Sutel Gets Tough with ICE

The telecommunications licensing agency SUTEL has finally lost patience with the struggling ex-cell phone monopoly ICE. The agency has given ICE three months to cure its numerous problems with its GSM and 3G networks.

The agency monitored problems cell phone customers were having with the ICE system between Jan. 25 and Feb. 18 and found numerous failures.

A recent poll by UNIMER for La Nacion, indicates that ICE may lose half of its customer base due to quality issues.  4 of 10 customers polled were unhappy with the company, and a full 51% stated that they would gladly consider a change when competition gets established. The ICE system is the only one functioning currently as two competing private systems, the Spanish firm Telefonica (Movistar) and the Mexican company America Movil (Claro) are still establishing their competing networks. Telefonica is a step closer to getting its network up, because they had their technical recommendations approved by SUTEL.  America Movil is currently getting the permits in order for tower construction. (See previous stories.)

The saga of ICE's technological woes might well be laughable in a Keystone Kops way, if it were not for the severe inconvenience suffered by cell phone users paying good money for the often mute instruments. It also reflects badly on a country trying to project an image of a foreign investment paradise.

Complaints are not only frequent but varied, indicating an institutional failure to come to grips with technology required. The study uncovered towers that do not pass signals from one coverage to the next, GSM phones in Golfito that can't receive signals inside buildings phones in the Tres Rios area that don't work inside moving vehicles.

The study tested the nationwide coverage and included tests on major highways. Local media attributed the problem, in part, to an oversell of lines by the phone company.  159,000 more lines were sold by ICE beyond the recommended network capacity, which would cause users problems particularly during peak times.