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Monday, December 22nd, 2008
Archive for December 22nd, 2008
Alvarion Awarded WiMAX Contract by Costa Rica
Monday, December 22nd, 2008Alvarion, the world’s leading provider of WiMAX(TM) and wireless broadband solutions, today announced that it was awarded a $6 million contract by ICE (Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad), Costa Rica’s leading incumbent operator for telecommunications and electricity.
Under the terms of the agreement Alvarion will implement a turnkey project to provide advanced broadband services, deploying its 4Motion(R) solution with its WiMAX Forum Certified(TM) BreezeMAX(R) 2500 platform, and enabling ICE to enhance its network performance while providing customers with advanced means of communication. (more…)
Spain donates 35,000 Euro to prevent spread of disease in Costa Rica
Monday, December 22nd, 2008To fight the spread of illness in the Caribbean region, Spain last week announced it would be donating 35,000 Euro (USD 47,900) through the Spanish International Cooperation Agency.
The spread of diseases followed heavy flooding that hit the area at the end of November and early December. The donation would go via the Pan-American Health Organisation to Costa Rica’s Public Health Ministry, according to a press release from the Spanish agency. It added that the funds would be used to “prevent problems such as dengue, malaria and pests, as well as ensure the quality of drinking water in homes and sanitary infrastructure.”
Spain joins countries such as France, the United States and the Netherlands as donors following the latest flooding, which left one person dead, forced more than 5,000 people out of their homes and caused more than USD 75,000 in infrastructural damage, primarily in the Caribbean province of Limon. France donated 50,000 Euro (about USD 68,400) and the United States gave USD 50,000, and loaned helicopters for evacuation operations. The Dutch, meanwhile, have pledged engineering expertise in flood prevention.
New Road Laws Tipped To Dramatically Reduce Accidents
Monday, December 22nd, 2008A new law was signed yesterday by Costa Rican President Oscar Arias that will make big changes in the penalties on traffic violations. These traffic violations include drunk driving, speeding and driving without a valid license. Even forgetting to wear a seatbelt, holding a cell phone, or ignoring traffic lights carry a hefty fine.
On average, one person dies in a road accident in Costa Rica every day and so authorities hope that by bringing in this new law the accident statistics will be dramatically reduced. Oscar Arias commented on the laws stating “I know this law is harsh, but rather than get scared, we should thank law makers for passing it. We have let drivers get away with too much”.
With the new law in place, drunk drivers automatically lose their license for 2 years and could face imprisonment for up to 3 years. Cars driving over 150 mph will also face the same penalty. Other related laws restrict certain car modifications in an attempt to target the informal drag races that continue to go on in San Jose’s streets and have cost several lives.
The 1993 legislation stated that there was a $36 fine for traffic offenses, which has now been considerably raised to $410. For forgetting a seatbelt, using a cell phone or ignoring traffic lights, you can incur a charge of up to $310.
The actual fines will come into full effect in September once the Public Works and Transport Ministry have had time to inform drivers of the changes. So buckle up and watch your speed!
