Main lines: 1.0 million lines in use, 75th in the world (2012).[1]
Mobile cellular: 6.2 million lines, 100th in the world (2012).[1]
Telephone system: good domestic telephone service in terms of breadth of coverage; under the terms of CAFTA-DR, the state-run telecommunications monopoly was scheduled to be opened to competition from domestic and international firms, but has been slow to open to competition, point-to-point and point-to-multi-point microwave, fiber-optic, and coaxial cable link rural areas; connected to Central American Microwave System,[1] a trunkmicrowave radio relay system that links the countries ofCentral America andMexico with each other.[3] (2011).
Consumer ADSL services are only offered by Grupo ICE.[citation needed]
Cable Modem services are offered by two companies countrywide, Cable Tica andAmnet. Several other companies offer local cable modem services.[citation needed]
Six new ISP licenses were awarded by regulator Sutel in June 2009. The licenses include the right to provideVoIP services.[citation needed]
There are no government restrictions on access to the Internet or credible reports that the government monitorse-mail or Internetchat rooms without judicial oversight.[10]
The constitution provides forfreedom of speech andpress, and the government generally respects these rights in practice. An independent press, an effective judiciary, and a functioning democratic political system combine to ensure freedom of speech and press. Individuals are generally free to criticize the government openly without reprisal. The law limits hate speech in publications with regard to ethnic origin, race, or color.[10]
The government continues to support legislation that imposes criminal penalties, including lengthy jail sentences instead of fines, for press infractions such aslibel. Journalists believe such legislation promotesself-censorship. In July 2012 the president enacted Article 288, which includes amendments to the criminal code which establish a sentence of between four and eight years' imprisonment for any individual trying to obtain inappropriately secret political information. Journalists and media organizations criticized the law, arguing it restricted access to information of public interest.[10]
^abc"Costa Rica",Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2012, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, U.S. Department of State, 20 March 2013. Retrieved 13 January 2014.
This article incorporatespublic domain material fromThe World Factbook (2025 ed.).CIA. (Archived 2014 edition.)
