Latin America

Costa Rica regulator measures Claro and Liberty 5G networks for first time

Claro led on speed while Liberty had lower latency. Uneven coverage prevents a definitive nationwide ranking.

Costa Rica’s telecommunications regulator published its first national assessment of commercial 5G networks on September 10. In measurements taken from January 5 through June 30, Claro averaged 186.6 Mbps for downloads and Liberty 34.1 Mbps. The gap matters to customers and operators, but reflects routes tested during an early rollout phase rather than a speed guaranteed to every user at every location. [1] [2]

Download speed measures how much data a device receives each second. Claro also led for uploads, at 98.0 Mbps against Liberty’s 30.1 Mbps. Latency measures the response time of a connection and gave a different ordering: Liberty recorded 22.1 milliseconds of local latency, versus 25.1 for Claro. For international connections, the regulator reported 60.3 and 84.5 milliseconds respectively. A network can lead on one measure without leading on another. [1]

The method limits direct comparison. The regulator drove routes in all seven provinces, but found no Liberty 5G at the tested points and dates in Cartago, Guanacaste, Puntarenas and Limón. La Nación reports that tests took place on national roads between 6 a.m. and 11 p.m.; they therefore do not represent every indoor setting or hour. Provincial comparisons between both networks mainly concern San José, Alajuela and Heredia. [1] [2]

La Nación also notes that the measured Liberty 5G download rate resembles that operator’s 4G result in 2025. That does not establish identical performance for every 5G and 4G connection: location, coverage, load and equipment matter. The regulator calls these findings a starting point and plans to repeat the assessment every six months. For customers, the practical choice still depends on coverage and performance in the places they actually use their service. [1] [2]

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