SUTEL Publishes
Bidding Rules
For Cellular
Phone Operators
The opening of
the cellular
telecommunications
market in Costa
Rica took
another giant
step forward in
a process that
is slower than a
turtle's run, as
the
Superintendencia
de
Telecomunicaciones
(SUTEL)
published this
week a
preliminary
request for
bids.
The regular has,
after a lenghty
delay, released
a draft of the
bidding rules on
its website that
will eventually
see the chosing
of three mobile
operators to
compete with the
Instituto
Costarricense de
Electricidad
(ICE) and break
the decades old
monopoly.
The delay in the
release of the
bidding rules
was mainly due
to allegations
of conflicts of
interest.
Earlier this
week the
Contraloría
General de la
República
(Comptroller's
office) dropped
their
investigations,
clearing the way
for the SUTEL to
process, said
SUTEL president,
Geroge Miley.
Miley said there
are hopes to
award
concessions as
early as
September
Bidding to
operate in Costa
Rica are
Irish-owned
Digicel Group;
Latin America's
largest wireless
carrier, America
Movil; Spain's
Telefonica;
London-based
Cable &
Wireless; and,
Millicom
International.
With the
exception of
Cuba, Costa Rica
is the only
Latin American
country with a
state
telecommunications
monopoly, as
ICE, although
the passing of
law allowing for
competition in
the sector,
continues to be
sole provider in
Costa Rica.
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