Archive for September 18th, 2009
Friday, September 18th, 2009
The subgerente de Telecomunicaciones del ICE, Claudio Bermúdez, assures that the problems experienced by GSM cellular telephones users this week is due to the cellular telephone unit and not the unification of the network that occurred last Saturday, September 12.
The Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad (ICE) last Saturday brought together all the cellular lines of the Alcatel network to the Ericsson, which is now the only GSM network in the country.
Subscribers were asked to turn off and then turn on their cellular telephones on Saturday. The action would allow the cellular telephone to automatically register itself to the network and not cause any interruption in service.
However, many cellular telephone units did not do so and ICE has had to attend to more than 40.000 complaints by customers.
And the complaints continue.
Although ICE’s claim that all the problems are not as a result of the network, let us consider some of the following occurrences that are common by many customers:
- the cell phone works, stops receiving calls, though it is able to make calls, then works fine, then stops then is fine again;
- a text message sent form one cellular phone to another at 5:21pm is delivered almost immediately, while the response takes more than two hours to be received
All Bermúdez can suggest is to visit an ICE agency to have a technician look over the cellular unit.
The numbers affected by the change begin between 8810 and 8851, and 8950 and 8951. All these numbers belonged to the Alcatel network.
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Friday, September 18th, 2009
It’s official, the new Ley de Tránsito will not take effect on Wednesday as it had been scheduled, but rather on March 1, 2010, following approval by 39 legislators last night. Four legislators voted against the postponement.
The six month postponement is to allow the corrections to the law that was approved last December.
The postponement means that the fines will not go up next week, nor will the cost of the 2010 Marchamo that must be paid by December 31, 2009.
Jorge Méndez, head of the fracción del Partido Liberación Nacional, said that a Comisión Especial (Special Commission) will be created to study the controversial clauses of the law, in particular the numbering of the articles.
The postponement effectively delays the tough sanctions for infractions like running a red light, not using a seatbelt or talking on a cellular phone while driving, for example, with high fines and points that leads to the suspension of a drivers license.
However, the tough sanctions against drunk and reckless drivers will continue.
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Friday, September 18th, 2009
Washington won’t support upcoming elections that could help resolve the standoff. Bad move.
The crisis in Honduras just got more complicated, because Washington may have blocked the most likely road to reconciliation in that Central American nation. The US State Department announced earlier this month that a broad range of assistance for Honduras would be terminated and that additional sanctions would be imposed on members and supporters of the government.
This will add pressure for the return of the deposed president, Manuel Zelaya. He unwisely was bundled out of the country on June 28 by the Honduran military, acting under the instructions of the supreme court and legislature, for his efforts to seek an unconstitutional second term.
Since then, negotiations backed by the United States and led by Costa Rica’s president, Oscar Arias, have sought resolution between the de facto and the deposed governments. Those have stalled, and now that Congress is back in session after its summer break, Washington’s patience for Mr. Zelaya’s return is thinning.
That’s all well and good, but the State Department went further, declaring that the Honduran national elections long-scheduled for Nov. 29 could not be supported “at this moment.” Such a position poses risks for the US. It also has broad implications for regional democracy.
Washington has essentially declared that the elections will be illegitimate, if, for example, the de facto government refuses to budge. A democratic, transparent, and constitutionally consistent election was the one escape valve from the Honduran imbroglio for all parties. Without it, the crisis may continue beyond its natural election season conclusion. (more…)
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Friday, September 18th, 2009
Costa Rica and China signed a statement of understanding on Thursday to develop joint scientific researches.
The understanding was signed between the Costa Rican National Institute of Biodiversity (INBio) and the Chinese Academy of Science (CAS), within the framework of the Science and Technology Cooperation Agreement signed by the two countries earlier this year.
INBio officer Eric Mata said the two sides could extend their opportunities to improve human resources, joint projects, as well as infrastructure and equipment development.
INBio scientific coordinator of Bio-prospect Guiselle Tamayo said Costa Rica could offer China all its knowledge and experience on biodiversity conservation, which is helpful to create sustainable economic development.
Tamayo also said his country could use China’s strength on medicinal plants and microorganism study, which are the fields Costa Rica interested in.
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Friday, September 18th, 2009
Costa Rica’s hopes of qualifying for the 2010 World Cup are now in the hands of a coach who is familiar with qualifying for the tournament.
The Costa Rican Federation hired Brazilian Rene Simoes to replace Rodrigo Kenton as head coach on Wednesday. He will make his debut when Costa Rica faces Trinidad & Tobago on Oct. 10.
Brazilian Rene Simoes is confident he can turn around Costa Rica, which is in danger of missing out on the 2010 World Cup after leading the Hexagonal at the halfway point, but he is facing obstacles in preparing the Ticos for the final two games against Trinidad & Tobago and the USA.
Simoes first gained notoriety in the CONCACAF region by leading Jamaica to the 1998 World Cup. He followed that up with a stint as Trinidad & Tobago head coach prior to the 2002 World Cup. After a stint in women’s soccer as the head coach of Brazil’s Olympic silver medal-winning team, Simoes returned to the men’s game, eventually returning to lead Jamaica. He was unable to get Jamaica past the second-round group stage (in a group that included Mexico, Honduras and Canada), and was fired.
Simoes most recently spent time coaching in his native Brazil, including a stint with Fluminense, before taking over Costa Rica on Wednesday.
What do you think of this hire? Relieved it wasn’t someone like Leo Beenhaker? Worried that it’s a head coach who is familiar with the United States? Don’t think it will matter on Oct. 14 when the United States faces Costa Rica at RFK Stadium?
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