Kolbi

Costa Rica ★★★ Verified Customer: 1187

Kölbi is the mobile brand of Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad (ICE), Costa Rica's state-owned operator that monopolized the market until 2011 liberalization. It still holds around 50% market share and has the widest coverage (98% availability). OpenSignal's coverage experience score of 8.0/10 ranks first nationwide, with average download speeds of 16-20 Mbps. Offers 2G GSM, 3G UMTS, 4G LTE, and 5G (partial coverage), on standard 2100MHz UMTS + 1800MHz LTE bands. SIM card costs 1,000 CRC; first recharge of 3,000 CRC+ at Kölbi own stores earns 6,000 CRC credit bonus (split over 3 months, 2,000 CRC valid for 7 days each). SJO San José Airport does not sell Kölbi SIMs. Main USSD entry: *888# for the Kölbi self-service menu; SMS shortcode 8888 handles voucher recharge (option 1, enter PIN and CLAVE); data plans activated via SMS shortcode 1707. Country code +506.