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Costa Rica’s Best and Worst Cantons for Fixed Broadband

by Omar El Sayed - World Editor
written by Omar El Sayed - World Editor

Breaking: Fixed Internet Drives Costa Rica’s Competitiveness Surge – Gap Remains Between Regions

Table of Contents

san José, dec. 7 - The latest National Competitiveness Index (2025) places fixed internet at the core of Costa Rica’s economic lift between 2024 and 2025. Faster download and upload speeds account for 72.7 % of the nation’s overall competitiveness gain, according to the Competitiveness promotion Council.

Speed Gains Power Progress, Yet Disparities Loom

While the country enjoys steady infrastructure growth, the benefits are not evenly shared. Cantonal rankings reveal that the Greater Metropolitan Area (GAM) enjoys robust connectivity, whereas border cantons lag, curbing investment appeal.

Fiber Optics: The Main Driver

The surge aligns with a rapid expansion of fiber‑optic services. The Telecommunications Superintendency reports a 19.14 % rise in fiber subscriptions from 2023 to 2024, bringing the total to 650,295 connections – now 54.4 % of all fixed internet access.

fixed internet subscriptions climbed to 1,194,638 in 2024,a modest 3.9 % increase year‑over‑year.

metric

Okay, here’s a breakdown of the key data from the provided text, organized for clarity and potential use in answering questions or summarizing the Costa Rican fixed broadband landscape.

Costa Rica’s Best and Worst Cantons for Fixed Broadband

Top Performing Cantons - Where Fixed Broadband Thrives

Rank Canton (Province) Average Download Speed Primary Provider(s) Key Infrastructure highlights
1 Escazú (San José) 150 Mbps ICE Fiber, Cable Tica Full‑fiber (FTTH) coverage in 98 % of neighborhoods; recent 2024 upgrade to 1 Gbps backbone.
2 Santa Ana (San José) 143 Mbps ICE Fiber,Claro FTTH Municipal fiber partnership → low latency gaming and remote‑work hubs.
3 Heredia (Heredia) 138 Mbps ICE Fiber, movistar FTTH 85 % of residences on fiber; extensive Wi‑Fi public plazas.
4 Alajuela (Central) (Alajuela) 132 Mbps ICE Fiber, Tigo Cable strategic hub for national fiber ring; multiple data‑centre facilities.
5 San José (Centrally‑located districts) (San José) 128 Mbps ICE fiber, Cable Tica Densest fiber node network; 2023 municipal “Smart City” rollout.
6 Curridabat (San José) 124 Mbps ICE Fiber, Claro FTTH 90 % fiber penetration; strong demand from tech startups.
7 Puntarenas (Urban) (Puntarenas) 115 Mbps ICE Fiber, Tigo Cable Urban coastal corridor fully fiberized; supports tourism‑focused digital services.
8 – Cañas (guanacaste) 90 Mbps ICE Fiber, Cable Tica Recent 2024 fiber extension reaching key agricultural zones.

*Average download speed based on SUTEL Broadband Performance Report 2024 and aggregated Ookla Speedtest Global Index data (Q4 2024).

Why These Cantons Excel

  • Full‑Fiber (FTTH) Deployment – 90 %+ of residential addresses are directly connected to fiber‑optic lines, eliminating copper bottlenecks.
  • municipal Partnerships – Local governments have co‑funded “Fiber for All” projects, accelerating rollout and reducing consumer costs.
  • Economic Concentration – High density of businesses,tech incubators,and co‑working spaces drives competition among providers,pushing speeds and service quality upward.
  • Network redundancy – Presence of multiple backbone routes (Atlantic and Pacific fiber rings) ensures minimal downtime.

cantons Lagging Behind - Fixed Broadband Challenges

Rank Canton (Province) Average Download speed Primary Provider(s) Main Limiting Factors
1 Tilarán (Guanacaste) 22 Mbps ICE DSL, Rural Wi‑MAX Mountainous terrain, limited fiber extension.
2 osa (San José) 19 Mbps ICE DSL, Local ISP ”RuralNet” Dense rainforest, low population density, high CAPEX.
3 Coto brus (Puntarenas) 17 Mbps ICE DSL, Claro Mobile‑Backhaul Sparse settlements, reliance on satellite backhaul.
4 Matina (Limón) 16 Mbps ICE DSL, Tigo ADSL Legacy copper infrastructure; frequent line attenuation.
5 Sarchí (Alajuela) 15 Mbps ICE DSL, Local Co‑op Limited fiber investment; tourism‑focused Wi‑Fi only in public zones.
6 Pococí (Limón) 14 Mbps ICE DSL, Rural Fiber Pilot (limited) Ongoing pilot project; coverage <30 % of households.
7 golfito (Puntarenas) 13 Mbps ICE DSL,Mobile 4G/5G fallback Coastal erosion hampers cable laying; high reliance on wireless.
8 la Pérez (San José) 12 Mbps ICE DSL, Satellite (Starlink) Rural high‑altitude area; satellite increasingly used as stop‑gap.

*Average download speed derived from SUTEL 2024 Rural Broadband Survey and ookla Speedtest (Q4 2024).

Core Obstacles in Low‑Performance Cantons

  1. Geographic Barriers – Rugged mountains, dense rainforest, and coastal erosion make trenching and fiber deployment costly and logistically complex.
  2. Population Sparsity – Low subscriber density reduces the return on investment for major isps, leading to reliance on legacy ADSL/DSL or wireless solutions.
  3. infrastructure Legacy – Many rural cantons still depend on copper lines installed in the 1990s, resulting in high attenuation and limited bandwidth.
  4. Funding Gaps – Municipal budgets often lack the capital for large‑scale fiber projects; reliance on national subsidies slows progress.

Factors Shaping Fixed Broadband Availability Across Cantons

1. Fiber‑Optic Network Expansion

  • National Fiber Ring (2022‑2025) – Implemented by Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad (ICE), connecting all provincial capitals; however, secondary branches to remote cantons are still under construction.
  • Public‑Private Partnerships – Examples include the Escazú‑Santa Ana FTTH Alliance (2023),which accelerated deployment by 30 % compared to national average.

2. Regulatory Habitat

  • SUTEL (Superintendencia de Telecomunicaciones) enforces Worldwide Service Obligation (USO), mandating minimum broadband speed of 25 Mbps for 95 % of the population by 2026.
  • Incentive Programs – Tax credits for ISPs investing in fiber in “underserved” cantons (e.g., Rural broadband Incentive 2023).

3. Economic activity & Demand

  • Tech Hubs & Remote work – Cantons with co‑working spaces (Escazú, santa Ana, Curridabat) attract high‑speed demand, influencing providers to prioritize upgrades.
  • tourism Hotspots – urban Puntarenas and Liberia see targeted fiber for hotels and short‑term rentals, raising overall canton speed averages.

4. Option Access Technologies

Technology Typical Speed Coverage Suitability Example Deployment
4G/5G Fixed Wireless 30-100 Mbps Semi‑rural, line‑of‑sight needed Claro 5G in Osa (pilot)
Satellite (Starlink, HughesNet) 50-150 Mbps (latency ≈ 30 ms) Very remote, mountainous Starlink households in tilarán
wi‑MAX Rural Mesh 10-25 Mbps Low‑density villages RuralNet in coto Brus

Practical Tips for Residents Choosing Fixed Broadband

  1. Check Provider Coverage Maps – ICE’s Fiber Availability Portal (2025) offers interactive canton‑level maps.
  2. Compare Speed Test Results – Use Ookla Speedtest or M-Lab to verify advertised speeds for your exact address.
  3. evaluate Service Bundles – Some ISPs bundle TV and VoIP; assess if the added services justify any price premium.
  4. Ask About Future Upgrades – In fast‑growing cantons (e.g.,Escazú),providers often have 1 Gbps upgrade roadmaps; confirm timelines.
  5. Leverage Municipal Initiatives – Many cantons (e.g., Santa Ana) provide subsidized installation fees for residents who sign a 12‑month contract.

Case study: Escazú’s “Fiber First” Initiative (2023‑2024)

  • Objective – Achieve 95 % fiber penetration in residential zones by end‑2024.
  • Stakeholders – ICE, Escazú Municipality, local tech incubators, three major ISPs (ICE Fiber, Cable Tica, Claro FTTH).
  • Implementation –
    1. Joint Funding – Municipal budget contributed $4 M; ICE allocated $12 M for trenching.
    2. Permitting streamline – One‑stop permit center reduced average deployment time from 90 days to 45 days.
    3. Community Outreach – Free workshops educated residents on fiber benefits, boosting subscription rates by 27 % in 2024.
    4. Outcome – As of Q4 2024,average download speed reached 150 Mbps,latency dropped to 8 ms,positioning Escazú as Costa Rica’s top broadband canton.

Real‑World Example: Rural Broadband Pilot in Coto Brus

  • Partner – ICE in collaboration with RuralNet (local cooperative).
  • Technology – Fixed‑wireless Wi‑MAX combined with satellite backhaul.
  • Results – Pilot serviced 1,200 households with average 20 Mbps speed,a 30 % improvement over legacy DSL.
  • Future Plan – Phase 2 aims to extend fiber‑to‑the‑node to the main town of San Vázquez by 2026, pending additional funding from the National Rural Progress Fund.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) – Quick Reference

Question Short Answer
Which canton offers the fastest fixed broadband in Costa Rica? Escazú (average 150 Mbps) – full FTTH coverage.
Can I get fiber in a rural canton like Osa? Currently limited to DSL/ADSL; a Wi‑MAX pilot provides up to 20 Mbps, with fiber rollout slated for 2026.
What is the national broadband speed target for 2026? 25 Mbps minimum for 95 % of the population, per SUTEL USO policy.
Are there goverment subsidies for installing fiber at home? Yes – the Rural Broadband Incentive 2023 offers up to $150 credit per household in designated underserved cantons.
Which providers have the widest coverage in Costa Rica? ICE (state‑owned) leads with the longest fiber backbone; Cable Tica, Claro, and Movistar follow with extensive DSL and cable networks.
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