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ICE To Face
Cellular Competition In 2010,
Uses Tactics To Stall Process
Today, although it no longer has a monopoly,
the Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad
(ICE) continues to be the only provider of
cellular telephone communications in Costa
Rica. And it appears it will be so until
early 2010, when the first competitors are
expected to begin operations.
The Superintendencia de Telecomunicaciones (Sutel),
the recently created telecommunications
regulator, is busy receiving and reviewing
information from companies interested in
competing with ICE in the cellular telephone
market.
The process approving concessions will
continue for the coming months and is
expected to hand out concessions by the end
of the year at the latest, according to the
viceministra de telecomunicaciones, Hannia
Vega.
George Miley, president of the Sutel, said
that a report to the MINAET
(telecommunications ministry) will be made
next month, which would establish the
communications bands that will be available
for the concessions.
During the past month, the Sutel, has asked
all operators of radio equipment - radio and
television stations, as well as private
operators, like security firms - report on
the complete use of their communications
bands, which will form part of the MINAET
report.
Once the concessions are approved, Miley
said it would take at least three months for
operators to install their equipment and
begin operations.
Of course, ICE is not sitting on its hands
waiting on the competition, it is employing
legal tactics to stall the inevitable.
Last week alone, the Institution filed legal
opposition to the seven contenders, that
include Worldcomm de Costa Rica, Dodona (Amnet),
RyH Internacional, Jasec, Call My Way,
Intertel Worldwide and Redes Inalámbricas de
Costa Rica, Dodoma.
As part of the tactics, ICE is accusing
Worldcomm and Redes Inalámbricas, for
example, of providing services without
authorization, which triggers an
investigation by the Sutel.
Of course, the Radiográfica Costarricense (Racsa),
a wholy owned subsidiary of ICE, is playing
along with its own opposition to competition
in the internet services sector.
In addition, ICE is asking the Sutel to void
the process of radio band concessions that
will be used by the competitors, claiming
that the Sutel has not given enough time for
the process that ends today (April 27).
In addition, ICE has stopped paying fees set
out by the Autoridad Reguladora de los
Servicios Públicos (Aresep) that would
finance the Sutel operations for this year
and is charing Miley for talking to the
press about ICE affairs before the opening
of competition.
All in all, ICE is doing all the possible to
stall the competition, especially in the
cellular telephone market, as it struggles
to install the next generation of cellular
services, 3G, which has been in constant
delays since it was first announced two
years ago. |
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