The forum “TWO YEARS SINCE THE OPENING UP OF THE TELECOMMUNICATIONS SECTOR” organized by the Costa Rican private sector represented by the Infocommunications Chamber in conjunction with local companies was held last June 29, 2010 at the Real Intercontinental Hotel in San Jose, Costa Rica.

The main objective of this event was to evaluate the progress in this country over the last two years since the regulatory framework Law was passed to legally open up the telecommunications market. Speakers invited to the roundtable formally inaugurated the event and included representatives of the current government as well as from the most recent Arias Sanchez Administration, all important participants in the formation process of the law under debate. Also participating in the round table discussion were speakers representing the private sector including Elias Soley Gutierrez, Esq., a partner with the “Soley, Saborío & Asociados” law firm, a well known expert on the subject and an attorney for important telecommunications companies.

Mr. Soley analyzed recent actions taken by the new public sector telecommunications companies, commenting on the current legal and regulatory framework and concluding with a criticism on the lack of inter-institutional coordination which has produced a lack of leadership by the public sector in decision making required for greater efficiency in opening up the sector. He called attention to the obstacles in interconnection and access negotiations with the dominant operator, ICE.  Up to this point definitive resolution of all the cases involved has been inappropriately routed through SUTEL.

The Vice Minister of Telecommunications, Hannia Vega, MSc recognized that the private sector has been patient in dealing with delays in the process and agrees that what is needed to attain objectives is a stronger telecommunications authority with greater leadership and the ability to bring the players together. She also agreed to bring all of the suggestions of the different sectors to the attention of President Laura Chinchilla.

The representative of the Costa Rican Electricity Institute, Mr. Elbert Duran, defended the opening up process, stating that it has been slow because not only ICE but users require more time. ICE assures that it has followed the procedures under current regulations and the law with regard to interconnection matters.

Speakers agreed that a greater effort should be made to solve the current problems that have delayed the opening up process and threaten to dim the interest of new players in the Costa Rican telecommunications market.

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