This article was provided by BNAmericas.com, the leading business and technology insight website for Latin America.

Mobile operators Claro and Movistar are calling on Costa Rican authorities to clarify the nation’s spectrum management policy.

Clear spectrum regulation would ensure fair competition between firms and attract investment, Claro executive Victor García was quoted as saying in a report by local newspaper El Financiero.

Spectrum management has gained little public attention and has been poorly regulated since the approval of Costa Rica’s General Telecoms Law five years ago. However, the issue is now becoming of critical importance as the impending 4G implementation ratchets up competition over the potentially lucrative spectrum, the report said.

State telco ICE’s launch of pilot 4G services this month drew criticism from Claro and Movistar. The firms complained that ICE is using spectrum in the 2.6GHz band, which telecoms regulator Sutel has not assigned for mobile telephony.

“While new operators contribute US$170mn to enter the mobile market, there are others who haven’t paid any type of compensation to the State to access its frequencies,” García was quoted as saying.