In 2017, the number of mobile telephone lines per 100 inhabitants was 179, 5% higher than the 170 reported in 2016.
Authorities reported that the historical behavior of the indicator shows that "...from 2006 to 2013, increases in penetration were observed year after year. However, in 2014, and for the first time since 2006, growth stopped, since in 2013 the penetration of mobile telephony per 100inhabitants was 151 and in 2014 it increased to 149."
The Council of the SUTEL has declared to be under effective competition the following markets: International Telephony, Fixed Internet, International Roaming and Telecommunications Transit.
The Superintendency of Telecommunications postponed until the first quarter of 2017 the decision on a possible declaration of effective competition in mobile postpaid services.
A ruling by the Administrative Court found in favor of the state run telecoms company and obliges the regulator to update the relevant market data and level the playing field for all operators.
In the lawsuit, the Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad (ICE) argued that the failure to update data on relevant markets and operators prevented the Superintendency of Telecommunications from providing equal treatment to all telecommunications companies operating in the country. Because of this, Crhoy.com reports, "... only the ICE can be fined or receive penalties for noncompliance."
The Disputes Tribunal has ordered a halt, temporarily, of the $4 million fine imposed on the Costa Rican Electricity Institute for engaging in monopolistic practices.
The fine imposed by the Superintendency of Telecommunications (Sutel) has been temporarily suspended, confirmed the Regulation director of the Costa Rican Electricity Institute (ICE) to Crhoy.com .
The state-run telecom company ICE will pay $4 million for abusing its market power to bar entry to or cause the exit of other operators.
From a statement issued by the Superintendent of Telecommunications of Costa Rica (Sutel):
- Offenders must pay a fine of 0.58% of their gross income on mobile phones obtained during the preceding fiscal period because of the anti-competitive practice.
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.
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.
The market was declared dead several years ago, but the government of Costa Rica has been keeping it alive artificially at the expense of taxpayers purses.
Editorial
Radiographic Costarricense (RACSA), is a subsidiary of the state-owned Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad (ICE), the major player in the telecommunications industry in Costa Rica, even after the market opened in 2010.
The government has confirmed that the auction of the remaining 70 MHz of spectrum in 2015 will be only among the three current telecommunications operators.
In the end the Ministry of Science, Technology and Telecommunications (Micitt) announced that the auction of radio spectrum of 70MHz in early 2015, which aims to strengthen the current market, will be launched without the involvement of a fourth operator, as was originally considered.
Although in Costa Rica the convenience of the de-monopolization of the communications has been demonstrated, there is still resistance on the part of the government to allowing more operators to enter the market.
The market entry of a fourth mobile phone operator and thickening of the offer with 40Mhz are the two factors that are being studied before a call is made for bids which had been scheduled for the first months of 2015.
Cable and Wireless has acquired the company Columbus International, which belonged to Lazus SAS, a Costa Rican company that operates in the telecommunications market in the corporate segment.
With this acquisition Cable & Wireless will increase its presence in Central America, adding to Panama, where it ventured after acquiring 49% of the shares of the public operator.
Operators of the telecommunications market in Costa Rica are calling for intervention by the regulator in rates to be removed and for operations to be carried out within a framework of real commercial freedom.
After more than six years of having promoted laws which opened up the telecommunications market in Costa Rica, no operator has the ability to unilaterally set final prices or manipulate conditions in the telecommunications market.
The tender scheduled for the second half of the year includes a block of 40 MHz from the 1800 MHz band and a 30 MHz from the bands 1900/2100 MHz
After being canceled in late April by the Chinchilla administration, the Ministry of Science, Technology and Communications has decided to restart the project and is analysing how the bidding process will be structured.
The second tender planned for this year which would have allowed the entry of a fourth company into the phone market will not be completed.
According to the executive power, who took the decision to suspend the tender, there is not enough information available because the technical report of the Telecommunications Authority is "inconclusive" and contains figures which are out of date.
The Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad's share in the mobile phone market fell to 65%.
At the end of 2012 Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad (ICE) owned a 79% stake in the mobile market, and this was reduced to 65% in September 2013. That portion of the market was taken over by the foreign competitors Claro and Movistar.
According to figures from the Telecommunications regulator mentioned in an article on Nacion.com , "up to September 2013 the ICE had 4,278,183 active lines, which represents an increase of 0.7 % compared to the 4,248,684 lines it had in the last quarter of 2012."