Telecommunications in Paraguay

There are four mobile phone operators in Paraguay:
Claro www.claro.com.py
Tigo www.tigo.com.py
Personal www.personal.com.py
Vox www.vox.com.py

I have TIGO, and it's OK. All the operators offer various plans, both contract and pay-as-you-go options. TIGO and CLARO seem to have the most users.

Of course all of those mentioned above offer i-net services too.Either by 3G or over Antennae with a receiver (not sure which system they use there)

My i-net service provider in the state owned COPACO with whom I have a land line connection.
512Kb (day-time) / 1Mb (night-time 8pm-6am) and I pay 36$ US (with unlimited download!)  Had CLARO 3G before (was limited to 2GB per month)and almost went crazy (though I hear they are better now) but with my COPACO connection I'm as happy as a pig in Palestine.I get 100% what I pay for, though a neighbour has had hers cut 2 weeks ago because since 2 months ago neither telephone or i-net is working.(Excuse given is that its an underground problem and not easy to solve...)Point is nothing is perfect.


Depending where one lives there are also local providers.

Another fiber-optic provider here in Asuncion is MULTICANAL which also has the virtual-monopoly in Cable TV.

I speak under correction but I think in terms of mobile share TIGO has 60% or more of the market.But I think that's gonna change with the State-owned COPACO that has recently acquired the mobile firm VOX, and like Peter said CLARO is in the thick of it too.
I also only use TIGO. I have a plan through a cooperative which means that I can call all the people that's on that same cooperative plan for free, but in the end its just all the same rubbish (Its about them -the mobile firms- making money, isn't it...?) PLANS you may get from 10$ upwards to heart's desire.

As for making long-distance calls from PY, SKYPE.

Hello Nic'oPY & peter458

Thanks for your contribution

Regards

I have Fibertel (the Multicanal ISP that Nico mentioned). It works for me, and is competitively priced.

For long distance, specifically international voice communication, Skype is the only way to fly.  Vonnage doesn't cover PY, yet, but hopefully will in the future.  Using text messages via cell phones from the US to PY is also reliable, cheap and quick.

Land line phone service is a challenge, even in Asuncion sometimes as Nico pointed out.  Outside the capital, it seems to come and go with changes in the weather, especially wet weather.  That's why everyone has cell phones!

In terms of costs for TV services, the Multi-Canal cable TV service noted already has numerous "packages" you can get.  A popular one we have in Asuncion now cost GS 175,000($44) for first 6 months and then GS140,000 ($35) a month after that.

Quick question for other posters....regarding TV service.  I have heard there are satellite TV providers in PY, but haven't found anyone yet who used them.  Anyone have experience with using satellite TV?  I'd like to get it for SanBer as I'm assuming I'll have the same trouble with the Multi Canal cable  that we have with the phone land-line there.

Thanks!

We had internet thru Fibertel and paid $80/month for a 5 megas line. For some reason  you hardly couldn't get it up to 1 mega while browsing the internet or watching videos on youtube (we tested this on speedtest.net), but streaming and downloading was a lot faster.

The guy who installed it was like "I can't do anything about it, I only came to install this". The good thing was we could get a plan with them for only 3 months, we just returned the modem at the Fibertel office after 3 months.

Is Cablevision the same as Multicanal?

Is there any way to receive espn and espn2 and other english channels and usa sports?  How much for 1 bedroom furnished apartment and do the girls like expats (USA)?

Hi ppablo8,

Concerning your accommodation search, you should start a new topic on the Paraguay forum. Thank you very much for your comprehension.

Best regards,
Christine

Sorry to jump on this post.

What about Netflix ?

This type of equipment pluged in to internet
http://www.acuista.com/x/1032061-asus-o … 00-ea10mz/

enables to receive a few interesting channels.
" Servicios de streaming por internet: Netflix, YouTube, Pandora, Picasa, Flickr, Gracenote"

Saw an article on netflix,
http://www.ultimahora.com/notas/460810- … a-Paraguay
any member is an user of netflix?

thanks again

Paulo
Portugal

hello all. the best company in Internet is

Click by COPACo
http://www.click.com.py/

Copaco provides the internet ntework to the all companies that peter  told you.. it works very good!
cheers

matugarcia wrote:

Copaco provides the internet ntework to the all companies that peter  told you.. it works very good!
cheers

That's the problem, right? They have the monopoly, that's wy internet is so ridiculously overpriced in Paraguay($140/month for a 5 megas conection). It's not fair to compare this, but back home I can get a 12 megas connection for around $30.

Fibertel offers a 10 megas connection for $140 by the way, having had  bas experiences with Fibertel it's probably not going to be 10 megas but still.

Also Personal (and probably other mobile providers too) offers a 4G 12 megas connection with a 20 gig cap (first 2 months 40 gig) for only Gs.249.000. After the 20 gig you can still use it at 256 kb/s.

Thanks for sharing.
I suspect 4G will have an impact on current offer, and "hidden" state monopoly is it ?

And what about netflix ?
I know one can use it with a proxy server and american account, just wondering if the service is available overthere.



thanks !

P.S.
By the way, with 30USD you can have triple play in Portugal [ phone + internet at 24MB + tv services ]

Yes, I used Netflix, first month is free.

Pman thanks for your inputs.

My first modem had a 14.400 Byte bandwith, if im not mistaken.

Just found out the country is an energy exporter, and spite of price the existance of a functional 4G [ very partial coverage ]service is a Plus factor.

Thanks for sharing