QCOSTARICA – Costa Rica’s Ministry of Science, Technology and Telecommunications (MICITT) has until February 2017 to decide on the duration of the spectrum concessions granted seven years ago to ICE and its subsidiary Racsa, reports El Financiero.
The state-owned operator received the licence in 2009, but a subsequent decision by the Vice Ministry of Telecommunications found that ICE could exploit the frequencies indefinitely and Racsa for 99 years.
However, the comptroller asked the Vice Ministry and the Superintendency of Telecommunications (Sutel) to review the legality of these amendments in 2012, because the concessions for these services are valid for fifteen years.
Under this regime, the concessions to ICE and its subsidiaries expire in 2024. A decision must also be reached by February 2017, on the allocation to other operators of spectrum in the 3.5 GHz band, currently shared by ICE and Racsa with a view to providing wireless internet services using WiMax technology.
