The State would stop setting the rates for mobile and internet services but would remain vigilant on the quality of the services provided by the companies if the Superintendence of Telecommunications (SUTEL) manages to define the relevant markets.
This discussion is about the definition of 11 new markets that will set the ‘effective competition’ for fixed telephony, mobile telephony and international roaming.
When asked about the issue, the Minister of Science, Technology and Telecommunications, Marcelo Jenkins, confirmed that he is in favor of that statement; however he is asking for a formal study based on updated data.
Jenkins expressed that he hopes that the issue could be resolved in the short term. This situation began in 2009, but the Costa Rican Electricity Institute (ICE) requested in August that SUTEL finally decided which are the important “operators and major suppliers that exist in the markets.”
It is essential that the costumers have the opportunity to choose what service’s plan is the best for each of them, “
said the Minister.
The technical study that would define the relevant markets will be in force once it gets published by La Gaceta.
The possible implications of this definition seems clear for the members of Frente Amplio (FA), they think that it will produce a deregulation of the services and could strengthen the possibility for the companies to charge for downloading with mobile Internet.