The entity, in charge of overseeing telecommunications in the country, justified the decision for “logistics reasons” and the need to “cooperate with the Comptroller of the Republic”. Those institutions are currently analyzing claims of irregularities in the auction process.

Costa Rica is the only country in the region with a monopoly in telecommunications, and it is required to end it by the CAFTA-RD free trade agreement, signed by all the Central American countries, the United States and Dominican Republic.

Meanwhile, Costa Rica, who used to be a regional leader in telecommunications, is today ranked 160th in the world by mobile phone coverage. With 42 lines per 100 inhabitants, the country is behind its Central American neighbors. Panama has 115, El Salvador 113, Guatemala 109, Honduras 85 and Nicaragua 55.