ICE Opens Customer Service

The former telecommunications monopoly, ICE, has announced the opening of a unified customer service department -- finally. After having done everything in its power to block the opening of the cell-phone market, earning the ire of SUTEL, the licensing agency, as well as that of President Laura Chinchilla, ICE is apparently feeling the hot breath of competition on its neck.

The move comes none too soon. ICE's cell phone operation has had four failures so far this year, the latest one knocking out service to 800,000 customers for 90 minutes last week, reported the newspaper Al Dia, although the government-owned phone company claimed it was for less than an hour.

The cell shutdowns came after a series of end-of-the year failures that froze communications of cell customers after Thanksgiving last year. The Feb. 25 issue of the English-language newspaper The Tico Times contained extensive coverage of ICE's technological woes, drawing into question if the phone giant can compete with newcomers Claro (America Movil) and Movistar in the marketplace.

Jaime Palermo, a 29-year ICE veteran executive, will head up the new customer service. "ICE...is concentrating on the optimization and growth of its telecommunications network and its commercial offering to continue service," stated Palermo.