Cell Phones

Note: Costa Rica’s cell phone industry is currently undergoing serious change.  Not only is the old TDMA technology being phased out by 2009, but the government’s longtime telecommunications monopoly will soon share its market with private and international companies.

The Costa Rican Electricity Institute, or ICE (pronounced ee-say), currently controls the country’s cell phone industry. GSM technology is the only available option at this time, though 3G technology may be available in 2009 or 2010. Unlike in the United States and other countries, ICE only releases new cell phone lines several times per year. Due to high demand and low supply, only legal residents and citizens may obtain a Costa Rican cell phone.

ICE charges ¢12,500 ($22.75) to activate an account. There are no plans or package deals – each user pays for minutes used per month. Incoming calls are always free. Basic account fees cost ¢2,900 ($5.30) per month, and include sales tax and 60 minutes of outgoing calls. Voice mail service, call waiting, call forwarding and conference calling are free. Caller ID costs an additional ¢250 ($0.45) monthly. Taxes are charged as a percentage of your bill, so the more you use, the more tax you will pay.

Peak minutes – between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. – are billed at ¢30 ($0.054) per minute. Off-peak minutes, which are charged between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m. Monday through Friday, in addition to weekends and holidays, are billed at ¢23 ($0.042) per minute. Text messaging is extremely popular, and each message (maximum: 160 characters) costs ¢1.50 ($0.0027).

Though local calls are inexpensive (and all in-country calls are local), international calling can really add up. Calls to the United States currently cost about $0.30 per minute; if you need to call elsewhere, contact ICE for additional rate information. International cell phones may work in roaming on ICE’s network, depending on the provider.


For more information, please see:

Costa Rican Cell Phones and How to Get One

Communications: Phones & Internet