The Superintendency of Telecommunications has revised its decision to make the return frequencies conditional for cable companies merging with the Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad.

The purchase of the cable company Cable Vision by the Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad (ICE) had been conditional by the Superintendency of Telecommunications (SUTEL) on the waiver of airwaves segments: from 1880 MHz to 1920 MHz (40 MHz), 2520 MHz to 2620 MHz and 2640 MHz to 2690 MHz (150 MHz) and the segment of 3600 MHz to 3440 MHz (160 MHz).

Now, after analyzing the action brought about by the state company, SUTEL has reversed its earlier decision and supports unconditionally the merger of both companies.

A statement by the Telecommunications (SUTEL) reads:

“SUTEL, as competition authority in the telecommunications market and in accordance with Article 57 of the General Telecommunications Law, reiterates its power to impose spectrum returns in merger cases presented for approval, when this transaction generates a concentration of frequencies that affect effective competition. However, it recognizes that in this particular case the concentration of frequency range belonging to the ICE is not due to buying Cable Vision and therefore, the SUTEL Council eliminate this condition.”