The auction intended by the Rodrigo Chaves government around radio and television frequencies you could be left with the signal turned off in the first steps.
The Comptroller General’s Office received 29 objection resources against the bidding posters promoted by the Telecommunications Superintendence (Sutel) for the granting of these frequencies.
Of the total appeals filed, three correspond to the television contest; eight to the AM radio contest and 18 to the FM radio contest.
The CGR has until October 29, 2025 to resolve the objections presented.
The government’s goal is to ensure that the State obtain greater income from the exploitation of these frequencies, which are currently rented for amounts considered ridiculous.
According to Paula Bogantes, Minister of Science and Technology, a television frequency is rented today for ¢120 thousand annually, while FM radio stations pay just ¢6 thousand for their bands.
Las frequencies that come into dispute include:
- Radio AM: between 525 kHz and 1705 kHz.
- Radio FM: between 88 MHz and 108 MHz.
- Television: from 174 MHz to 216 MHz and from 470 MHz to 608 MHz.
The award mechanism combines the receipt of sealed bids with an additional bidding phase, designed to encourage competition and guarantee better revenue for the State. SUTEL also established base prices according to the type of frequency:
- Radio FM (200 kHz): from $18,945 in the Central Pacific to $193,051 for national reach.
- Radio FM (400 kHz): from $37,890 in the Central Pacific to $386,102 nationally.
- Radio AM: $9,653 for 10 kHz and $28,959 for 30 kHz nationwide.
- Television (6 MHz): from $157,629 in Chorotega to $1,601,786 for national coverage.
