Technology & Internet in Nosara Costa rica – UPDATE!

One of our most visited pages is a post regarding technology and internet in Nosara, Costa Rica. As many of our readers are interested in the possibilities of living and working full time in the area, they want to know what kind of technology services are available. Right now, the only game in town for high speed internet hardline, is ICE -which is the government owned and operated telecommunications company.  It’s no surprise, that the service in general provided by ICE for internet and telephone leaves much to be desired. Yes, we are in the jungle, in the middle of nowhere! But that is no excuse! ICE is a government monopoly, and usually, government monopolies are not very well know for their great service, or for having punctual  customer service or repairs.

Well – we have some great news..

Cable Tica – www.cabletica.com – has been installing lines and preparing for the launch of their new services, available to those who live in Nosara and the surrounding areas. Cable Tica kills two birds with one stone; reliable, affordable internet service, and a fully programmed cable TV provider – the first in Nosara…EVER…

 

Real Estate clients, who buy homes in Nosara, often find themselves choosing to use SKY TV – this is a Mexican satellite TV provider. SKY TV has mostly TV channels in spanish, the selection is very limited, and the only two english language channels seem to be the homes for non-stop marathons of tongue in check sitcoms – how many episodes of Two and a Half men can someone watch?!? CLARO, came into the market with a cheaper option than SKY TV, but with similar technology and channel lineups. But, in our opinion, if everything pans out as advertised, Cable Tica is now the best option. Cable Tica is less expensive than the two prior options, and has a better selection of TV channels and english U.S broadcast shows. For those of you living in “The American Project” – this will come as a relief. Now – I am not one to say “TV is necessary” – quite the opposite, especially living in Nosara, Costa Rica – there is an endless amount of things to do. However, it is nice having some of the luxuries that modern day technology affords, so if TV is your thing – you are in luck. You can check out the channel lineup and prices at www.cabletica.com . One last note – SKY TV often locks you into a two year contract – as part of an installtion deal. Cable Tica has no contracts – cancel when you want service – which I think will translate into superior product. Anyone who isn’t worried about customers cancelling, is confident in the product they are selling!

 

 

In addition to TV Cable – CableTica also has internet service, via Cable Modem. This is a better technology than the ICE DSL  (Digital Subscriber Line) – although not quite groundbreaking technology, it is, in general, more reliable and faster than DSL. Now – to start, speeds will be limited to 5 MEG/SECOND (MBPS) – but will be ramped as the service is installed across the area. In Tamarindo, for example, speeds of 15-25MPS are available. We anticipate the same speeds will be available in Nosara shortly. On the Cable Tica website, it shows speeds and prices. Here is a screenshot:

 

They even have quotes for some serious bandwith – 35, 50 and even 100 MBPS pricing. I wonder when you can get 100 MBPS service in Nosara?!?

 

Installations start December 2nd – there are currently over 500 homes and businesses in Nosara who are scheduled for installation. If you have not signed up at this point, you should expect a bit of time to pass in order to get your installation, but its still advisable to get yourself on the list. There are represenataties currently in the Nosara area, taking orders.

In general, prices for both the CABLE TV and CABLE INTERNET services are all lower than the competitors. The biggest price savings is in the higher speed internet connections, but there are some major savings in the TV CABLE when compared to Sky TV.

Well – you’ve heard all the advantages – we wouldn’t be doing our readers a service without also trying to figure out some of the possible problems or lack of features of the new service. So – what are they? For one – if you own a home and are having a residential installation – you will need to order both Cable AND Internet – not one or the other. So if you wanted JUST cable and not internet, or vice versa – you will have to pony up and purchase both. Lastly – we haven’t confirmed what the upload speeds will be for the internet service, just download. T

We will keep updated with the rollout around town and let you know our experience. We have our properties scheduled for installs and will provide any information updates as needed! Stay tuned…..