With the declaration of effective competition in the mobile telecommunications market it is expected a reduction in prices and an increase in the commercial supply offered by operators.
Mobile telephony and mobile internet services are now free from tariff regulation by the Superintendence of Telecommunications (Sutel).The entity declared effective competition in this segment of the telecommunications marketon September 18.
If the proposal put forward by the Superintendence of Telecommunications is successful, the rates for telephony and mobile internet will be free of regulation.
The proposal to declare effective competition in the mobile phone market will put to public consultation for the next 15 days.
In the tender for 70 MHz of frequencies for telephone and mobile telephone and Internet services in Costa Rica, Claro paid $19 million for three blocks of frequencies and Movistar $24 million for four blocks.
In the against the clock auction, in a single round, the Telecommunications Superintendence (Sutel) sold the 70 MHz that had been left idle since the first radio spectrum contest was held in 2011.
For the third time the date for submitting bids in the 70 MHz tender for the radio spectrum for international mobile technology services has been postponed.
For the third time, the deadline has been changed for submitting the proposals, after the operators interested in thetender filed appeals and objections against the tender conditions.
Cars, medicines, cell phones and wireless networking equipment topped the list of goods imported by the countries of the region at the end of the fourth quarter of 2016.
From the Central America Trade Monitor report, IV quarter 2016, by the SIECA:
Central America, March 30, 2017. Central American Trade saw a varied performance among countries in the region, according to figures from latestCentral American Trade Monitor report,for the fourth quarter of 2016.
Between January and September 2016 the countries in the region imported $791 million worth of cellular phones, 6% less than the imports in the same period in 2015.
Figures from the information system on themobile phone market in Central America compiled by the Business Intelligence Unit at CentralAmericaData: [Figure caption = "Click to interact with graphics"]
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.
A tender is being launched in Costa Rica for seven generic blocks (2 x 5 MHz) in the bands of 1800 MHz and 1900/2100 MHz of the radio spectrum for mobile telephony and Internet.
Government Purchase No. 354-2015 Costa Rica-TEL-MICITT:
"The Superintendency of Telecommunications (Sutel), is putting out to tender by means of a Public Act seven generic blocks (2 x 5 MHz) in the bands of 1800 MHz and 1900/2100 MHz for mobile telephony and internet services.
In the early years of the real market opening for cell lines, the Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad lost 518,000 customers to the hands of private companies.
Since number portability became effective on November 30, 2013, there have been 782,000 changeovers, according to figures from the Sutel requested by Nacion.com.That figure represents 10% of the 7.5 million mobile phone lines registered in December 2015.
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.
Five years after the market opened up, three municipalities continue to prioritize landscape aesthetics versus the need to install structures to ensure cell phone coverage.
Two court cases motivated by the governments of the municipalities of Esparza and Moravia, and the filing an appeal with the Sala I by the Municipality of Curridabat, summarize the legal objections raised because of the installation of towers for the provision of cell phone services in Costa Rica, and which continue to generate controversy five years after the opening of the telecommunications sector, according to an article by Nacion.com.
If the Sutel's proposal is approved, on December Costa Rica will eliminate the tariff regulation for the international telephone, internet and postpaid cellular telephony markets.
From a statement issued by the Superintendency of Telecommunications (Sutel):
The Superintendency of Telecommunications (Sutel), has started a process of public consultation of the technical analysis of the telecommunications markets.
A complaint from the state run telecommunications company in Costa Rica has been dismissed after it argued that its competitors Claro and Movistar were using monopolistic practices in their services for international voice and data roaming.
The Superintendency of Telecommunications (Sutel) and the Commission to Promote Competition (COPROCOM) decided not to recommend any sanction against alleged monopolistic practices by Movistar and Claro, annulling the suit filed in May 2015 by the Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad (ICE).
The only countries in America where mobile phone prices are still regulated are El Salvador and Costa Rica. It is no coincidence that these countries are among the last in the rankings for speed of mobile internet services.
EDITORIAL
And it is no coincidence that these two countries also suffer from the existence of the heaviest controlling bureaucracies in the Central American isthmus, with clear consequences for the slow adaptation to changes experienced by the global economy, particularly globalization.
In 2015 Central American countries bought $1251 million worth of mobile phones, of which 39% came from the US, 26% from China, 19% from Hong Kong and 5% from South Korea.
Figures from the Business Intelligence unit at CentralAmericaData.COM com indicate that in 2015 the main importer of cell phones was Guatemala, with $419 million, followed by Costa Rica, which spent $364 million, El Salvador, with $181 million, and Honduras, which imported $141 million worth of mobile phones.