Since rules came into effect on number portability, Costa Rica's state telephone company has lost 559 thousand lines, which have swelled the client lists of the two foreign competitors that operate in the mobile telephony market.
The possibility of keeping the same cell phone number and changing operator has existed since November 2013, and since then, Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad (ICE) has lost almost 560 thousand lines, which passed into the hands of Telefónica, which operates the brand Movistar, and Claro, a brand of the Mexican company América Móvil.
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.
Fourteen companies have registered to provide a service that up until now has been dominated by the state operator, operating 97% of basic telephone lines.
By June 15, 2015 at the latest, operating companies must be prepared to offer service and maintenance in porting numbers, as is done with cell phone lines
Crhoy.com reports that "... The Telecommunications Superintendency established a maximum date as high for operators to start providing the number portability service for landlines, which is a right of the phone users."
After the opening up of the telecommunications market, the number of postpaid cellular lines are down from 1.6 million in 2010 to 1.1 million as at the end of 2012.
Prepaid connections currently represent 80% of the lines that exist in the country, while two years ago the figure was barely 49%, according to a study by the Telecommunications Superintendency (Sutel).
With its entry into force in late November, both the regulator as well as telephone companies predict fierce competition because of attempts to retain and attract customers.
"This law promotes stronger dynamism in the market and gives the user the power to negotiate what suits them. It requires companies to provide more service. It is a climate of true market competition," said Eduardo Castellon spokesman for the Superintendencia de Telecomunicaciones (Sutel).
When portability was allowed in Panama, some expected an stampede of users unhappy with their providers, but the dynamics have been very different.
This same feeling is held by the telecommunications companies in Costa Rica, who could take the situation in Panama as an example, where changes represent only 1.92% of the number of cell phone customers in the country, estimated at 6, 7 million up to the end of 2012.
The supervisor of telecommunications and major operators have agreed to implement number portability in November 2013.
After arguing that it was technically impossible to implement the necessary equipment until March 2014, "the Costa Rican Electricity Institute (ICE) agreed to accelerate the purchase of equipment in order to implement number portability, while Movistar and Claro operators relaxed deadlines for developing the system which had been agreed on months ago," noted an article in Elfinancierocr.com.
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.
The state telecoms company says it can not adapt its systems to number portability by March 2014.
The ICE has set up every possible legal and administrative resource in order to prevent the entry into operation of number portability, so that it can perpetuate its business advantage (captive customers) in the light of newcomers. Now it is simply reporting that it is technically unprepared to join the system by which mobile phone users can retain their telephone identification when moving from one operator to another.
Without full interconnection and number portability, the state telecommunications company retains a disproportionate advantage, contrary to the equality of conditions expected by private operators.
An editorial published in Nacion.com states that in Costa Rica, the opening of the telecommunications market is still incomplete, and points to the strength of the Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad, which until last year had a monopoly on telecommunications, as being responsible of this situation.
It is being said that the state run telecommunications company in Costa Rica is practicing a delaying strategy against free competition and freedom of choice for users.
Elfinancierocr.com reports that "The Costa Rican Electricity Institute (ICE) is appealing against the decision by the Telecommunications Superintendent (SUTEL) which selected the company El Corte Ingles as the reference entity to manage number portability in the country.'
The decision had become log jammed in the Number Portability Committee because of the vote of the state telecommunications company, which it is assumed will be harmed by the portability.
Nacion.com reports that "The Board of the Telecommunications (Sutel) selected the Spanish firm Informatica El Corte Ingles as the one to offer the service of number portability in the country." ... "The Sutel made the decision after the Number Portability Committee-consisting of telephone operators and providers-could not reach an agreement to select the reference entity. "
The state-owned communications company in Costa Rica has filed 20 law suits in an attempt to stop number portability.
Surveys say that mobile users aren’t currently showing much inclination to switch service providers. New entrants have experienced set backs in providing coverage throughout Costa Rica, due to, among other factors, the difficulties in obtaining the necessary permits from municipalities to install their antennas.
After the regulator SUTEL’s rejection of a petition by the Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad to delay the implementation of number portability, the original date of February 2013 has been maintained.
The Superintendency of Telecommunications (Sutel) will launch on September 17th a competition for the selection of a company to provide complete management services for the implementation, operation and management of the Integrated Number Portability system for Costa Rica.
The Superintendency of Telecommunications is inviting participants to a preliminary hearing to receive comments on a draft specification for a future tender.
The Superintendency of Telecommunications (SUTEL) and the Technical Committee on Number Portability (operators and mobile service providers) are inviting interested companies to participate in a preliminary hearing to receive comments on the draft bidding rules, aimed at the selection of a company which will provide complete management services for the implementation, operation and management of Integrated Number Portability for Costa Rica.
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