ICE Says It Does NO
Longer Needs Approval To
Raise Telephone Rates
The Instituto
Costarricense de
Electricidad (ICE) - the
state telecom - has
given itself a 10% raise
in telephone rates, in
both fixed and cellular
lines, without the
approval of the state
regualtory agency, the
Autoridad Reguladora de
los Servicios Públicos (Aresep).
ICE says it can raise
the rates without
regulatory approval
thanks to the recently
passed Ley General de
Telecomunicaciones, that
opens up the
telecommunications
sector to competition,
even though there is yet
no competition.
ICE directors voted to
raise the basic cellular
line rates from ¢2.900
to ¢3.190 colones that
includes 60 minutes of
air time. The per minute
rates were also raised
from ¢30 to ¢33 colones
for peak time and from
¢23 to ¢25 colones for
evening calls.
The state institution
also changed the peak
time and hours,
extending the higher
call time to between 6am
and 12 midnight, all
other times are at the
reduced rate. The peak
time before the change
was between 7am and 7pm.
What the change means in
actuality is that a
customer using 240
minutes a month will now
pay ¢9.000 colones
instead of ¢7.900.
As to fixed line
telephone rates, the
basic residential rate
will no be ¢2.035 from
¢1.850 colones. The per
minute charge will go
from ¢4.1 to ¢4.5
colones during peak
times and from ¢2 to
¢2.25 at other times.
All the rates are
subject to sales tax
being added.
At the end of last
month, ICE announced a
reduction in
international calls and
internet rates that have
already been reflected
on the December bills.
However, ICE did not say
if the new basic and per
minute rates are already
in effect, and if not,
when they will be in
effect.
A letter to the
regulador general,
Fernando Herrero, on
December 19, 2008,
stated the new rates.
According to the
document signed by Erick
Jiménez, ICE's legal
director, it was only
sent to the regulador to
inform them of the
changes.
The last time cellular
rates were increased was
in 2006 and fixed line
rates back in 2002.
ICE's monopoly ended
last year with the
passing of the Ley
General de
Telecomunicaciones and
in the coming months the
Superintendencia de
Telecomunicaciones will
be regulating a market.
However, ICE does not
yet have any competitors
and continues to be sole
provider of all
telecommunications in
the country. |
