Internet in Costa Rica
Click to enlargeIn this modern age, you can be living at the opposite end of the globe from everyone you know, but as long as you have internet, you’ll feel connected. For many people, an internet connection is necessary for them to continue with their life and work. The good news is that you can be connected to the internet in Costa Rica easily and without much of a hassle. There are many options for internet access. If you are visiting, the easiest way throughout the country is to go and visit one of the many internet cafes available. The rates at internet cafes depend on the competition: where you see several of these close together, you’ll probably get the best rates. In areas outside of San Jose it is possible that lack of competition make the rates higher and even quite expensive. Another option for travelers who don’t leave their laptops at home is to find one of the hotspots in San Jose and go online. Many popular restaurants, coffee shops and even some parks have wireless internet access, some charge a small fee, others just request you buy something at their establishment as a condition of use. Or you could check with your hotel and see if they have themselves wireless internet access or available computers for your use.
If you wish to know about a more permanent connection to the Internet in Costa Rica, then you should know that the ICE, the Costa Rica government monopoly is in charge of the telecommunications and internet through Racsa. Racsa has different internet programs for users, beginning with the prepaid internet cards. With these cards, you can buy 5, 10 or 15 hours for less than a dollar an hour, and with a telephone line, a computer and modem you can easily connect to the internet. The cost of the phone call is not included in the rate. Another option for those who just wish to go online and check for a couple of minutes to see if they received email is to dial 900-ENLINEA for a cost of 7 colones a minute. There is no card to buy, no minimum and you just dial and connect, and the amount will be charged to your phone bill at the end of the month. The maximum hours per month you can use this service for is 36, after which the connection will be blocked until a fax is sent to Racsa authorizing the connection for the amount of hours. If you wish to connect to the internet on a frequent basis from your home through your phone line, Racsa offers plans of unlimited internet access for Costa Rica homes or small businesses at a flat rate of $15 for the internet connection in addition to the phone bill.
For anyone needing a greater speed of Costa Rica internet, Racsa also offers ISDN for you to use your phone line to connect to the internet and use it at the same time to make phone calls or send faxes. Connection speed is 64Kbps if you are surfing the internet and making a phone call, or 128 if you are only using the internet. ADSL internet connection is also available at multiple speeds depending on the use you wish to give it. The only possible complication is that a feasibility test has to be done by the ICE to prove that your phone line is up to the parameters and to check that your phone line is supported by a copper pair and then to prove that it has one. These checks will be done by the ICE professionals; the only requisite is for the phone line to be under the name of the person requesting the ADSL connection. Another possibility for Costa Rica internet is a Cable Modem connection through Amnet, you can call 800-NAVEGAR for more information on getting a cable modem installed in your home, with speeds from 64Kbps to 512Kbps.
ADSL advanced internet brochure
Basic ISDN brochure
