Cellular
Operators
Question
Conditions Of
Opening Of
Cellular Market
In Costa Rica
The Real
Intercontinental
hotel in Escazú
was the scene
yesterday for
the three
telephone
companies
interested in
setting shop in
Costa Rica to
compete with the
Instituto
Costarricense de
Electricidad
(ICE) in the
cellular
telephone
market.
The meeting was
to learn and
discuss the
conditions of
the opening of
the cellular
market.
One of the
concerns of the
potential
operators is
signal quality.
Cellular signals
are sent and
received from
radio bases
strategically
located to
maximize
coverage.
The signals are
sent from tower
to tower (or
cells) by
microwave. The
problem,
however, is that
the signals are
unidirectional
and, for
simplicity sake,
if two signals
take up the same
space at the
same time, the
call is dropped.
The potential
operators are
concerned and
are asking the
Superintendencia
de
Telecomunicaciones
(Sutel) to
provide "a map"
of where
microwave
signals cross
each other.
George Miley,
president of the
Sutel, assured
the operators
that work to map
out the
frequencies will
be carried out
in the near
future.
Another concenr
of the operators
is the process
in getting
permits to
install the
radiobases and
the antennas.
The concern is
running into
situation of
land use
problems with
municipalities
and obtaining
the permits to
install the
structure.
Donald O'Connoer,
vice-president
of Digicel for
Latin America,
explained that
they could run
into situations
where
municipalities
do not know or
have processes
in place to
issue permits
for the
installation of
the radiobases
and towers.
In many cases,
cellular
operators rent
land or tops of
buildings and
other structures
to install their
systems that
could
potentially run
into zoning
problems and
delays.
Interested in
setting up their
networks in
Costa Rica are
America Movil,
Digicel, Cable &
Wireless,
Millicom and
Telefonica.
Only three will
be chosen to
compete with
ICE, who
although is no
longer a
monopoly, is the
sole provider of
cellular service
in Costa Rica.
Though the
opening of the
cellular market
is more than a
year behind
schedule, it is
expected that by
2011, ICE will
face the
competition.
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