60.000 GSM Lines On
Monday
For those looking for a
cellular line, the
Instituto Costarricense
de Electricidad (ICE),
will be making available
60.000 GSM lines
beginning Monday,
December 15.
The lines are those lost
by customers who didn't
pay their bills or those
given up by customers.
These are not new lines.
However, since the
demand is much greater,
the lines on Monday will
be given first to the
150.000 on the waiting
list. ICE will begin
connecting customers
based on their
'reservation' number.
ICE says that it has
already begun to notify
customers on the waiting
list and will allow up
to 5.000 connections
daily.
The state telecom has
promised 300.000 lines
by the end of this year
and beginning of the
next, however, there is
no official word on when
the other 240.000 lines
will be made available.
Currently there are 1.8
million cellular lines -
1.3 million GSM and
500.000 TDMA, which is
expected to be phased
out by the end of next
year, when ICE plans to
introduce 950.000 new
lines of the 3G
generation of cellular
service.
Earlier this year
legislators approved
competition in the
telecommunications
sector. Private
operators interested in
setting up shop in Costa
Rica are still going
through the process of
getting permits and
licenses, thus, for the
meantime, ICE continues
as the sole provider of
cellular service in the
country.
Requirements to
obtain cellular service
in Costa Rica:
1. A cedula (citizen or
permanent resident)
2. Pay the ˘12.500
deposit
3. Present a copy of a
utility bill (water or
electricity)
4. Receipt for the
purchase of the cellular
phone to be connected
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