Basic rate for landline phone service to increase 83%

September 23^rd, 2013 (InsideCostaRica.com) Costa Rica’s telecom regulator, SUTEL, announced that the basic rate for landline phone service in Costa Rica would increase by 83% in coming weeks.

Costa Rican residents currently pay a base rate of $3.60, which includes 160 minutes of calls per month.

The new rate will be approximately $6.60 per month, but each operator will be able to define how many minutes the base rate includes.

The new rate applies to both standard landlines and VoIP lines.

The per-minute fee for calls between two landlines will also increase 81.2%, though the increase represents less than one-cent USD per minute.

The good news is that the cost of landline-to-cellular calls will decrease by 33%, falling from 6 cents per minute to 4 cents.

The basic rate for landline phone service has remained unchanged since 2004.

SUTEL estimates that with the increases, the average landline subscriber will be about $13.80 per month, up from $17.30, or an increase of 25.3%.

The change will come into effect following its publication in the official journal, “La Gaceta.”