ICE Cannot Raise
Rates Without Approval,
Says Regulador
Earlier this week the
Instituto Costarricense
de Electricidad (ICE) -
state telecom -
announced a raise of 10%
in fixed line and
cellular telephone
rates, without obtaining
the required approval by
the Autoridad Reguladora
de Servicios Públicos (Aresep).
The ICE board of
directors said it did
not need, under the
newly passed Ley de
Telecommunicaciones,
approval by the Aresep
and fixed line rates
would jump to ¢2.035
from ¢1.850 and to
¢3.190 from ¢2.900, with
60 minutes of call time,
for cellular rates. In
addition, SMS text
messaging and per minute
charges would be
increased.
No date was set for the
introduction of the new
rates.
However, the Regulador
General, Fernando
Herrero, says that ICE
cannot increase rates
without approval, in
this case not before the
Superintendencia de
Telecomunicaciones (Sutel),
which is in the process
of being created, has
had a change to study
the change.
Sutel is expected to be
ready to be operational
by the end of January
and will be the
organization responsible
to oversee and regulate
the telecommunications
industry in the country
and assess the needs and
conditions of the
market.
If ICE or any future
telecommunications
operators makes changes
in its rates, Sutel will
be responsible for its
regulation and sanction
infringements.
Herrero explained that
people will be able to
complain to the Sutel
about rates and
services, although the
filing of the complaint
will still be made with
the Aresep, it will be
handed over to the Sutel.
Elberth Durán, a
spokesperson for ICE,
explained that with the
changes in the
telecommunications
sector, the Aresep no
longer has the power to
regulate telephone rates
of ICE and other
operators. |
