by Rod Hughes

If you are one of the 400,000 pepole in Costa Rica who have a TDMA technology cell phone, enjioy it now because you won’t have it long. At the start of 2009, the phone company will begin to phase out the TDMA system.

ICE’s CEO Pedro Pablo Quirós explained yesterday that world phone industry is no longer offering the system. In 2009, ICE will offer a new generation 3G and install tranmission for 1.5 million new lines. He added that ICE is pushing the change to GSM for now, since 3G is more expensive. Also GSM offers a faster Internet and videophone service.

In fact, TDMA phones have disappeared from the market, even if one wanted one. According to Veronica Solózano, director of the Association of Cell Phone Manufacturers, new cell phones and repair parts using the TDMA system have not been exported for the past three years. But one industry insider warned that bootleggers are still selling rebuilt TDMA phones from Mexico and Miami.