COMMUNICATIONS-FAQ

1. Can I send or receive faxes at ILISA?
2. Can I send or receive e-mail at ILISA?
3. Can you tell me something about international calls from Costa Rica?
4. What about the local telephones?
   

1. Can I send or receive faxes at ILISA?
   ILISA provides fax service for all of our students. Students can receive faxes free of charge, directed to 011-506-2225-4665, at any time. The sender should indicate who the fax is to and we will put it the student's mailbox. To send a fax at ILISA, please ask the office staff for one of our cover sheets. The current fax rates can be found in the reception area.
2. Can I send or receive e-mail at ILISA?
   ILISA offers this service for all students. Each student can write and send e-mail from the lab's computers. E-mail and internet access is free.
3. Can you tell me something about international calls from Costa Rica?
   To make collect calls ("llamada a cobrar") or credit card calls ("llamada con tarjeta de credito"), dial 116 to get the operator who speaks English upon request. For person-to-person calls, dial 09 followed by the complete phone number without pausing. After dialing, the operator will ask you to whom you wish to speak, and whether it is a collect call or a credit card call. For calling card calls to the US, dial 0-8000-114-114 for the AT&T operator; 0-8000-122-222 for the MCI operator; or dial 0-8000-130-123 for the Sprint operator. For collect calls to Denmark dial 0-8000-451-045. For collect calls to Germany call 0-8000-491-049.
   The local phone company (ICE) has an office in downtown San Jose where you can make international calls 24 hours a day by paying with your credit card.
4. What about the local telephones?
   All local calls in Costa Rica are time-charged, including those within the city of San Jose. You can buy a calling card at many of the pharmacies and ICE agencies. You can purchase a card (TarjetaColibri) that has a value of ¢500, ¢1000, or ¢3000. These are extremely convenient to use and eliminate the need for a pocket of change. There is a public card phone right in front of ILISA. Cards are for sale at many local businesses and ICE agencies.
   You can also purchase pre-paid phone cards from the phone company's office in San Pedro. They are available in larger denominations and are designed specifically for tourists wanting to make international calls.