The country was the only one in Central America which had no law on the subject.
Telephone companies have until next September 30 to do everything that the law requires to start operating a number portability system by October 1.
According to Deputy Thomas Zambrano, the law will benefit more than seven million users who are subscribed to three mobile companies including Tigo, Claro and Hondutel.
The supervisor of telecommunications and major operators have agreed to implement number portability in November 2013.
After arguing that it was technically impossible to implement the necessary equipment until March 2014, "the Costa Rican Electricity Institute (ICE) agreed to accelerate the purchase of equipment in order to implement number portability, while Movistar and Claro operators relaxed deadlines for developing the system which had been agreed on months ago," noted an article in Elfinancierocr.com.
The state telecoms company says it can not adapt its systems to number portability by March 2014.
The ICE has set up every possible legal and administrative resource in order to prevent the entry into operation of number portability, so that it can perpetuate its business advantage (captive customers) in the light of newcomers. Now it is simply reporting that it is technically unprepared to join the system by which mobile phone users can retain their telephone identification when moving from one operator to another.
In Guatemala and proposals arising from the recently passed amendment to the Communications Act, which extended radio concessions for 20 years.
In light of the act coming into effect, deputies in the Transparency Commission are preparing a bill relating to the issue of transparency, Deputy Carlos Barreda, a member of the panel, said "We must establish that the usufruct be delivered through an auction or implement a public payment for its renewal.
The extension for another 20 years, without any fees, of the concessions for radio frequencies, will deprive the Guatemalan State of millions in income, and removes market transparency.
While in other countries concessions for the use of radio frequencies provide state coffers with many millions of dollars, in Guatemala, Congress has passed legislation extending licenses that are currently in effect for another 20 years, without any costs to the concessionaries, who in addition at the end of the period of usufruct, may renew them again.
Guatemala's Congress has amended the Telecommunications Act, increasing to 20 years the time of usufruct for the radio, television and telephony frequencies.
When the deadline has been passed, a request for extension can be made for a similar period.
"When parliamentarians were asked about why they supported the reform, most agreed that it was to create legal certainty for multinational companies wishing to invest in the country.
Telephone companies are appealing for a presidential veto against the establishment of international call rates by the regulator SIGET.
With the authentic interpretation of Legislative Decree 132, the Legislature gave the Superintendency of Electricity and Communications (SIGET) the authority to set international interconnection charges.
As a consequence, the telephone companies asked the Salvadoran President Mauricio Funes, to veto the authentic interpretation of the law.
If approved, the usufruct of radio, television and telephony frequencies would be extended to 25 years.
The reform of the Telecommunications Act will allow beneficiaries of radio, telephone and television frequencies, who have been given usufruct for 15 years to request an extension to 25 years.
"If the law is passed, the Superintendency of Telecommunications (SIT) 'shall, no later than 15 days after filing the request for extension of the lease, provide the titles for a period of 25 years.'
Costa Rica businesses are insisting that they be granted the necessary permits for installation of cell phone towers that will enable quality communication services.
A communication from the Costa Rican Union of Chambers and Associations of Private Business Sector (UCCAEP) reads:
UCCAEP urges authorities to act to make privatisation of telecommunications a reality.
Since November 2010 installing a cell phone tower within 15 kilometers of a Costa Rican airport has required a detailed analysis and authorisation by the Civil Aviation Authority.
Prior to that date, the Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad (ICE) had no trouble installing the towers, but now the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has decided to adhere to international standards and make everyone endure the the red tape required for granting installation permits.
December 14th is the new date set by Sutel for reception of bids for the cellular market.
The original date for bid reception was Nov. 5. The changes requested by the Comptroller General forced Sutel to change the schedule.
Elfinancierocr.com reports that the newspaper [the official journal Gaceta] published in their Errata section, "The other conditions in the bid terms will remain unchanged for now, Sutel, in the coming days, will proceed with the publication of the amendments.”
If the schedule is followed as expected, by September 2011 the mobile telephony concessions will be awarded.
Costa Rica's Telecommunications Regulator (SUTEL) has made public the invitation to tender for the cellular telephony frequencies.
The work schedule, if the process is not appealed, will contain the following key dates: 5 November to receive technical and economic offers, 3 December for the offers to begin being reviewed.
It will take at least 18 months to get the project operational that will enable people to keep their telephone number when they change providers.
Luis Méndez, head of El Salvador's electricity and telecommunications regulator (Siget), stated that, "we need a year and a half to make number portability operational because in addition to the investment required, companies need to update their equipment and agree a contract with the central administrator that will manage the numbers. To do all this in less than 18 months is practically impossible," reports Laprensagrafica.com.
The government has set aside a budget of $22 million for the intervention center to monitor communications.
The remit of the Telecommunications Interception Center is defined in the Special Telecommunications Interception Law approved by the Legislative Assembly as a tool against organized crime.
"While it won't be possible to spend the whole amount in one go, this is a priority project for us and for El Salvador and we need to analyze how to plan the expenditure," said the Treasury Minister, Carlos Cáceres.
The upcoming publication of the conditions for the opening up of telecommunications leads operators to request clearer rules.
Telecommunication companies have asked Costa Rica's Telecommunications Regulator (SUTEL) to provide greater clarity in several areas including procedures for installing Radio Bases, interfacing with networks belonging to the state-owned electricity and telecommunications provider (ICE), and microwave communication.