Smartphone users in Costa Rica far outpace tablet users, and until now the wireless carriers have been shy about providing valuable offers of interest and benefit for owners of iPads and their counterpart Android-powered devices. Movistar is taking the lead in with two new wireless data plans specifically designed for the fledgling tablet segment in Costa Rica.

The two wireless data plans are called “Medio” and “Full.” The latter plan is offered at 12,000 colones per month (about $24), and the former at 9,000 colones. The Medio plan starts with a speed of 1 Mbps and a download cap of 2 gigabytes; users can continue using the plan on an unlimited basis at the speed of of 256 Kbps once the limit has been reached. Subscribers who sign up for the Full plan will enjoy greater speed and expanded download cap: 2 Mbps and 4 gigabytes; with the Full plan users can browse and download on an unlimited basis at the speed of of 512 Kbps once the cap has been reached.

According to Movistar, users can sign up for the new wireless data plans for tablets at any of their retail locations in Costa Rica. The prices mentioned above include Value-Added Taxes (VAT) and regulatory communication access fees. These new plans are not contingent upon the purchase of equipment, and thus do not bind the subscriber to a commitment.

The tablet market in Costa Rica has not enjoyed the rapid expansion seen in North America, but Motorola Solutions recently introduced its ET1 Enterprise Tablet during an event at the Costa Rica Country Club in San Rafael de Escazu, and the iPad 3 is now available from authorized Apple retailers in our country.

These two new plans from Movistar come at a time when the Superintendency of Telecommunications (SUTEL in Spanish) is looking at establishing a “fair use” policy that could allow wireless carriers in Costa Rica to offer metered data plans or bandwidth throttling to regulate consumption.

Many Ticos enjoy unlimited 3G broadband access at very reasonable prices, meaning that they can check out viral videos on YouTube, download films and apps from Netflix and Google Play, upload photos to Facebook, and many other online activities without having to worry about additional costs. The Costa Rica Star previously reported on this matter back in March, and the new plans from Movistar point towards some of the ideas that the SUTEL has been discussing.