Today, I want to address one of the most common complaints that I see about living in Panama – internet services! In Panama City, at least in most downtown areas, you will find high-speed connectivity. Nevertheless, internet services in Panama vary according to the part of Panama you live in.
The question is – what are your standards? You need to recognise that “high speed” here doesn’t compare to the US or Canada, but for Central America it is excellent. Depending on whether or not your connection is aerial, underground or completely wireless and reliant on “line of sight” you may be affected by weather conditions.
Internet services in Panama
You can commonly expect four options:
- Fibre optics (limited geographical coverage)
- Cable broadband
- DSL
- Satellite
The most common providers are:
- Cable & Wireless (www.cwpanama.net/)
- Cable Onda (www.cableonda.com/)
- Movistar (www.movistar.com.pa/)
- Claro (www.claro.com.pa/)
- WIPET (www.wipet.com/)
Another option is PaNETma, offering from 2 to 2500 Mbps symmetric internet connectivity in/near Panama City.
If, for example, you choose Claro and you live out of town, you will probably get their 3.5G services. The 3.5G service provides a speed of 2Mbps download and upload process. It is relatively stable, but expect fluctuations and being affected by stormy weather.
Background checks – find reliable sources of information
Depending on where you live – check your specific options. We have had clients living in Bocas and remote areas that have changed providers numerous times. Many promises may be made about what they can provide. Just remember that the salesperson will tell you the best service that they can provide, not the issues. Also, your salesperson may speak English – but the support personnel probably don’t. Find out who your support personnel will be and their actual response time.
I encourage you to read up about other people’s experiences, especially if you plan to live in a remote area. For example – Internet Access & Providers in Panama provides some great personal anecdotes about connectivity challenges.
I believe this is the most complete list you will find: Internet Providers in Panama
Finally, for advice regarding your plans to relocate to Panama, contact our lawyers.