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ICE and Verizon Locked in Phone
Book Battle
If you are reaching out for this
year's white pages (phone book)
by the Instituto Costarricense
de Electricidad (ICE) don't
worry if you can't find it. You
see, there isn't one for this
year. Not officially that is.
The Sala Constitucional (Sala
IV) gave ICE the green light to
rescind the contract with the
Verizon company who has been
publishing and distributing both
the white and yellow pages for
several years, including the
2005 edition.
The action by the Constitutional
court was followed by a "Recurso
Amparo" - an appeal - by Verizon
when it ran into problems with
the state telephone monopoly
over the publication of the 2005
white pages, asking for payment
as well as damages suffered by
the telephone company's actions.
Both ICE and Verizon are
anxiously waiting to put all of
this behind them.
The problems began when Verizon,
according to ICE officials,
changed the rules on the
publication of the 2005 white
pages.
Verizon decided to publish two
editions - one for the Area
Metropolitana (San José) and
another for the rest of the
provinces. ICE says that one
phone book must contain all the
names and numbers of it's
840.000 telephone subscribers,
just like it has been for the
last five years.
The phone book does not include
a directory for cellular
telephone subscribers. ICE does
not make that information
available on it's 113
(directory) service nor does it
publish a directory.
Verizon faces losing a us$2.4
million dollar guarantee that
was required by ICE to obtain
the contract. ICE says that the
contract specifically details
the rules for publishing the
white pages and that one
directory should include all the
names and numbers of it's
clients.
Verizon on the other hand argues
that it had been requesting a
change to the format since 2001,
wanting ICE to approve the
restructuring of the guide as
the yellow pages publication is
not producing the financial
results the company had
expected.
Verizon adds that it worked with
ICE officials early last year to
develop the new format and that
all parties were satisfied with
the results, which was then
formally presented to the
Subgerencia de
Telecomunicaciones del ICE in
May of 2004.
Verizon says it did not get an
answer until two months later,
when the publication was ready
for printing. The company says
that since it did not receive a
response within 30 days as
indicated by law, it took the
non communication as a silent
approval and proceeded with the
printing of the phone book.
In the meantime, and until next
year, a call to 113 is necessary
to get directory information.
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