Those who have been waiting months to get a GSM cell phone line may not have to wait much longer – the Costa Rican Electricity Institute (ICE) yesterday announced it will be selling 40,000 of these lines beginning May 15.

This state-run telecommunications monopoly will sell the new lines through its agencies and approved outside vendors, according to a statement from ICE.

Those who wish to obtain a line through an ICE agency must schedule an appointment by calling a voice-activated system reached by dialing 145. This system will be available beginning tomorrow.

No appointment is necessary to get a line from an outside vendor. A cédula -- or proof of residency, in the case of foreigners -- is necessary to obtain a cell phone line in Costa Rica.

In other cell phone news, drivers in Costa Rica may soon be able to make a quick call and get traffic updates.

Through a pilot plan with the U.S. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the Central American Institution of Business Administration (INCAE), the Costa Rican company Navegación Satelital and the Public Works and Transport Ministry (MOPT), students from these two schools will research the best technology for the project, expected to be implemented in eight to 10 months, according to a statement from Casa Presidencial.

Cell phone users will be able to receive real-time updates on traffic conditions from satellite systems, explained Public Works and Transport Minister Karla González.

-Tico Times