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INSIDECOSTARICA.COM
| COSTA
RICA NEWS BRIEFS
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Saturday 22 January 2011 |
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Costa
Rica To
Be
A Wi-Fi
Zone
If
presidenta
Laura
Chinchilla
has her
way,
Costa
Rica
will be
one big
Wi-Fi
zone,
which
means
free
wireless
internet
for
everyone.
The free
wireless
is
included
in the
Plan
Nacional
de
Desarollo
(National
Development
Plan)
2011-2014,
as one
of the
government's
priorities
in
science
and
technology.
Page 194
of the
document
reads
"Having
a
wireless
network
that
allows
the
public
permanent
access
to
Internet."
The
ministra
de
Ministerio
de
Ciencia
y
Tecnología
(Micit),
Clotilde
Fonseca,
confirms
the
interest
of the
government
to
develop
a free
network
at the
highest
speed
possible.
"The
idea is
to have
a
wireless
connectivity
layer,
for
example,
for
young
people
in
schools
and
colleges,
for
tourists
and for
small
and
medium
enterprises
(PYMES).
It would
be a
wide
band but
at a
speed
that
does not
compete
with
commercial
services,"
said
Fonseca.
The
ministra
said
¢180
million
colones
has been
allocated
to get
the
project
moving,
that
would be
similar
to a
project
Panama
is
developing
at a
cost of
us$25
million
dollars.
Panama
began
its free
wireless
internet
access
development
project
last
year,
bringing
to
everyone
a mixed
Wi-Max,
a high
speed
and long
range
signal,
while
Wi-Fi is
lower in
speed
and
range.
In
Panama,
an free
internet
signal
is
available
in
public
places
like
health
offices,
municipalities
and
libraries,
to name
a few,
offering
a
connection
between
512 Kbps
and 1
Mbps.
Fonseca
accepts
that the
budget
will not
allow
her
ministry
to fully
develop
the
plan,
for
which
she is
counting
on
financial
support
by the
Fondo
Nacional
de
Telecomunicaciones
(Fonatel),
boosted
by the
us$170
million
dollars
paid by
Movistar
and
Claro
for
cellular
licenses.
George
Miley,
head of
the
Superintendencia
General
de
Telecomunicaciones
(Sutel)
-
government
regulator
of
communications
in Costa
Rica -
says
that a
free
wireless
internet
would
greatly
benefit
the
country.
The La
Ley
General
de
Telecomunicaciones
(telecommunications
law)
requires
that
residents
of all
regions
of Costa
Rica and
without
discrimination
in terms
of price
and
quality
be
provided
with
minimum
telecommunications
services,
points
out
Miley
and the
free
wireless
internet
allows
the
government
to
comply
with the
law. |
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