No Cellular
Competition For
This Year. Maybe
Next.
Although many
are holding
their hopes for
competition to
ICE's cellular
service, it will
not happen this
year. At best,
the competition
will be around
in 2011, if not
2012.
This due to the
Superintendencia
de
Telecomunicaciones
(Sutel) -
telecommunications
regulator - just
beginning the
bidding process
after long
delays.
In total, three
competitors will
be chosen to
enter the Costa
Rican cellular
market to
compete directly
with the state
telecom, the
Instituto
Costarricense de
Electricidad
(ICE).
According to
George Miley,
president of the
the Sutel, if
all goes well
the earliest the
competition can
start up is 12
months, though
the could begin
setting up their
systems as early
as within six to
nine months.
However, Costa
Rica is famous
for delays after
delays.
When the opening
of the
telecommunications
sector occurred
a couple of
years back, it
was expected
that competition
would be well
established by
2010.
For the new
players the
Sutel has some
requirements
that must be
met, each has to
have at last 1.5
million cellular
customers in
other countries,
at least five
years experience
in the field and
have at least
us$450 million
dollars in sales
from cellular
services.
If all goes
well, the first
public hearing
could begin as
early as May 21,
then will begin
the process of
reviewing the
bids, with the
final decision
falling on the
shoulders of
Costa Rica's new
president or "presidenta"
as she likes to
be called, Laura
Chinchilla and
her technical
advisors based
on Sutel
recommendations.
At least five
companies have
an eye on Costa
Rica's cellular
business,
including
America Movil,
Digicel and
Movistar. |
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