Competition In
Internet Service Getting Ready To
Begin Operations
A total of 44 companies are looking
forward to giving the Instituto
Costarricense de Electricidad (ICE)
competition for internet services.
Of the 44 who have expressed an
interest, 27 are waiting on the
Superintendencia de
Telecomunicaciones (Sutel) to issue
them a permit to begin operations,
while the rest are still in the
approval process.
It is expected that the 27
companies, or the better part of
them, will begin offering internet
services by the end of this month or
the next.
Currently only ICE and the
Radiográfica Costarricense (Racsa),
a wholly owned ICE subsidiary, are
offering internet services in Costa
Rica.
The approval of the Ley de
Telecommunicaciones ended the 60
year ICE monopoly on
telecommunications in the country
and created the Sutel, allowing
competitors to enter the market.
However, delays and legal tactics by
ICE, like the failure to pay Sutel
fees on time, have stalled the
process of competition, especially
in the cellular telephone service
sector.
The process of obtaining an
operating permit is in four steps:
initial presentation, publication of
proposal, opposition and licensing,
according to the Sutel.
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