Liberty Costa Rica and Claro have each paid $16.2 million for 5G spectrum rights, marking a major step toward launching commercial 5G services in the Central American nation.
Costa Rica’s telecom regulator, Sutel, announced that the two operators have committed to installing over 3,100 base stations to improve coverage and service quality in underserved areas. The $32.5 million raised from the auction will be allocated to the Fondo Nacional de Telecomunicaciones (FONATEL) to fund connectivity initiatives for low-income households.
Both operators secured one block in the 700MHz band, one in the 2,300MHz band, four in the 3,500MHz band, and one in the 26/28GHz band. Notably, each 3,500MHz block offers 25MHz of bandwidth, key for delivering high-capacity 5G services.
Mario Montero, president of industry association INFOCOM, hailed the auction as a pivotal milestone for Costa Rica’s digital transformation and the achievement brings Costa Rica closer to 5G deployment, positioning the country as a more competitive player on the global stage, he said in a translated statement.
