Ericsson confirms 5G contract with Costa Rica’s ICE

Details: John Tanner; Category: Wireless Networks; 11 August 2026; 1556 views

Ericsson confirmed on Friday it has won a contract from the Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad (ICE) – the Costa Rican government’s electricity and telecoms service provider – to deploy a 5G Standalone (SA) network for ICE’s telecom division, Kölbi.

Ericsson said the scope of the project includes network slicing, built-in cybersecurity, open and standardized interfaces, advanced management capabilities and LTE RAN expansion o strengthen existing coverage and capacity.

Under the contract, Ericsson will provide its dual-mode 5G core, alongside 4G and 5G RAN solutions, including its Ericsson Intelligent Automation Platform (EIAP) for managing open, multi-vendor and multi-technology networks.

ICE will initially trial a selection of AI-powered anomaly optimization rApps from Ericsson on the platform to improve detection, optimization and resilience across the network. Ericsson says it’s the first deployment of its EIAP soluition in Latin America.

Sean Cryan, customer unit head for LATAM North and Caribbean at Ericsson, said the project meets ICE’s stringent demands for digital security, combining secure 5G SA architecture with Open RAN principles and advanced cybersecurity, while applying security-by-design, extensive testing and continuous vulnerability management in line with international standards and ICE’s specifications.

“Our priority is to provide cutting-edge technology that meets the highest standards of quality, security and performance, enabling ICE and the country to fully realize the benefits of 5G and elevate their service portfolio for customers, citizens and institutions, while supporting the continued growth of connectivity in Costa Rica,” Cryan said in a statement.

News of the Ericsson contract with ICE first emerged in May, but Ericsson didn’t confirm the news until Friday.

As we reported at the time, ICE and Kölbi are coming late to Costa Rica’s 5G party. Both Claro and Liberty Costa Rica have already rolled out 5G coverage in the San José metropolitan area and other major cities, and are moving forward with a nationwide rollout. Liberty is also using gear from Ericsson for its 5G network.