would allow foreign
companies to offer mobile
(cellular) telephone services,
as well as internet and other
communications services in the
country.
The PAC says that such approval
and opening of the
telecommunications market would
leave some 400.000 Costa Ricans
without telephone, as they would
not be able to pay the rates
that are expected to rise with
the free trade.
PAC deputy, Leda Zamora, said
that Costa Rica will run the
same fate as other Latin
counties as foreign companies
move in to offer telecom
services.
Zamora said that impeding ICE
from charging the higher rates
from the competition, will mean
higher fixed line telephone
rates as well as increasing the
cost of its cellular service.
ICE has one of the lowest rates
in fixed line telephone and
cellular rates in Latin America
and the lowest and best sertvice
in Central America.
The monthly change for a fixed
residential line is ¢1.850
(us$3.60) and ¢3.400 (us$6.60)
for basic cellular service that
includes 60 minutes of talk
time.
Zamora said that those rates
would increase to ¢7.000 and
¢12.000, respectively, if the
ICE bill is approved. The PAC
deputy assures that ICE will
have to increase its rates to
compete against the
international companies.
Defending the project is the
Partido Liberación Nacional (PLN)
which presented the initiative,
saying that the approval of the
bills would give ICE the
strength and flexibility to
compete and guarantees access to
telephone and internet services
to all Costa Ricans.
The bills are expected to make
it to the legislative floor next
week.
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