Searching for the ultimate Wi-Fi hotspot in Colombia? We've got good news! The country is strides ahead of other South American countries when it comes to internet speeds, phone contracts and online communication.
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Fibre optic broadband in Colombia
Colombia has super-fast fibre optic broadband thanks to America's many high-tech cables, stretching from Florida to Colombia's Caribbean coast, handling upload speeds of up to 1.92Terabits per second.
Internet is relatively cheap in the major cities, and the majority of cafes, restaurants, malls, stores, bars and public places have public Wi-Fi or Wi-Fi for customer use.
The case is very different in the smaller towns. While broadband internet is readily available, people tend not to have it in their homes and go online in internet cafes instead.
SIM cards and phone contracts in Colombia
SIM cards and phone contracts are readily available. Prepaid SIM cards cost as little as 5,000COP (US $1.70) and can be topped up monthly with anything from 5,000COP to 50,000COP depending on personal usage.
The majority of mobile providers, whether prepaid or contract, offer Whatsapp, Facebook or Twitter for free with unlimited usage for the length of the plan. There are three main mobile service providers in Colombia: Claro, Movistar and Tigo, and each offer different services and network coverage.
In Colombia it's not popular for people to text each other because it’s expensive, so everyone uses WhatsApp as a messaging service (even businesses and delivery services use WhatsApp).
Remember, there are many remote places in Colombia, such as mountainous regions, and the Amazon rainforest, which are mainly inhabited by indigenous communities who are still living without access to electricity.
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