Digital Divide Country Profile · North America

Costa Rica

Closing the digital divide, expanding meaningful connectivity, and advancing digital education and workforce participation.

National digital inclusion context

A portfolio-based view of access, capability, and outcomes.

This profile organizes the initiatives directly connected to Costa Rica in the global research inventory. It follows the study's country-profile framework: national context, broadband infrastructure, inclusion practices, education and workforce connections, implementation actors, and intended contribution.

The documented portfolio emphasizes Mobile / Wireless Infrastructure, Backbone / Backhaul / Middle-Mile Infrastructure, Infrastructure Planning / Mapping / Funding, Artificial Intelligence (AI), 5G. The profile treats infrastructure, affordability, capability, institutions, support, and outcomes as an interconnected system.

Portfolio pattern

What the documented response contains.

Counts reflect source-workbook tags. One initiative may appear in multiple infrastructure or technology categories.

Infrastructure and access

Mobile / Wireless Infrastructure3
Backbone / Backhaul / Middle-Mile Infrastructure1
Infrastructure Planning / Mapping / Funding1
Institutional / School Connectivity Infrastructure1
Last-Mile / Access Infrastructure1

Specific technologies

Artificial Intelligence (AI)4
5G3
Computer / Desktop PC1
Learning Management System (LMS)1
Robotics1

Intervention classification

Infrastructure and Specific Technology4
Specific Technology only4
Infrastructure only2
Neither explicitly identified2

Education and workforce

Connectivity becomes consequential through participation.

7 initiatives explicitly connect to education, K–12, or college/university contexts, and 4 connect to workforce development. Other investments may enable these outcomes indirectly.

Access

Networks, service availability, devices, and connection quality.

Capability

Skills, confidence, accessibility, navigation, and support.

Participation

Education, work, health, government, and civic opportunity.

Sustainability

Governance, operations, maintenance, funding, and learning.

Project and initiative portfolio

13 documented records

Every directly tagged record is shown with details and supporting URLs preserved from the research workbook.

Mobile broadband gap-closing

5G Coverage Obligations for 134 Low/No-Connectivity Districts

2024 auction / rollout · 134 low- or no-connectivity districts

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Status / period2024 auction / rolloutLocation134 low- or no-connectivity districtsPopulationResidents in poorly connected districtsOrganizationsMICITT; SUTEL; mobile operators

Uses 5G spectrum-award obligations to prioritize communities with low or nonexistent connectivity.

Activities and approach: 5G; low-band/mid-band spectrum; infrastructure obligations

Mobile / Wireless Infrastructure5G

International digital infrastructure and cybersecurity cooperation

Cooperation in the Digital Economy Agreement

Active agreement · Costa Rica

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Status / periodActive agreementLocationCosta RicaPopulationRural and national connectivity usersOrganizationsGovernments of Costa Rica and the United StatesFundingNational bilateral agreement

Supports acceleration of 5G deployment, exploration of 6G, open secure networks, and cybersecurity.

Activities and approach: 5G/6G cooperation; network security; cybersecurity.

Mobile / Wireless InfrastructureTelecommunications / Broadband Infrastructure5G

Digital inclusion initiative

Costa Rica launches COP 2 bln digital divide scheme - Telecompaper

Announced, active, or documented at source date · Costa Rica

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Status / periodAnnounced, active, or documented at source dateLocationCosta RicaPopulationRural, remote, underserved, or unserved communities

Builds digital capability and adoption support for rural, remote, underserved, or unserved communities, addressing skills and participation barriers.

Activities and approach: Targeted digital inclusion activities described in the cited source

National education transformation project

Costa Rica Results in Education Project

Approved / implementation planned · National public education system

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Status / periodApproved / implementation plannedLocationNational public education systemPopulationOne million students, teachers, staff, Indigenous students, migrants, and refugeesOrganizationsWorld Bank; Costa Rica Ministry of Public Education; IBRD; Inter-American Development BankFundingUS$200 million; 1 million students; 90,000 teachers and staff

Improves foundational learning, digital competencies, employability, platforms, connectivity, hardware, and support.

Activities and approach: Learning platforms; LMS; connectivity; hardware; onsite support; assessment

Learning Management System (LMS)

EducationK–12Workforce

Satellite connectivity partnership

EU–Costa Rica Satellite Connectivity Cooperation Agreement

Active / reported 2025 · Costa Rica

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Status / periodActive / reported 2025LocationCosta RicaPopulationRural and underserved communities and institutionsOrganizationsEuropean Union; Government of Costa Rica and partner institutionsFundingNot stated in source

Supports satellite-enabled connectivity and digital cooperation intended to reduce geographic access gaps.

Activities and approach: Satellite connectivity cooperation and investment framework

Satellite broadband / digital connectivity infrastructureSatellite connectivity

Household affordability/connectivity subsidy

FONATEL Connectivity Subsidy for Vulnerable Student Households

2026 rollout · Nationwide targeted households

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Status / period2026 rolloutLocationNationwide targeted householdsPopulationStudents in poverty and extreme povertyOrganizationsMEP; MICITT; IMAS; SUTEL/FONATEL

Subsidizes home Internet for vulnerable student households that already have a suitable device.

Activities and approach: Broadband service subsidy

Education

Universal broadband coverage

FONATEL District Universal Connectivity Expansion

PNDT 2022–2027 · Priority districts

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Status / periodPNDT 2022–2027LocationPriority districtsPopulationResidents in underserved districtsOrganizationsMICITT; SUTEL/FONATEL

Expands universal connectivity coverage in districts lacking adequate telecommunications service.

Activities and approach: FONATEL-funded network deployment

Last-Mile / Access Infrastructure

Public-access/institutional connectivity

FONATEL Public Service Provision Centres (CPSP) Connectivity

PNDT through 2027 · CECI, CEN-CINAI and other CPSP sites

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Status / periodPNDT through 2027LocationCECI, CEN-CINAI and other CPSP sitesPopulationCommunities using public-service centresOrganizationsSUTEL/FONATEL; MICITT

Connects public-service centres with subsidized Internet, creating local points of meaningful digital access.

Activities and approach: Institution broadband subsidy

School AI education and skills development

Intel AI Training Programs in Schools

Ongoing · Schools in Costa Rica

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Status / periodOngoingLocationSchools in Costa RicaPopulationStudents and educatorsOrganizationsIntel; participating schoolsFundingNot quantified in source

Builds AI skills and creator capacity in schools as part of broader efforts to avoid an AI-driven divide.

Activities and approach: AI training in schools.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

EducationK–12

National AI and digital-inclusion strategy

National Artificial Intelligence Strategy (ENIA) 2024-2027

Active · Nationwide

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Status / periodActiveLocationNationwidePopulationStudents, workers, innovators, rural and underserved communitiesOrganizationsMinistry of Science, Innovation, Technology, and Telecommunications (MICITT)FundingNational strategy

Seeks ethical and equitable AI adoption with education, infrastructure, access, innovation, and digital-backbone development.

Activities and approach: AI policy; education; infrastructure; 5G; equity; local innovation; regulatory framework.

Mobile / Wireless InfrastructureBackbone / Backhaul / Middle-Mile Infrastructure5GArtificial Intelligence (AI)

EducationWorkforce

AI skills, research, and innovation center

National Center of Excellence in AI

Planned / strategy component · National

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Status / periodPlanned / strategy componentLocationNationalPopulationStudents, researchers, workforce, innovatorsOrganizationsMICITT; Costa Rican governmentFundingNational center planned

Intended to strengthen domestic AI capacity and prevent advanced technology from widening inequality.

Activities and approach: Center development; AI capacity and innovation.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

EducationWorkforce

Computer science and digital-competency curriculum

National Program for Technological Preparedness

Implementation supported · National public schools

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Status / periodImplementation supportedLocationNational public schoolsPopulationPrimary and secondary studentsOrganizationsCosta Rica Ministry of Public Education; World Bank

Builds computational thinking and advanced digital skills for educational and workforce readiness.

Activities and approach: Technological adaptation; algorithms; programming; physical computing; robotics; data science; AI

Artificial Intelligence (AI)RoboticsComputer / Desktop PC

EducationK–12Workforce

School high-speed broadband

Red Educativa del Bicentenario – FONATEL Axis

Through 2027 · Public educational centres

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Status / periodThrough 2027LocationPublic educational centresPopulationStudents and teachersOrganizationsMEP; MICITT; SUTEL/FONATEL

Improves high-speed Internet connectivity in public schools and colleges.

Activities and approach: School broadband; network capacity upgrades

Institutional / School Connectivity InfrastructureInfrastructure Planning / Mapping / Funding

EducationK–12College / university

Evidence boundary

Read the portfolio as a starting point, not a final verdict.

Project records document interventions and intended contributions; they do not alone prove nationwide coverage, causal impact, or durable closure.

Profiles will deepen as national statistics, policy documents, evaluations, and implementation evidence are incorporated. Source links allow inspection of underlying evidence.

Evidence and contextProfile Sources

These sources support the country-level demographic, geographic, and connectivity context. Sources tied to individual projects remain with their project records and are not repeated here.

Central Intelligence Agency. (n.d.). Costa Rica. The World Factbook. Retrieved September 26, 2026, from https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/costa-rica/
International Telecommunication Union. (n.d.). ITU DataHub: Country ICT data. Retrieved September 26, 2026, from https://datahub.itu.int/
World Bank. (n.d.). Individuals using the Internet (% of population): Costa Rica. World Development Indicators. Retrieved September 26, 2026, from https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/IT.NET.USER.ZS?locations=CR
World Bank. (n.d.). Population, total: Costa Rica. World Development Indicators. Retrieved September 26, 2026, from https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.POP.TOTL?locations=CR

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