en.Wedoany.com Reported - The Costa Rican Electricity Institute (ICE) has awarded the 5G network construction contract to Sweden's Ericsson. The network will be launched under the ICE Kölbi brand, adopting an Open RAN standalone architecture that allows for the addition of equipment from multiple vendors. ICE stated that network deployment is expected to be completed within 12 months, with the final contract cost being $100 million lower than the originally planned $250 million.
This 5G network will be extensively marketed under ICE's commercial brand Kölbi. ICE expects the entire 5G network deployment to be fully completed within the next 12 months, at which point Costa Ricans will be able to experience next-generation mobile communication services.
Project budget control has become a major highlight of this contract. ICE Chairman Marco Acuña confirmed that the total investment in the telecommunications ecosystem, including the transport network and the TAM-1 submarine cable, exceeds $220 million. The final contract cost is a full $100 million lower than the initially estimated $250 million budget, a reduction of 40%. Acuña used the phrase "riding the wave" to describe this achievement, emphasizing that ICE successfully completed the 5G network tender during the current administration's term, and noted that the modernization of the telecommunications ecosystem strictly adhered to the cybersecurity executive order issued in 2023.
In terms of technical architecture, the 5G network will adopt an Open Radio Access Network standalone architecture. This move will free ICE from reliance on a single supplier, allowing for the introduction of multiple equipment manufacturers in subsequent network construction, thereby creating a more flexible, resilient, and long-term scalable multi-vendor environment.
In the Costa Rican domestic market, ICE is accelerating its pace of 5G deployment. Previously, the country's telecommunications regulator Sutel had already issued nationwide 5G spectrum licenses to private operators such as Liberty and Claro in February 2025, and regional licenses to several cooperatives, with some private operators already launching 5G services first. ICE's previous 5G service relied on the network of its subsidiary Racsa, requiring users to have dual SIM cards or dedicated equipment. This self-built network will allow Kölbi users to seamlessly use 2G to 5G services on a single phone.
On a global level, the outcome of this tender also reflects the profound impact of geopolitics on 5G infrastructure construction. An executive order previously issued by the Costa Rican government requires that 5G network equipment suppliers must come from countries that have signed the Budapest Convention, a move that directly restricted the participation of Chinese supplier Huawei. Documents released by ICE show that during the technical evaluation phase, Huawei was excluded for failing to meet relevant compliance requirements. The final victory of Ericsson and Nokia marks Costa Rica's further alignment with the Western bloc in the construction of critical communication infrastructure.
This article is compiled by Wedoany. All AI citations must indicate the source as "Wedoany". If there is any infringement or other issues, please notify us promptly, and we will modify or delete it accordingly. Email: news@wedoany.com
