Internet in Uruguay; Dialup, ADSL, Fixed Wireless, G3/HSDPA... What are Your Options?

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This article will cover the various home user internet services available to expats in Uruguay. The business class services won't be covered. When listing prices in US dollars here I am using an exchange rate of 23 pesos to the dollar. Though its a bit better in reality. June 29, 2009.

Having lived in Montevideo for over 4 years and earned my living from internet business, I've found the internet here to be more than satisfactory. I may be a little more biased than some, as I have two different connections. If there is a problem (not often) with one, I just use the other. I don't even call tech support. Don't expect that any customer support or tech support will know more than a few words of English. At times you may be pleasantly surprised though.

Before I had two connections, my connection was with Dedicado and when there was a problem my call to tech support was usually along these lines: "what is your contract ?... hang on... it should be fixed in 30 minutes" (in Spanish of course). A big contrast to US internet tech support which is usually along the lines of "there is no problem... maybe you should reload windows."

Now, I'm not happy with the general customer service for any of the internet options in Uruguay, but I find the internet service and the tech support to be satisfactory.

Although most of these internet options offer service (or claim to offer service) throughout the entire country, my experience is based only in Montevideo and you may find services, and prices etc to vary in the interior. Especially with the G3/HSDPA services.

Antel Dial up

I'm not sure there is any reason you would want to subscribe to dial up internet service. However, for brief emergencies, Antel offers a 900# (yeah, pay by the minute on your phone bill) dial up internet access.

In short you dial  09091234

All the details can be found here:
http://www.antel.com.uy/portal/hgxpp001.aspx?2,424,1856,O,S,0,MNU;E;487;1;MNU;,

They detail the cost there as well. However, the best I can figure it out, including taxes is .26 pesos per minute for the internet access AND 1.12 pesos per "computo" for the phone call. A "computo" can be from 2 to 5 minutes depending on the day and day of the week. For example Mon-Fri 10am to 6pm. 1 computo = 2 minutes. So your internet connection of 2 minutes would cost .26 x 2 for the internet plus 1.12 for the phone call or 1.64 pesos for 2 minutes. That comes for 49.2 pesos (US$2.14) for an hour.

Antel ADSL

ADSL is probably what you are most familiar with, there are several other services available in Uruguay too. I would suggest you read about them all before making a decision.

Antel has gone crazy with their ADSL offers, today I counted 18 different ADSL plans. In short you can get ADSL unlimited by the month, limited by the numbers of hours you can use it in a month or the amount of data you can use in a month. You can also get it packaged with a G3/HSDPA modem/plan.

I would caution with any of the limited plans that you understand exactly:

1) how you know how much you've used
2) the cost of using more
3) if there is an upper limit on the total you can pay

A cheap plan may turn out very expensive unless you clarify all those points. Remember, not being fluent in Spanish won't help. Most of the plans have some kind of promotion. You can look to Antel's website for complete details and current prices:

Here are the specifics on the plans I think might be of most interest to expats:

* ADSL 256:  256 Kbps download / 64 Kbps upload  $390 pesos US$16.96
* ADSL 2048: 2048 Kbps download / 128 Kbps upload $1,268 pesos US$55.13
* ADSL 4096: 4096 Kbps download / 512 Kbps upload $2,490 pesos US$108.26

I currently have the ADSL 2580 plan which Antel isn't showing on their website. The ADSL 4096 plan was started in March 2009 and was the first time Antel offered an upload speed over 192K for home users.

When I first got the ADSL somewhat over 3 years ago, it was a 1024 Kbps download, 192K upload. Since then the it progressed through several speed increases, 1584, 2048 and finally 2580. There may have been a 23something too. The price was never increased. So, Antel has done a good job at regularly increasing their bandwidth and keeping prices the same.

The ADSL service requires you have a phone line. It is not clear whether you must have the phone and the ADSL under the same name. You can have them billed seperately. It is not difficult for an expat to get a telephone line or ADSL service from Antel.

Antel is the only provider of ADSL service in Montevideo. You will find ADSL advertised by others, the most notable Montevideo Comm and Netgate. They are resellers of Antel ADSL, so the plans, prices and promotions will be identical.

You will deal with a different company for customer service and tech support. You may find that to be an advantage. My ADSL is via Montevideo COMM so I call them for tech support and went to their office to move the service when I moved. They also moved the phone line.

When reviewing the plans keep in mind that it is likely they will want a contract of 1 year and will not make it easy for you to finish your contract early. They will automatically renew it for another year. Also pay attention to the installation fees and deposits.

Antel
http://www.antel.com.uy
To get new service: 08001111  business hours. Unless you are fluent in Spanish visit them!!
For tech support:  08001199  24 hours
Here is a complete list of their locations, most are open from 9am until 5pm or 7pm


Montevideo COMM
Customer Service: 402-2516
Br. Artigas 1081 (more or less corner of Ave Brasil)

Netgate
http://www.netgate.com.uy
tel: 712-6666
21 de Setiembre 2840



Dedicado; Fixed Wireless Internet

Dedicado offers an alternative to ADSL service. Though it is a "wireless" service, for all pratical purposes it is "wired". When it is installed, an antenna is placed on your roof and a wire run down to your apartment. You are provided with a power adapter and an ethernet cable for your computer.

If you hear people speak of reliablity issues with other wireless internet services, don't confuse them with Dedicado. Their system is a professional dedicated wireless network. I have found it generally to perform better and be more reliable than the ADSL service.

It does not use a telephone line so it can be installed regardless of any telephone line issues. One apartment building I lived in had a bit of concern about the installation of the antenna, though it was easily resolved. The other 3 had no issues whatever with the antenna. They can be seem on buildings and houses across Montevideo.

The antennas are small, but sometimes when installed on a house are put quite high on a pole. The service is available in the interior, but you should check with Dedicado for the specifics.

Before March, 2009 Dedicado was the only company offering upload speeds higher than 192K to home customers. My service started at 384k/384k and is now 512k/512k. The process of upgrading my service was not smooth or free. I pay $1810.48 pesos (US$78.72) for the 512k/512k service.

I prefer to use the Dedicado 512k/512k over the Antel 2580k/192k ADSL service. Although the Antel service is 5 times faster at downloads, I find general internet usage (ie: everything except downloading) to more along at a better clip. Remember EVERYTHING even downloading is two way communication.

If I had the choice of ADSL2580 or Dedicado 512k/512k I'd take Dedicado. The price difference is about 100 pesos. I don't know if my opinion will change if I upgrade my service to ADSL 4096 (see my section about customer service below).

Dedicado doesn't show a 512k/512k option for home users on their website at this time. They offer a 768k/128k and 512k/128k plans. To see their broadband (banda ancha) packages click here

The higher upload speed was the main advantage I found with Dedicado. With two providers I prefer two with different routes out of the country so that any network issues can be more likely avoided (see traceroutes below).

Dedicado
http://www.dedicado.com.uy
Sales: 0800 1010
Tech Support 0800 1011
Plaza Independencia 755, Floor 10
Torre Plaza
Radisson Victoria Plaza
(they are located in the Radisson Hotel)


G3/HSDPA

G3 or HSDPA is an internet service that connects via the cellular phone network, but not usually via your cellular phone. When offered for internet service it usually includes a small USB Modem and SIM card. You don't need cell phone service, there is a seperate contract for the internet service.

All of the cellular phone companies in Uruguay offer this service: Ancel, Movistar and Claro. Movistar and Claro offer prepaid and contract version. The contracts seem to be for a long term (2 years) and the prepaid can be quite expensive depending on your usage. Remember in 2 years a lot can change with technology and prices for internet service so it may not be in your favor to have a long term contract.

I think the G3/HSDPA are oversold - in all meanings of the word. You will believe the coverage area is larger than it actually is, you will be told that it functions better than it does, and more customers are put online than the system can effectively hand. However as time goes on, I believe all these issues will dimish.

The G3/HSDPA network may be capable of speeds up to 7.2 Mbps or faster. The modems you see will show a top speed of 3.2 Mbps or 7.2 Mbps. The services offerred in Uruguay at this time, however, max out at 1 or 2 Mbps. Additionally, if the system is over capacity you will not have an effective download rate near that.

The second problem is you may get the impression that the internet coverage is nationwide. That is true, to a point. You may get internet coverage nationwide, but you will not get G3/HSDPA (ie: broadband) nationwide. In the areas without G3/HSDPA network availabality, the system will revert to GPRS or EDGE. You'll find that service to be similar to dial up!

I've noticed the modems tend to show a blue light for G3/HSDPA and green light for GPRS service, but check the manual. If the service seems slow that might be the reason. Personally, I would configure it for ONLY G3/HSDPA service; that will preventing you from connecting where the network isn't available.

The carriers seem to claim coverage in Montevideo, Punta del Este, Piraopolis and maybe other areas. It may not be possible to know if it will work BEFORE you commit to a contract. Be VERY CLEAR on the conditions of your contract and if / when you can terminate it. Two years with internet service that doesn't work in your house is not good.

My experience with the G3/HSDPA service from all 3 carriers is simply that I would not want to rely on it for any of my internet usage. For a back up (if I knew it worked in my apartment) or for just playing around with then its great.

The Movistar prepaid might be good for short term usage too. The modem will cost you about US$70 and you can put 'minutes' on the SIM card as you go. The Claro prepaid requires you pay by the day and all days you pay for must be used sequentially. So, unless you need to use it a lot and a lot every day, it will probably cost you more.

With either prepaid plan, keep an eye on how long the time you buy lasts.

The Ancel service is probably difficult to get a contract for if you've not had a landline from Antel for 2 years (consider that when you decided to put a line in your name or leave it in your landlords).

In short I would only look at the G3/HSDPA services if the other options are suitable for you. Then, I'd take a hard look at the prepaid plans and take a test drive before you end up with a long contract.

Some of the G3/HSDPA modems will work on Linux without any special installation or effort if that is important for you. Google the modem model number and your version of linux before you make a purchase!
 
I'm not listing addresses of the cellular companies because they have representatives all over town and if you go to one of the malls (Tres Cruces, Montevideo Shopping, Punta Carretas, Portones etc) you can't miss them.

A sample ping and traceroute from Antel at about 8:30 PM on Monday June 29, 2009: (non geeks can skip this part!)

PING 12.147.CCC.DDD (12.147.CCC.DDD) 56(84) bytes of data.
64 bytes from 12.147.CCC.DDD: icmp_seq=1 ttl=50 time=313 ms
64 bytes from 12.147.CCC.DDD: icmp_seq=2 ttl=50 time=310 ms
64 bytes from 12.147.CCC.DDD: icmp_seq=3 ttl=50 time=312 ms
64 bytes from 12.147.CCC.DDD: icmp_seq=4 ttl=50 time=312 ms
--- 12.147.CCC.DDD ping statistics ---
4 packets transmitted, 4 received, 0% packet loss, time 3003ms
rtt min/avg/max/mdev = 310.803/312.333/313.357/1.178 ms

traceroute to 12.147.CCC.DDD, 30 hops max, 60 byte packets
 1  r190-135-0-1.dialup.adsl.anteldata.net.uy (190.135.0.1)  13.851 ms  20.424 ms  26.806 ms
 2  ibb2cor1-7-2-92.antel.net.uy (200.40.21.77)  33.386 ms  39.804 ms  46.676 ms
 3  ibb2uni1-1-2.antel.net.uy (200.40.16.106)  54.448 ms  60.356 ms ibb2agu1-1-3.antel.net.uy (200.40.16.73)  67.228 ms
 4  * * *
 5  mia1-antel-6.mia.seabone.net (89.221.41.45)  369.666 ms  376.292 ms  383.654 ms
 6  atl1-mia6-racc2.atl.seabone.net (89.221.40.10)  367.712 ms  285.610 ms  280.281 ms
 7  192.205.35.237 (192.205.35.237)  289.313 ms  295.730 ms  302.126 ms
 8  cr1.attga.ip.att.net (12.122.89.34)  330.191 ms  339.126 ms  329.772 ms
 9  cr2.wswdc.ip.att.net (12.122.1.174)  341.105 ms  345.801 ms  340.073 ms
10  cr1.wswdc.ip.att.net (12.122.2.33)  369.614 ms  375.785 ms  382.640 ms
11  cr2.phlpa.ip.att.net (12.122.4.53)  286.562 ms  294.537 ms *
12  gbr2.phlpa.ip.att.net (12.122.12.110)  289.079 ms  275.411 ms  280.930 ms
13  ar2.pitpa.ip.att.net (12.123.205.93)  295.552 ms  299.952 ms  318.409 ms
14  [not shown]
15  [not shown]

A sample ping and traceroute from Dedicado (at about the same time):

PING 12.147.CCC.DDD (12.147.CCC.DDD) 56(84) bytes of data.
64 bytes from 12.147.CCC.DDD: icmp_seq=1 ttl=50 time=217 ms
64 bytes from 12.147.CCC.DDD: icmp_seq=2 ttl=50 time=212 ms
64 bytes from 12.147.CCC.DDD: icmp_seq=3 ttl=50 time=219 ms
64 bytes from 12.147.CCC.DDD: icmp_seq=4 ttl=50 time=219 ms

--- 12.147.CCC.DDD ping statistics ---
4 packets transmitted, 4 received, 0% packet loss, time 3000ms
rtt min/avg/max/mdev = 212.009/217.193/219.896/3.184 ms

traceroute to 12.147.CCC.DDD, 30 hops max, 40 byte packets
 1  * * *
 2  * * *
 3  * * *
 4  host241.190-224-179.telecom.net.ar (190.224.179.241)  22.262 ms  24.855 ms  25.244 ms
 5  host17.200-117-124.telecom.net.ar (200.117.124.17)  165.543 ms  165.758 ms  165.962 ms
 6  host82.200-3-81.telecom.net.ar (200.3.81.82)  165.064 ms  152.432 ms  154.823 ms
 7  mia7-telecom-argentina-6-ar.mia.seabone.net (195.22.199.145)  171.901 ms  169.688 ms  169.667 ms
 8  192.205.35.237 (192.205.35.237)  189.025 ms  189.176 ms  184.816 ms
 9  cr1.attga.ip.att.net (12.122.89.30)  220.659 ms  222.564 ms  230.468 ms
10  cr2.wswdc.ip.att.net (12.122.1.174)  219.943 ms  211.211 ms  210.651 ms
11  cr1.wswdc.ip.att.net (12.122.2.33)  210.423 ms  214.300 ms  207.428 ms
12  cr2.phlpa.ip.att.net (12.122.4.53)  211.950 ms  217.068 ms  217.043 ms
13  gbr2.phlpa.ip.att.net (12.122.12.110)  208.637 ms  207.235 ms  207.481 ms
14  ar2.pitpa.ip.att.net (12.123.205.93)  245.061 ms  225.327 ms  224.946 ms
15  [not shown]
16  [not shown]

For the non-geeks the importance of these reports is to show long long it takes data to get somewhere.. the ping time. Antel is slower they take 300 ms to get to Pittsburgh. Dedicado takes 200. (1000 ms = 1 second). Remember Antel's connection is 5 times faster downloading data.

The slower the ping time, the longer it would take to get a response, or for VOIP calls the more delay you would have. If the ping time varied considerably it would also degrade the quality for VOIP calls. I think you'd find that the G3/HSDPA ping times vary from several hundred to several thousand ms.

The traceroute shows how you connect to a server via the internet. In these examples Antel went through 15 routers to get to Pittsburgh and Dedicado 16 routers. Through the first routers at Dedicado weren't offering information so the details are missing there.

For me, the importance of having two connection is that if one is down, the other will still function. Therefore the fact that Antel and Dedicado have different connection routes to outside of Uruguay is much more important to me than the download speeds or ping times.

• The Antel connection ends up in Miami and then Atlanta before connecting to AT&T: 5  mia1-antel-6.mia.seabone.net (89.221.41.45)  369.666 ms  376.292 ms  383.654 ms, 6  atl1-mia6-racc2.atl.seabone.net (89.221.40.10)  367.712 ms  285.610 ms  280.281 ms

• The Dedicado connection goes through telecom.ar (Telecom Argentina) to Miami and then to AT&T: 6  host82.200-3-81.telecom.net.ar (200.3.81.82)  165.064 ms  152.432 ms  154.823 ms, 7  mia7-telecom-argentina-6-ar.mia.seabone.net (195.22.199.145)  171.901 ms  169.688 ms  169.667 ms

The result being a network failure with Antel won't effect my Dedicado connection and vice versa a failure with Dedicado or Telecom Argentina's network won't effect my Antel connection. The rest of that particular connection is in the hands of AT&T so when they have a problem neither connection will work for that particular server in Pittsburgh.

The bottom line I believe is don't worry about tech support issues (as long as you speak Spanish or have a friend that can help). DO worry about all aspects of customer service. Be very sure about any contracts. Anticipate frustration with any changes, problems, etc in the customer service side of things, ie: contracts, billing, scheduling installations, etc.

If you are not buying an unlimited service (libre) make sure you understand exactly what the maximum payments are and how/if you can view your usage. If you are signing a contact do not expect it to be something you can get out of early (even if the service sucks).

For the least frustration visit the offices in person for information and/or to subscribe to a service unless you are truly fluent in Spanish (because it is much more difficult to communicate in basic Spanish over the phone and in the office you can physically read all the details). The other alternative is to take a Spanish speaking friend with you.

Additional Notes

Some comments from Margarita from Barra de Portezuelo on July 25, 2009:

As a non-geek who makes a living through the Internet while located in a place remote enough to lack coverage from regular Antel or Dedicado, here´s my 2 cents.

An additional option is Internet Rural. Wherever Dedicado won´t go or won´t have good enough coverage, the satellite based Internet Rural will. It´s expensive to set up, at about  $2k, and monthly service for pretty slow service runs at $150. You can contract higher speeds for more dough, but it will always feel expensive. Still, sufficient to work if you don´t require good skype phone connection or other band hungry applications.

Regarding the cellular services,  I have been using Claro for a few months as backup. Its speed and connection reliability has improved since I got it in early March, and I love the convenience of carrying it with me anywhere I go, not having to rely on wifi or other connections. On the Maldonado coast where I am, despite the fact that Dedicado won´t even bother coming here due to the presence of a few hills, my Claro modem works fine.

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Technology Uruguay Internet in Uruguay; Dialup, ADSL, Fixed Wireless, G3/HSDPA... What are Your Options?