www.CostaRicaTicas.com

I have an unlocked Iphone and I have switched to Movistar prepaid. The rates are the same, but their Internet service is much better. I have also had better results with Claro, but went with Movistar because it seems to have better coverage downtown. My opinion is based on weeks of testing all three services.

Another problem I have had with ICE is that you can not "cancel" the Internet service on prepaid lines. You sign up once for it, and basically you are stuck forever with Internet service. You are supposed to be able to order Internet access on a day by day basis with the prepaid, which is a big deal if you don not get out that much.

Daily Internet access on Claro and Movistar is 300 colones per day. You send text messages to activate and deactivate the service. Claro requires you to deactivate once subscribed, but Movistar does not automatically renew.

There is a Claro store in the Gran Hotel by the theatre, and a Moviestar on the other side of the park from the Del Rey, next to where the Nashville bar used to be. There is also a Movistar by the central post office. You just need your phone, passport and $5.

iPhone 4 is available from I.C.E. for free!

You just have to sign away your first born Ch*ld, show certified proof of income, and sign up for a data package for 24 months, and it is free. After all the paperwork is ready the attendant then goes to the back room to get your new phone (and no you cannot keep your old number, you have to get a new one... and they don't care if you have had the same number for many years of living in Costa Rica). The attendant them comes back and says thank you for waiting in line for three hours and now that you have filled out all the paperwork, I am sorry we are out of phones.... come back in 22 days.
Happened to me on Wednesday morning!

As mentioned previously, I will have to recharge within 120 days of the date of purchase from Kolbi to maintain the phone number.

-AustinRica

Seems like a cool site, but I noticed only the Claro logo--will it work for the other carriers in CR like Kolbi?--and does PopUp charge your cc a service fee?