While mobile technologies are constantly increasing their significance in the lives of citizens, Costa Rican municipalities are still creating obstacles to the much needed installation of essential towers in their jurisdictions.
An article in Nacion.com reports that "...At a slow pace and going door to door, the Ministry of Science, Technology and Telecommunications (Micitt) is trying to convince 28 municipalities to facilitate the installation of cellular antennas in their cantons."
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.
The arbitrariness with which municipalities are issuing permits to build cell towers is preventing controls and the ability to demand better coverage.
The obstacles imposed by the different municipalities have forced the suspension of the timeframe which telephone companies were given to meet the required demand for coverage in order to operate in the market.
Businesses have denounced the arbitrariness with which municipalities are establishing rates and conditions for granting permits for setting up telecommunication towers.
The Chamber of Information and Communication Technology (Infocom) claims that the municipalities, citing their legal autonomy, are establishing their own conditions when companies request permits to install telecom towers in different areas.
Regulation of mobile telephony tariffs is preventing the development of efficient services and competition between operators.
Removing the tariff regulations on cellular services and improving the availability and access to broadband should be a priority for the new government, say experts in the field.
"Fabio Masís, executive director of the Chamber of Information and Technology Association says it is necessary to issue a declaration of effective mobile phone service competition so that operators can really compete for prices," reported Crhoy.com.
The arrival of new mobile services could be delayed if the uncertainty surrounding the renewal of licenses to mobile operators continues.
A report by the company GSMA, a firm that brings together more than 800 mobile operators in the world, presented a study which analyzes the state of the radio spectrum in Latin America and how the licenses are renewed for use in countries such as Costa Rica, Guatemala and Panama.
Costa Rica's Administrative Court has ruled against several municipalities for excessive restrictions on installing mobile communication towers.
The companies Alta Vista Towers S. A., Costa Pacífico Torres Ltda and Claro Costa Rica sued the emunicipalities of Santa Ana and Montes de Oca because of prohibitions on the placement of cell towers.
These companies argued before the Dispute Tribunal "that provisions related to height, location and distance make it almost impossible to install antennas", reported Nacion.com.
The privatization of telecommunications in Costa Rica is still hampered by bureaucracy and lack of agreements in favor of consumers.
They are still 13 Costa Rican municipalities who are not authorizing the installation of “so called” cell towers because of lack of regulations in this respect, or because the regulations, where they do exist, contains disproportionate demands which make it "virtually impossible to install the structures."
The technology installed in the towers is from the 21st Century. The bureaucracy that is authorizing them is from the 19th century.
The progress of communications is getting slower in Costa Rica, with cell phone companies unable to meet the deadlines for achieving the necessary territorial coverage, because municipalities are taking up to 5 ½ months to give permission for each tower.
The Guatemalan company Continental Towers will receive funding from the International Finance Corporation to build and maintain cell towers in Central America.
According to an article in Elperiodico.com.gt, "The IFC's investment includes a loan of $40 million and a syndicated loan of $80 million with Banco HSBC Panamá, Banco General de Panamá, the Dutch Entrepreneurial Development Bank (FMO) and the Inter American Corporation for Infrastructure Financing. "
The telephone operators Claro and Movistar are still facing serious bureaucratic obstacles with the municipalities of Costa Rica over the installation of cellular towers.
Some municipalities are delaying, hindering or even prohibiting the installation of infrastructure by the operators Claro and Movistar, an operation which needs to be carried out in order to comply with their contracts.
Claro and Movistar are bringing forward their plans to grow putting the state run ICE, until recently a monopoly, under pressure.
Claro plans to advance by four years rolling out their infrastructure. For its part, Movistar reports that its sales network has grown 30% since November, when they and Claro entered the market, breaking up the state monopoly by the ICE.
While announcing that the service coverage will be limited due to problems with local municipalities regarding the installation of antennas, the Spanish company opened pre-registration for clients.
The announcement was made by the Director for Costa Rica, Jorge Abadia, adding "We wont have the 100% coverage that we would like from the first day but we will achieve it."
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.