Costa Rica: Deregulation of Cell Phone Rates

Regulation of mobile telephony tariffs is preventing the development of efficient services and competition between operators.

Thursday, April 24, 2014

Removing the tariff regulations on cellular services and improving the availability and access to broadband should be a priority for the new government, say experts in the field.

"Fabio Masís, executive director of the Chamber of Information and Technology Association says it is necessary to issue a declaration of effective mobile phone service competition so that operators can really compete for prices," reported Crhoy.com.

"Up until now, the Telecommunications regulator (Sutel) has provided the price ranges of these services without operators being able to compete effectively."

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Telecoms in Costa Rica: Liberate Mobile Rates

May 2015

Six years after the market opened, authorities are assessing whether competition is effective in order to eliminate caps and free up rates for mobile telephony and the internet.

The methodology for determining whether or not there is effective or genuine competition in the telecommunications market has already been approved and the Telecommunications Regulator expects to have the results no later than the end of the year.

Costa Rica: Telecoms Moving Slowly

January 2015

Even though demand continues to grow, operators are not able to grow due to lack of effective competition in the mobile market and delays in the allocation of spectrum.

A portion of customers in the cellular market and other telecommunications services such as internet and cable television are still dissatisfied, but telecommunications companies are not able to increase their services due to the slow rate at which the rules are set and at which infrastructure problems are addressed.

Costa Rica: Call for Liberalization of Prices in Telecommunications

August 2014

The industry is calling for effective competition to be allowed with the market setting rates and not the Telecommunications Regulator.

Operators of telephony and internet services are asking for the establishment of maximum rates by the Superintendencia de Telecomunicaciones (Sutel) to be eliminated, applying what is contemplated in the Telecommunications Act, which allows the possibility of not intervening in the setting of rates. The companies point out that "... the market prices are up to six times lower than the maximum rate established by the Sutel."

4G Frequencies Under Consideration in Costa Rica

May 2013

The Government is considering a possible tender for a new radio frequency block that would provide fourth-generation mobile services.

Alejandro Cruz, Minister of Science, Technology and Telecommunications (Micitt), asked the Sutel to define the future of the 70 MHz block not auctioned in 2011, when Telefonica and Claro were awarded frequencies.

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