Countdown To Eight
Continues
The countdown to the
eight digit telephone
number system continues
as the deadline of
12:01am March 20
approaches. And all the
resources of the
Institutio
Costarricesense de
Electricidad (ICE) -
state monopoly on
telecommunications -
have been diverted to
the changeover.
In fact, ICE is so
absorbed in ensuring
that the changeover goes
smoothly, telephone
subscribers cannot even
pay their telephone
bills this week, either
online, at the
supermarket or any ICE
agency.
At the Banco de Costa
Rica (BCR) website, all
is normal in the process
of paying a telephone
bill. However, once the
telephone number is
entered and a payment
request is made, notice
is given that the system
is offline until March
21.
At the Scotiabank
website, the system is
offline until March 31,
the online banking
website politely tells
customers that the
online payment system
will return on April 1
in its normality.
Costa Rica, on March 20,
moves to an eight digit
telephone system from
the current seven digit
system.
The changeover will
affect all fixed line
and cellular telephones,
as the prefix 2 is added
to all fixed line -
residential and
commercial telephone
numbers - and an 8 to
all cellular phones.
Callers from outside
Costa Rica will have to
dial the eight digits to
connect come Thursday. |
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