Costa Rica broadband access

Bidding is expected to start next year on a contract to install and operate wireless broadband in parks and other public places in 72 counties in Costa Rica.

The service will be free to users, with an installation cost of around $32 million paid for by the National Telecom Fund - Fondo Nacional de Telecomunicaciones - administered by Banco Nacional.

There will in addition be opportunities for the installation and maintenance of 240 hotspots, with download speeds of up to 100 megabits per second.

In terms of timing, the project will start in counties with a large number of people who have poor internet access, such as Montes de Oca, Heredia and Belén, all located near San José.

The fund comes from fees paid by telcos – mainly Claro, a division of Mexico-based America Móvil, and Spanish-based Movistar – for the right to provide telecom services in Costa Rica.