The National Telecommunications Fund (Fonatel) is endowed with payments for operating licenses awarded to telecom operators such as Claro and Movistar, and currently has $190 million to be used to promote access to quality, timely, efficient, affordable and competitive telecommunications services, for the inhabitants of areas of the country where the cost of investment for the installation and maintenance of infrastructure for the provision of these services is not financially profitable.

According to Nacion.com "the first project using money from the National Telecommunications Fund (Fonatel) could start running in December."

George Miley Rojas, a Sutel Council member, said "’The idea is to reach 5,000 people and give them mobile and fixed telephony coverage, broadband connectivity and to connect schools, the Ebais (public health clinics) and the intelligent centers which are there’ and that ‘the tender will be held in October and November.’"

Source: Nacion.com

More on this topic

Costa Rica: $6 million for Telecommunications

February 2017

The state run electricity company ICE and Claro have obtained contracts to build infrastructure to provide internet and mobile telephony services in 620 communities in the province of Limon.

From a statement issued by the Sutel:

January 5, 2017. The National Telecommunications Fund (FONATEL) through Banco Nacional, as administrator of the Trust, signed contracts with Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad (ICE) and Claro to bring internet telephony to 620 vulnerable communities in the districts of Siquirres, Pococi, Guácimo, Matina, Limón and Talamanca.

Awards: Telecoms Projects for $10 million

May 2015

In Costa Rica contracts have been awarded to the Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad and Claro to provide telephony and broadband Internet services in six cantons in the south of the country.

The Costa Rican Electricity Institute (ICE) will be responsible for developing projects in Buenos Aires, Osa, Corredores, Coto Brus and Golfito. Meanwhile Claro de Costa Rica is in charge of projects in the area of ​​Perez Zeledon.

Democracy vs. Public Corporations

April 2013

The Costa Rica state telecom company is moving away from the purpose that justifies its existence and is impeding the exercise of the popular will in terms of the cellular market opening up.

The Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad (ICE), after using every piece of legal chicanery imaginable to prevent the implementation of number portability, is now simply saying "I WONT SIGN", citing technical insolvency as its reason for not integrating the system that allows users to migrate from one cellular communication provider to another, while keeping their phone number.

Costa Rica: No Bids for Rural Telephony

March 2013

The project to use wireless technology to bring Internet communications to isolated rural communities has not attracted any companies.

No companies showed interest in the project to provide telephone and internet services to six Costa Rican Caribbean communities.

Nacion.com reports that "the Telecommunications Superintendency (Sutel) said that it did not receive any bids to develop the project of the National Telecommunications Fund (Fonatel) in six communities in Siquirres and Pacuarito.