ICE On Track To Offer
1.5 Million Cellular
Lines in 2008
The wait will be worth
it as the Instituto
Costarricense de
Electricidad (ICE)
continues with its plans
to introduce 1.5 million
new GSM lines by the end
of next year.
Claudio Bermúdez,
manager of
Telecomunicaciones del
ICE, explained that if
all goes well, the lines
will be available for
sale in the second half
of 2008.
The new lines are of the
third generation, known
as 3G, which allows
transfer of videos,
music files and data,
using a broadband
connection, which will
mean more services
available to users.
Orlando Cascante,
director de Servicios
Móviles del ICE,
explained that 3G users
will be able to
videoconference from
their cellular phone and
access the internet at a
higher speed.
Currently ICE offers
TDMA and GSM service to
1.5 million subscribers
(another 300.000 GSM
lines have been promised
for January) with
services limited to
making and receiving
calls, SMS (text)
messages and GPRS..
Although the current GSM
networks have the
ability to transfer
files like photos,
videos and other
multimedia functions,
ICE does not offer them.
The types of cellular
phones authorized to be
connected to the ICE
network is also another
issue for subscribers
who have experienced
problems with connecting
high end phones known as
SmartPhones and the
newest of multimedia
devices, the iPhone.
However, all that will
change with the
introduction of 3G, ICE
promises.
The Banco
Centroamericano de
Integración Económica (BCIE)
is working with ICE for
the purchase of the new
lines. In a complicated
deal, the BCIE will pay
out us$200 million
dollars for the purchase
and ICE will manager the
network.
Bermúdez added that last
month ICE received a
ltter of intent from the
BCIE which was approved
by the ICE board of
directors. What is
required now is the
approval of the
Contraloría General de
la República
(Comptroller's office)
before the plan can move
forward.
The ICE manager
explained that the new
network will be on a
lease with an option to
purchase, where the five
year project is designed
and managed at ICE's
expense. |
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