Coopealfaroruiz

What Coopealfaroruiz does

CoopeAlfaroRuiz R.L. (Cooperativa de Electrificación Rural de Alfaro Ruiz R.L.) is a member-owned rural electrification cooperative incorporated in Costa Rica on October 12, 1972, and headquartered 1.5 km north of the main park in Zarcero, Alajuela. It operates as the licensed electricity distributor within the Alfaro Ruiz concession area under Costa Rica's Ley General de Telecomunicaciones (Law N° 8642) and tariff oversight by ARESEP and SUTEL. The cooperative serves approximately 7,000+ smart-metered connections, comprising 6,100+ residential and 1,800+ commercial services, across a single concession territory that also extends to a secondary office in San Juan de San Ramón.

The technical foundation is a proprietary fiber optic and cable modem network that supports two-way electricity distribution plus broadband internet service, complemented by 7,000+ smart electric meters deployed since 2019, dual-band HUAWEI EG8247 customer-premises equipment, and a DER capacity-hosting GIS map compliant with Law 10086 / ARESEP resolution RE-0095-JD-2023. The product portfolio spans electricity distribution; internet services from 45 Mbps to 1 Gbps delivered via fiber or cable modem; and television bundles (Full TV/IPTV 91 channels, Analog TV 82 channels, Mini TV 31 channels) operated in partnership with CoopeSantos R.L. since February 20, 2025. The cooperative also produces Canal ZTV, a community television channel broadcasting since 2009 that sells advertising packages from ₡100,000 to ₡400,000 (+ IVA).

The revenue model is subscription-recurring across all core utility lines, supplemented by advertising and event-production revenue through ZTV and by DER interconnection services. Acquisition is sales-led via direct field installation, two physical offices, a central phone line (2463-9000), WhatsApp text support, and a toll-free 800-ZARCERO number, with free installation as the primary acquisition lever. Customer collection is supported by multi-bank integrations (Banco Nacional, BCR, Davivienda, Scotiabank, BCR Móvil, Banca Móvil, BN Servicios, Puntos Tucán) and partner treasury offices. Governance follows Costa Rican cooperative law, with a Consejo de Administración, Comité de Vigilancia, and Comité de Educación y Bienestar Social reporting to a General Assembly.

Name

Coopealfaroruiz

Legal name

Cooperativa de Electrificación Rural de Alfaro Ruiz R.L. (COOPEALFARORUIZ R.L.)

Website

https://coopealfaroruiz.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1972

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

CoopeAlfaroRuiz R.L. is a member-owned Costa Rican rural electrification cooperative, founded in 1972 and headquartered in Zarcero, Alajuela, providing regulated electricity distribution and fiber/cable internet (45 Mbps to 1 Gbps) to roughly 13,900 residential and commercial customers within its Alfaro Ruiz concession area.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Rural Electric Utility and Broadband Services

NAICS

Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution (2211), Electric Power Transmission, Control, and Distribution (22112), Wired and Wireless Telecommunications Carriers (except Satellite) (51711)

SIC

Electric, Gas & Sanitary Services (4900)

akta.pro primary industry

Electric Cooperatives (Rural/Member-Owned Utilities) (EUADABAC)

Keywords

• Rural electricity distribution
• Fiber internet services
• Smart metering infrastructure
• Community television channel
• Electric utility cooperative

Headquarters

HQ city

Zarcero

HQ country

Costa Rica

HQ region

Latin America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Infrastructure, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Electricity Distribution: Primary revenue stream from distribution of electrical energy to residential and commercial customers in the rural Alfaro Ruiz concession area. Revenue is recurring, collected monthly per service cycle (payment window 5th-15th of each month).
2. Internet Service: Monthly recurring internet service fees at multiple speed tiers (45 Mbps to 1,000 Mbps), delivered via fiber optic or cable modem. Price includes IVA 13%, Cruz Roja 1%, and 911 0.75% surcharges.
3. Television Service: Television subscription services including IPTV (Full TV, 91 channels), Analog TV (82 channels), and Mini TV (31 channels), now operated by CoopeSantos R.L. with billing managed by CoopeAlfaroRuiz. Fees are monthly recurring.
4. ZTV Advertising and Media Production: Revenue from sale of advertising spots, publireportajes, pre-recorded interviews, and live program slots on the local ZTV television channel. Prices range from ₡100,000 + IVA for basic spots to ₡400,000 + IVA for live programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

CoopeAlfaroRuiz R.L. is a cooperative utility that distributes electricity and delivers broadband internet and television services to residential and commercial customers in the rural Zarcero/Alfaro Ruiz area of Alajuela, Costa Rica. It owns and operates the local fiber optic and cable modem network, 7,000+ smart electricity meters, and the ZTV community television channel, with television service currently operated through a partnership with CoopeSantos R.L.

Product overview

Coopealfaroruiz R.L. is a rural electrification cooperative based in Zarcero, Costa Rica, offering a multi-service portfolio centered on electricity distribution and telecommunications. The core offerings include fixed internet services delivered via cable modem or fiber optic (ranging from 45 Mbps to 1000 Mbps), television services (Full TV/IPTV with 91 channels, TV Análoga with 82 channels, and Mini TV with 31 channels), bundled internet+TV packages, and electrical distribution with over 7000 smart meters deployed. The cooperative operates Canal ZTV, a local community television channel established in 2009, and provides DER capacity mapping services for renewable energy integration. Since February 2025, CATV television services are operated by COOPESANTOS R.L. under a strategic partnership, with COOPEALFARORUIZ handling maintenance and billing through its fiber optic infrastructure.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ZTV (Zarcero Televisión): Local television channel operated by COOPEALFARORUIZ R.L., broadcasting community news and cooperative information since 2009.

Products and services

• Internet Service Fixed broadband internet service delivered via cable modem or fiber optic (subject to availability), offered in speed tiers from 45 Mbps to 1,000 Mbps (1 Gbps) with free installation, targeted at residential and commercial customers across the Zarcero/Alfaro Ruiz concession area.
• Electricity Distribution Rural electricity distribution service to residential and commercial customers in the Zarcero/Alfaro Ruiz concession area, supported by more than 7,000 smart meters for remote reading, accurate billing, and grid management.
• Canal ZTV (Zarcero Televisión) Community local television channel broadcasting cooperative information, local news, community events, and advertiser-supported programming including spots, publireportajes, pre-recorded interviews, and live programs, with content also distributed on ZTV's Facebook page and Zarcero Televisión YouTube channel.
• Full TV (IPTV, 91 channels) IPTV subscription television service offering 91 channels, available exclusively as a bundle with CoopeAlfaroRuiz internet packages, with free equipment and installation. Television delivery is operated by partner CoopeSantos R.L. over CoopeAlfaroRuiz's fiber optic infrastructure.
• TV Analógica (Analog TV, 82 channels) Analog subscription television service with 82 channels priced at ₡14,300 per month (including 13% VAT), operated by partner CoopeSantos R.L. and distributed over the cooperative's fiber/cable network.
• Mini TV (31 channels) Basic subscription television service with 31 channels priced at ₡8,700 per month, operated by partner CoopeSantos R.L. and distributed over the cooperative's network.
• Full TV + Internet Bundle (91 channels) Bundled subscription combining CoopeAlfaroRuiz internet (45-350 Mbps) with Full TV IPTV (91 channels) operated by partner CoopeSantos R.L., with bundled pricing from ₡27,280 to ₡38,545 per month including taxes, free equipment, and free installation.
• TV + Internet Bundle (82 channels) Bundled subscription combining CoopeAlfaroRuiz internet (45-350 Mbps) with 82-channel analog television operated by partner CoopeSantos R.L., with bundled pricing from ₡27,305 to ₡38,570 per month including taxes.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration12 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• CONELECTRICAS (Consorcio de Cooperativas Eléctricas de Costa Rica)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1989CONELECTRICAS was founded in 1989 with CoopeAlfaroRuiz as a founding member. The consortium enables shared electricity generation among four cooperatives, allowing CoopeAlfaroRuiz to participate in own-generation electricity supply rather than relying solely on external providers. This partnership provides economies of scale and energy security for member cooperatives.
• CoopeSantos R.L.coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCoopeSantos R.L. took over the CATV (cable television) service previously operated by CoopeAlfaroRuiz R.L. as of February 20, 2025, per SUTEL resolutions RCS-010-2025 and RCS-022-2025. CoopeAlfaroRuiz maintains the fiber optic network infrastructure over which CoopeSantos distributes its TV service, handles billing, and manages collection for customer convenience. CoopeAlfaroRuiz also handles technical operation and maintenance in its zone.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Cooperativa de Electricidad y Servicios Públicos de El Salvador (CEL/DEUSEM): El Salvador rural electric distribution cooperative. Comparable as a Latin American rural electric cooperative operating under a similar member-owned distribution model with bundled services in a defined concession territory.

Broad incumbents

• Tigo Costa Rica (Millicom): Mobile and fixed broadband carrier in Costa Rica under Millicom. Comparable as a competing telecom provider offering residential broadband and bundles that influence pricing expectations in CoopeAlfaroRuiz's service area.
• Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad (ICE / Kolbi): Costa Rica's state-owned vertically integrated electric utility and telecom operator (Kolbi brand). Overlaps in electricity distribution and broadband/telecom across the country, setting service and price benchmarks CoopeAlfaroRuiz must respond to within its concession.
• Liberty Latin America (Liberty Costa Rica / Liberty Networks): Major cable and broadband operator in Costa Rica. Comparable as a national incumbent offering cable TV and broadband bundles that compete with CoopeAlfaroRuiz's internet+TV product on speed, content, and pricing.

Others

• NRECA International / NRECA (US Rural Electric Cooperatives): U.S. national association for rural electric cooperatives and its affiliated international development arm. Useful comparable for governance, capital structure, and operating benchmarks of member-owned rural electric distribution utilities globally.
• CONELECTRICAS (Consorcio de Cooperativas Eléctricas de Costa Rica): Consortium founded in 1989 by CoopeAlfaroRuiz and other cooperatives for shared electricity generation. Comparable as the wholesale-generation and governance umbrella in which CoopeAlfaroRuiz participates, providing a structural cost and energy-security benchmark.

Regional players

• Telecable Costa Rica: Costa Rican cable TV and broadband provider with concentrated regional footprints. Comparable on cable-modem broadband plus IPTV product set, representing an adjacent competitive threat to CoopeAlfaroRuiz's internet and bundled offerings.

Direct peers

• Coopelesca R.L. Northern-zone Costa Rican rural electrification cooperative and CONELECTRICAS co-member with electricity distribution, internet, and TV offerings. Closest comparable in governance (cooperative), service mix (electricity + telecom), and tier-2 regional footprint.
• CoopeSantos R.L. Sister Costa Rican rural electric and telecom cooperative that took over CoopeAlfaroRuiz's CATV operations in February 2025 under SUTEL resolutions. Operates the same concession-style cooperative model with electricity distribution, broadband, and TV, and is a direct comparable in scale and product mix.
• CoopeGuanacaste R.L. Guanacaste-region rural electric cooperative and CONELECTRICAS member, providing electricity, internet, and related services. Comparable on cooperative structure, concession-based operations, and bundled utility-plus-telecom model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@ZarceroTelevision
• Facebookfacebook.com/Coopealfaroruiz
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/coopealfaroruiz-rl

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Coopealfaroruiz