The Wait is Finally Over!
Beginning 7:30pm tonight, the 250.000 new GSM lines will be ready for sale to the public after a long wait. The head of the "móviles" at the Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad (ICE) - the state monopoly on telecommunications - Orlando Cascante, says that many stores will be open late tonight to be the first to fill customer orders. ICE offices close at 5pm, but tomorrow (Tuesday) morning you can bet that the lines will be long.

However, there is no need for the long lines since every customer who has made a request for a line will be service, as the 250.000 of the 600.000 lines fill the need until next March when the balance of the network will be available.

ICE will first fill the requests of those who placed their name on a waiting list, which according to figures released by ICE totals 179.000.

The new network will only start up with basis services similar to the existing GSM network. It won't be until March of next year when the complete system will be delivered to ICE by the Ericcson company that will include such features as full multimedia message and security in the event the phone is lost.

The multimedia features include the transfer of music and video files, including downloading from the internet. One of the reasons for the delay is that ICE does not have the rate approval for the additional services.

Security will also be an important feature of the new GSM network. A phone reported lost or stolen will be difficult to reconnect to the network. Cascante says that the network is able to read the cellular telephone's serial number and once reported, it is useless in Costa Rica to anyone but the original owner.

Another security feature is the ability of the 9-1-1 service to locate a cellular telephone in an emergency. Calling 9-1-1 from a cellular phone on the new network will allow 9-1-1 emergency to locate the unit and send help is unable to speak or provide directions, an important feature in Costa Rica, since address and directions are based on landmarks and knowledge of the city.

Those wanting to connect to the new GSM network will be required to:

- present an original copy of the receipt for the purchase of the telephone

- original copy of the cedula

- original copy of a utiliy bill (water, electricity, telephone)

- ¢12.500 colones for the deposit

- the telephone unit to be connected should be charged and should be on the list of approved phones (see www.grupoice.com for the list)

- not have any debt (unpaid phone bills, both cellular and fixed lines) with ICE


ICE hours are from 7:30am to 5pm at all offices around the country. Authorized agents (retailers) can also sell the new GSM lines and have hours varying to their location and business practices. The same requirements are at ICE offices or authorized agents.