kölbi

What kölbi does

k\u00f6lbi is the consumer-facing telecommunications brand of ICE (Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad), Costa Rica's state-owned electricity and telecommunications utility. The company delivers mobile services (postpaid tiers such as "k plus" and the Dominio Prepago line), home internet over fiber and 5G fixed wireless, pay television, fixed-line telephony, and managed enterprise services across all seven provinces of Costa Rica. Its customer base spans individuals, households, small and medium businesses, and enterprise clients.

Its underlying technology stack includes a 5G Standalone mobile network, 4G LTE, fiber-to-the-home, VoLTE, and eSIM provisioning, supported by an in-house Tier III data center offering SD-WAN, cloud, and blockchain enterprise services. Strategic vendor relationships include Cisco for the enterprise cybersecurity portfolio (SOC, DUO, Umbrella, and adjacent products) and Microsoft for Microsoft 365 distribution.

k\u00f6lbi generates revenue through subscription-based mobile plans, prepaid airtime, fixed broadband and TV bundles, fixed telephony, subsidized device sales with 24-month installment financing, enterprise managed services, and ancillary offers such as device insurance at $5.09 per month. Distribution is executed through a nationwide retail footprint, digital channels, co-branded financial products with Banco de Costa Rica (BCR) including a co-branded credit card, lifestyle tie-ups such as the NBA marketing partnership, and global connectivity partnerships such as Airalo eSIM for international roaming.

Name

kölbi

Legal name

kölbi

Website

https://kolbi.cr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

k\u00f6lbi is the consumer telecom brand of Costa Rica's state-owned utility ICE, offering mobile, fiber and 5G home internet, TV, fixed telephony, and enterprise managed services to individuals, households, SMEs, and enterprises across all seven Costa Rican provinces.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

San José

HQ country

Costa Rica

HQ region

Latin America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Mobile Postpaid Services: Recurring monthly subscription plans (k plus postpaid plans) with voice, data, and SMS services. Devices can be financed over 24 months with postpaid plans.
2. Mobile Prepaid Services: Prepaid airtime and data packages (Dominio Prepago) with flexible top-up options.
3. Home Internet: Fiber optic and fixed wireless internet plans for households with various speed tiers.
4. Television (kölbi TV): Digital TV service including kölbi TV Advanced with set-top box and various channel packages.
5. Fixed Line Telephony: Residential and business fixed-line voice services.
6. Device Sales: Smartphones, tablets, modems, and accessories sold outright or with device financing through postpaid plans.
7. kölbi Asistencia Multiple: Monthly subscription insurance/assistance service ($5.09/month) covering home, health, legal, automotive, and travel assistance.
8. Enterprise Solutions: Business services including VPN, SD-WAN, managed services, cloud solutions (Microsoft 365), cybersecurity, data center, and custom enterprise connectivity.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

kölbi is the consumer and enterprise telecommunications brand of Costa Rica's state-owned utility ICE, delivering mobile services (postpaid and prepaid), residential fiber internet, pay television, fixed-line telephony, and a portfolio of enterprise ICT solutions including data center colocation, SD-WAN, blockchain services, and managed cybersecurity. Service is delivered over an owned fiber backbone and a 5G standalone mobile network with nationwide coverage.

Product overview

kölbi is Costa Rica's primary telecommunications operator owned by ICE (Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad), offering a comprehensive portfolio of mobile, home, and business services. The mobile segment includes postpaid plans (k plus) and prepaid options with 5G technology, e-SIM, VoLTE, and roaming services. Home services comprise fiber optic internet, kölbi TV (both Avanzada and Digital tiers), fixed telephony, and WiFi mesh. The business segment serves both SMEs and enterprises with dedicated internet, VoIP, VPN, and managed services. Enterprise-grade solutions include kölbi SD-WAN, kölbi Data Center, kölbi Blockchain, kölbi Análisis de Datos, kölbi nube directa, and a comprehensive cybersecurity suite (SOC as a Service, Cisco security products, Clean Pipes, vulnerability analysis, pentest, and Managed Detection and Response). Cloud productivity is delivered through kölbi Microsoft 365 partnership. Additional services include kölbi Asistencia Multiple Hogar (multi-coverage protection), kölbi música entertainment, and kölbi esports programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• kölbi Asistencia Múltiple: Home assistance service offering 13 coverages for health, home, travel, pets and more with 24/7 support
• kölbi TV
• kölbi 5G
• kölbi fusión
• kölbi Hogar
• kölbi Data Center
• kölbi Blockchain
• kölbi Microsoft 365

Products and services

• Mobile Postpaid Plans (k plus) Postpaid mobile subscription plans providing voice, SMS, and mobile data on kölbi's 5G and 4G network for individual consumers in Costa Rica.
• Mobile Prepaid Plans (Dominio Prepago) Prepaid mobile service allowing Costa Rican consumers to pay in advance for voice, SMS, and data without a long-term contract.
• Home Fiber Internet (Planes Hogar) Residential fiber-optic broadband internet service delivered to households in Costa Rica, with multiple speed tiers and bundle discounts.
• kölbi TV Pay television service for Costa Rican households, typically bundled with home fiber internet plans.
• Fixed Line Telephony (residential) Residential fixed-line voice telephone service for Costa Rican households.
• 5G Mobile Network Service Commercial 5G Standalone mobile network service providing nationwide 5G connectivity to consumers and businesses in Costa Rica.
• Internet Fijo 5G (5G Home Internet) Fixed wireless home internet service delivered over kölbi's 5G network, providing broadband connectivity without fiber installation.
• kölbi Data Center Tier III certified data center providing colocation, hosting, and cloud infrastructure services to enterprises and public-sector organizations.
• kölbi SD-WAN Managed software-defined wide area networking service for enterprises needing multi-site connectivity and network orchestration.
• kölbi Blockchain Enterprise blockchain-as-a-service platform enabling organizations to deploy and operate distributed ledger applications.
• kölbi Microsoft 365 Cloud productivity suite offering of Microsoft 365 tools provided to business customers in Costa Rica.
• Business Mobile Plans (Servicios Móviles Pymes) Mobile voice and data plans tailored for SMB (PyME) customers with business-oriented features and bundled pricing.
• Business Fiber Plans (Planes Pymes Fibra Óptica) Fiber broadband plans designed for SMB (PyME) customers, with business-grade service levels and bundled options.
• eSIM Global eSIM-based international mobile data service allowing Costa Rican customers to obtain global data connectivity for travel.
• kölbi Música Music streaming service included as part of kölbi mobile plan offerings for consumers.
• Enterprise Cybersecurity Solutions (SOC, Clean Pipes, Anti-DDoS) Managed cybersecurity portfolio for enterprises, including Security Operations Center monitoring, Clean Pipes traffic protection, and Anti-DDoS mitigation.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration20 records

Feature10 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• AiralocoreTechnology or IntegrationPartnership to provide kölbi eSIM Global, enabling customers to access international data roaming in multiple countries through Airalo's eSIM platform. This allows kölbi subscribers to use data services while traveling abroad.
• MicrosoftcoreTechnology or Integrationkölbi Microsoft 365 solutions offered to households, PyMEs, and enterprises, providing cloud productivity tools integrated with kölbi services. Includes Microsoft 365 cloud solutions for businesses.
• CiscocoreTechnology or IntegrationEnterprise cybersecurity solutions including: SOC as a Service, DUO (multi-factor authentication), Umbrella (cloud security), Cisco Secure Endpoint, Clean Pipes, and penetration testing services.
• Banco de Costa Rica (BCR)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCo-branded kölbi-BCR credit card for customer payments and financial services. Card provides benefits for kölbi services and BCR banking ecosystem.
• NBAminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMarketing partnership for NBA content and promotions, enhancing entertainment offerings for kölbi customers through sports content access.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Millicom (Tigo): Pan-LatAm mobile and broadband operator running the Tigo brand across Central and South America; comparable to kölbi in combining prepaid/postpaid mobile with home broadband under a unified customer proposition.
• Liberty Latin America: Regional cable, broadband, and enterprise operator across the Caribbean and Latin America; comparable to kölbi in offering residential pay-TV/broadband plus B2B connectivity and managed services in overlapping regional markets.
• América Móvil (Claro): Parent of Claro Costa Rica and the largest telecom group across Latin America; comparable in that it operates integrated mobile/fixed/broadband/TV platforms across multiple jurisdictions with similar technology and bundling strategies.
• Telefónica (Movistar/Hispanoamérica): Spanish incumbent operating Movistar-branded mobile, fiber, and enterprise services across Latin America; comparable to kölbi in the breadth of consumer and B2B telecom services but at much larger regional scale.

Direct peers

• Claro Costa Rica: Operates the competing mobile, fixed-line, and broadband networks in Costa Rica, directly contesting kölbi for consumer and SME subscribers across all 7 provinces with overlapping prepaid, postpaid, and handset-financing offers.
• Movistar Costa Rica: Telefónica's Costa Rican subsidiary competes head-to-head in mobile postpaid, fixed broadband, and enterprise connectivity, mirroring kölbi's core retail and business segments in the same domestic market.
• Liberty Costa Rica: Cable and broadband operator under Liberty Latin America providing residential internet and pay-TV that compete directly with kölbi's fiber-to-the-home and kölbi TV offerings in overlapping urban service zones.
• Tigo Costa Rica: Millicom's Costa Rican unit offers prepaid/postpaid mobile and home broadband under the unifying "Tigo" brand, competing directly with kölbi's mobile and home internet plans and bundled propositions.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/kolbi_cr
• Facebookfacebook.com/kolbicr
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kolbicr

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 kölbi