How to get phone, internet or send post mail in Chile
If you are wondering how to obtain a landline, a mobile phone or internet, or how to send mail in Chile, here's an overview of the local communication services.
Mail and package services in Chile
Mail service in Chile is run by Correos Chile which is reasonably reliable though home mail delivery is only available in the larger towns and cities. To ship packages and letters within Chile, you also have the option of ChileExpress or Starken, a passenger bus. International shipping of packages can be done through Correos Chile or DHL. UPS and FedEx are only available in Santiago. However, a word of warning here for anything you may purchase outside of Chile - fees apply. Customs agents will tax you 26% on anything purchased outside of the country.
DHL is more than happy to pay it for you and then pass on the fees to you whether they are correct or not before you can receive your package. Amazon will conveniently collect them for you as you pay for your items, which does make it quicker when the package arrives in Chile. With Correos Chile, sometimes they catch your package, and you pay, but sometimes they don't notice it. The rule is if it is under USD 30, there are no taxes, but if it is over USD 30, the tax is 26% of the declared value of the package. This applies even if it is a gift.
Cellphones and Internet in Chile
As mobile usage of phones has increased, landlines have decreased. Chile has several major carriers, including Movistar, Entel, Claro, and WOM. Coverage is good in most of the country, but there are gaps in service in many rural areas. You must have residency to obtain a monthly service contract with any of the carriers, but prepaid plans do exist as an alternative.
Internet service is provided by Movistar, Direct TV, VTR, and others. Service in the cities and towns are increasingly through fibre optic 4G, but in the country, the internet is through the cellular service and can be unreliable and slow. Another option for people without permanent residency is to purchase a prepaid portable internet stick that looks like a USB stick. It is called a dongle and can be plugged into your computer's USB port.
Package prices through Movistar and VTR for home phone, internet, and TV run from 40-60,000 CLP per month as of 2019. For the same service. Movistar has mobile plans starting at 9 GB with 350 minutes for 9,990 CLP per month. Links are included below for the four largest providers.
VoIP services in Chile
To keep in touch with your family and friends back home, VoIP is the best way to chat through free services like Skype. Paid annual services like MagicJack provide unlimited free international calling over your internet service, which is excellent if you have good coverage.
Another very popular service in Chile is Whatsapp. From chatting with friends to group chats with parents at your children's school, to making purchases with locals through yapo.cl, even confirming appointments with your doctor, Chile runs on Whatsapp. Whatsapp is free, and you can text, chat, send videos and pictures through wifi or mobile phone data. Wifi is available in many restaurants and public places like town and city squares, and even the mall.
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