Thousands of Costa Rican students to get internet access

More than 13,000 public school and college students in the Costa Rican region of Sarapiquí will have access to the internet thanks to an initiative to increase connectivity.

The access will be a result of a 1.85bn-colón (US$3.46mn) investment by national telecommunications fund Fonatel, according to a statement from telecom regulator Sutel.

The project will bring telecommunication and internet services to more than 57,000 people living in the Sarapiquí districts of La Virgen, Horquetas, Llanuras del Gaspar, Cureña and Puerto Viejo.

The funding will bring internet and telephony connections and equipment to 177 public service sites such as schools, colleges, health centers and community centers.

Responsibility for the project was awarded to mobile operator Claro during a public tender held by Sutel, which administers the Fonatel resources.

Fonatel has budgeted US$57mn for these kinds of projects in 2016, benefitting over 200,000 people, including students at 389 schools, and four indigenous communities in the Matambú area.

Fonatel's resources come from 1.5% of the revenue generated by telecom operators.

Earlier this year, ICE was named as the biggest contributor to Fonatel, having paid in more than 31bn colones to the program between 2010 and 2015.