3G Service Will Go Ahead
As Planned Even Though
CGR Refused Contract
Approval
Notwithstanding that the
Contraloría General de
la Republica (CGR) -
Comptroller's office -
rejected the contract
that would have allowed
the Instituto
Costarricense de
Electricidad (ICE) to
purchase the 1.5 million
cellular lines of the 3G
technology, ICE assures
that the lines will be
installed and working by
next year as promised.
ICE - the state monopoly
on telecommunucations -
spokesperson, Elbert
Durán, explained that
this week they will send
the CGR a document that
will rectify all the
concerns of some of the
points of the contract
by the Comptroller.
One of the points of
concern of the CGR is
the responsibility of
the Banco
Centroamericano de
Integración Económica (BCIE)
in the development of
the project.
The BCIE is making the
initial investment of
purchasing the equipment
and services to install
the lines and then
leasing it back to ICE,
which will also include
an option to purchase.
The us$225 million
dollar contract with
BCIE which would allow
ICE to acquire the
network was signed last
March 26.
The contract would allow
ICE to offer the new
lines to the public by
mid 2009 in an effort to
meet the growing demand
for cellular telephone
service in the country.
3G is the latest
cellular technology that
allows, in addition to
normal telephone
conversations, the
transfer of multimedia
(videos and pictures,
video conferencing and
faster data transfer,
among other services.
The installation of the
1.5 million lines would
also allow ICE to begin
offering "prepaid"
cellular service and
eliminated the TDMA
lines. Costa Rica is the
only country that does
not count with "prepaid"
cellular.
Durán explained that the
CGR refusal does not
alter ICE's timetable
for the installation of
the service, adding "ICE
always has a plan B". |
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