Cellular Phone Lines Sold Out Like Hot Cakes
The lines for the 40.000 cellular telephone lines that went on sale yesterday began early in the morning and reports say that by 11am most of the lines at the small and large shops were already taken up, selling like the proverbial hotcakes.

The Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad (ICE) announced last week that it would be making lines available beginning on May 15, though it began a taking requests last Thursday.

Customers preferring to avoid the long lines at the ICE agencies flocked to the authorized ICE agents - cellular telephone retailers and "importadoras" - who were allowed to sell only 60% of the lines,

However, the lines at the retailers were equally as long and by lunch time all the lines were sold out, leaving many frustrated and disappointed at not being able to connect.

Curiously, ICE has some 100.000 available lines of the older technology known as TDMA, which it appears did not wet the appetite of new cellular customers, preferring the GSM technology and fully featured and sophisticated GSM phones, which include cameras, agendas, multimedia functions that play movies, MP3 music, etc.

When the dust finally settled, some potential customers were upset to learn that ICE still had 16.000 lines available. However, these lines, though their owners had yet to claim them, where already assigned to those who called and made an appointment. ICE, not to over extend its agencies, assigned a date and time for the customers to go in and connect.

If you are one of the left out yesterday, take notice that ICE will be announcing the sale of 300.000 GSM lines, which are expected by August, in time for Mother's Day in Costa Rica.

The lines are part of an expansion of the Ericsson network that installed the last 600.000 GSM lines and is possible through a clause in the contract that allows the purchase without having to be tendered. Before the purchase can be completed, ICE requires the approval of the Contraloría (Comptroller's office).

The same is available for the Alcatel network, which would have allowed ICE an extra 200.000 lines (50% of the initial installation). However, due to the scandal surrounding that purchase that saw charges of corruption against several Alcatel officials and former Costa Rican president, Miguel Angel Rodríguez, ICE officials decided to pass on that.

In addition, ICE is working on a tender for the purchase of 1.500.000 cellular lines of the third generation known as 3G,w which include more features and services, like the transfer of multimedia files - video and music and teleconferencing. Those lines, if the process is not bogged down, should be available by the end of next year.