Telecommunications

Ecuador's telephone system is provided by Andinatel (for the Sierra and highlands) and Pacifictel (for the coastal areas). These are state owned companies that will probably be decentralized soon which should lead to an overall improvement in telecommunications.

There are virtually no telephone booths to be found anywhere, but many shops around Quito, Guayaquil and other major cities do provide a telephone for public use, although the charges quite high and you will not be able to call abroad. Please note that telephones are more expensive here than in the USA or Europe. An international call will have to go via the operator and it will cost you a minimum of 2 US dollars for the first 2 or 3 minutes.

Every town and village will have a public phone that you will find at the Andinatel office of the town or village. From there you will be able to make long distance calls and in the bigger offices you will be able to send faxes. The drawback of using this public service is that there are generally long queues and these offices, especially in the smaller towns, are normally only open at short intervals during the day (usually from 8 to 11 a .m. then again from 2 to 4 p.m. and again from 7 to 9 p.m.). Opening times are displayed outside these offices, so do check them.

Cellular phones are widely used in the big towns. There are a few companies that provide this service, the largest being Porta and Movistar followed by Alegro. The widest coverage is offered by Porta, but due to the altitude of the Andean mountain chain that cuts through Ecuador and the scarcity of repudiators, reception can be poor once outside town.

The majority of telephone lines are still analogue, but in Quito and Guayaquil there are some digital lines and it is now possible to use those for a much faster and reliable access to the Internet. Digital lines are constantly being installed and they will eventually reach outside the major towns.

There are a number of Ecuadorian Internet servers and Internet Cafes in every city. They are not expensive and good food and coffee is served.