The number of subscribers to the mobile and fixed Internet services increased from 2.5 million to 2.6 million between December 2016 and September 2017.
According to figures from the National Telecommunications Commission (Conatel), in the third quarter of last year "... The number of subscribers of fixed internet services reached a total of 245,924 at the end of this quarter of the year, observing a growth of 2.12% compared to the previous quarter.The number of mobile internet subscribers reached a total of 2,111,101, with a growth of 2.95% compared to the previous quarter."
In June 2012 the number of active lines was recorded at 19.8 million, 4.6% less than the 20.7 million recorded at end of 2011.
Elperiodico.com.gt reports that "After nearly two decades of steady expansion, in the first half of this year the cellular figures reported a negative, according to a report prepared by the Superintendency of Telecommunications (SIT)."
After one year of competition in mobile communications, the changes that have taken place reveal a market that is different from how many expected.
The market transformation has been swift and contained surprising nuances. Cellular penetration swiftly exceeded 100%, while the use of mobile Internet exceeded forecasts.
Pablo Fonseca's article in Nacion.com reports that "Although more changes will come in the short and medium term, it is good to take stock. Many people were clear that the Costa Rican market was no ordinary market and had certain characteristics that needed to be taken into account when dealing with it, such as a thirst for technology, the level of information being handled, the requirements to be able to receive what is being offered and the level of spending willing to be made for a handset “
The massive and growing use of mobile devices is hitting businesses hard, generating great opportunity and great risks.
A report from RSA (The Security of Business Innovation Council), once again brings to the forefront the growth of mobile phone use in businesses for both internal management and to communicate with customers and consumers. Each day more and more marketing and sales operations, support, and production management, involves mobile business applications.
Since the formal break up of the monopoly held by the state communications firm, ICE, the number of allocated cell lines has grown from 3.9 to 5.3 million.
Elfinancierocr.com reports that this information was obtained "by an appeal to the Constitutional Court, which forced the Sutel to provide the number of lines that the ICE had up to November 2011, which was considered a strategic issue by the state company and the regulator. "
Of the total numbers assigned, 26 million, 22.7 million are mobiles and only 3.3 million landlines.
At the end of the first half of 2011 there were 20.2 million registered numbers. Up until the end of August 2012, the Superintendency of Telecommunications (SIT) had delivered 26.03 million, 5.83 million in just over a year.
While the growth rate is unstable, so far this year 3.3 million cell phone numbers have been allocated versus 170,000 fixed telephone lines, said the administrator of the National Numbering Plan at the Superintendency of Telecommunications (Sit), Carlos Pineda.
From 3.1 million lines in 2004, mobile telephony in Guatemala has increased sevenfold, amounting to to 20.7 million lines at the end of 2011.
In the second half of 2011, more than two million new users were added to the market, making the number of users around the country at the end of December 2011 20.7 million, according to the Superintendencia de Telecomunicaciones (SIT).
The Costa Rican Electricity Institute (ICE) will buy 400.000 GSM phone lines from Ericsson Costa Rica.
Jaime Palermo, commercial director of the Institute, explained they have many 3G lines available for purchase, but clients prefer the GSM service, especially through pre-paid cards.
An article in Nacion.com noted that users prefer GSM, “because GSM devices are cheaper than their 3G counterparts”.
The bidding rules for getting a mobile telephony frequencies will be published on February 5th.
George Miley, president of the council of the Telecommunications Superintendent (Sutel), reported that the frequencies will be awarded on May 5th.
"Sutel will ask bidders to prove they are important companies. It will require 5 years of experience, presence in at least three countries and no less than 3 million phone subscribers", reported Nacion.com..
The Comptroller’s Office rejected the awarding of a total of 2.5 million prepaid lines for cellular and land line telephone systems, granted to the Chinese Huawei Technologies.
Vanessa Loaiza in her article in Nacion.com writes: "The news was transmitted at the end of the afternoon in electronic version in the newspaper El Financiero. According to this medium, the rejection was given because Huawei initially offered a total of $10.1 million for the pre-paid lines and then later applied a discount that left its offer at $6.4 million."
Chinese business has accumulated a total of $266 million in contracts with the Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad (ICE).
With very aggressive pricing policies, Huawei has positioned itself in Costa Rica as the leader in the provision of networks and cellular telephone systems. This leadership position enhances its ability to obtain bids currently under way, such as for the 200 radio bases that ICE needs to acquire.