Internet and WiFi in Medellin — Speeds, SIM Cards and Working Remotely

Medellin has become one of the best cities in the Americas for remote work, and reliable fast internet is a core reason. This isn’t marketing — the infrastructure genuinely supports high-bandwidth remote work in ways that some developed cities don’t. This guide covers SIM cards, apartment WiFi, coworking spaces, and everything a digital nomad or long-term visitor needs to know about internet in Medellin.

The Good News First

Medellin has robust fiber optic infrastructure in its main residential and commercial areas. El Poblado, Laureles, Envigado, and El Centro are all well-served. Download speeds of 100–500 Mbps are standard in quality apartments and coworking spaces. Upload speeds typically run 50–200 Mbps on fiber connections.

For video calls, cloud collaboration, large file transfers, and everything the modern remote worker needs — Medellin is equipped. This is a city that has made telecommunications infrastructure part of its economic development strategy, and the results are evident.

SIM Cards in Medellin — The Essential First Purchase

Getting a local Colombian SIM card should be your first stop after landing. Without it, Uber doesn’t work, WhatsApp doesn’t work, and you’re dependent on wherever you happen to have WiFi — which creates unnecessary friction in a city where everyone communicates via WhatsApp.

The Main Carriers

Claro (recommended): Best coverage nationally and in Medellin’s urban areas. The clearest winner for data reliability. Plans start from about 20,000 COP ($5 USD) for basic data; useful tourist plans with 10–15 GB run 35,000–60,000 COP.

Tigo: Second-best coverage, competitive pricing, particularly good for some Medellin areas. Worth comparing to Claro for your usage pattern.

Movistar: Works but is generally considered third among the three majors. Not the first choice.

WOM: A newer, lower-cost carrier with aggressive pricing. Coverage is improving but still lags behind Claro and Tigo in some areas. Good for cost-conscious nomads who don’t leave the main urban areas.

Where to Buy

At the airport: Claro, Tigo, and Movistar all have kiosks in the arrivals area at José María Córdova. Prices are 15–30% higher than in the city, but having a working SIM from the moment you land is worth the premium. Airport SIM purchase is strongly recommended.

In El Poblado: Carrier stores on the streets around Parque Lleras and the main El Poblado commercial areas. Street vendors also sell SIM cards — buy from official carrier stores rather than street vendors for reliability.

Required to buy: Your passport (a copy is sometimes accepted, but bring the original). Colombian carriers are required to register SIM cards — this is a 2-minute process.

Costs for Tourist Data Plans

For nomads staying a month+, monthly plans often make more sense than tourist plans. Ask the carrier representative about current promotional offers — they change frequently.

WiFi in Apartments

This is where quality varies most significantly between accommodation options.

What good apartment WiFi looks like:
– Fiber connection (not cable or DSL)
– 200+ Mbps symmetric (download and upload)
– Router in a central location (not locked in a closet)
– Stable with multiple simultaneous connections

What to ask before booking any apartment:
1. What is the WiFi provider? (Claro fiber, Tigo fiber, or EPM are the reliable options)
2. What are the typical download and upload speeds?
3. Are the speeds tested and guaranteed?

Many apartments in El Poblado advertise “fast WiFi” but deliver 30–50 Mbps on shared connections — fine for personal browsing, problematic for video calls alongside a partner who’s also working.

Quality furnished apartments built for the nomad/expat market have made internet a feature they market specifically. If an accommodation listing doesn’t mention WiFi speed at all, assume it hasn’t been optimized.

Medellin Lodging apartments in Provenza include 200+ Mbps fiber WiFi tested and documented. Multiple simultaneous video calls, large file uploads, screen-sharing — all handled without issue. This is one of the specific advantages of a purpose-built remote-work accommodation over a typical tourist rental.

Book your stay at medellinlodging.com — fiber WiFi included, no throttling.

Coworking Spaces — WiFi as a Feature

If you need a guaranteed high-speed environment outside your apartment, Medellin’s coworking spaces consistently deliver:

• Most quality coworking spaces: 200–500 Mbps fiber, tested regularly, with phone booth rooms for calls
• Speed test on arrival: Reputable spaces post their current speed test results or will run one for you on request
• Backup connections: Some spaces have multiple ISP connections for redundancy — worth asking if you depend on uninterrupted uptime

Pergamino and other specialty cafés can handle light remote work (video calls, email) but aren’t designed as primary work environments.

Mobile Data Performance

For working on the go — in taxis, parks, outdoor markets — Claro LTE performs well throughout Medellin’s main neighborhoods. Coverage is reliable in:
– El Poblado (including upper hillside areas)
– Laureles
– El Centro
– Envigado
– Most metro stations (4G signal, though varies by station)

Coverage drops in some mountain areas, parts of the Metrocable routes, and rural day trip destinations (parts of Guatapé, Parque Arví). This is worth knowing if you plan to work from the mountains.

VPN Considerations

Some nomads use VPNs in Colombia for standard privacy reasons — this is fine. Colombia doesn’t restrict VPN use. Standard VPN protocols work normally. Performance varies by server location — connecting to servers close to Colombia (Miami, Atlanta, New York) gives better speeds than connecting to Europe.

One practical note: Netflix, Spotify, and other streaming services detect Colombia VPN usage in certain configurations. If streaming with specific regional libraries matters to you, test your VPN setup on arrival.

For Long-Stay Residents — Home Internet Options

If you’re signing a lease on a long-term apartment (3+ months), getting your own home internet connection is more economical than relying on a landlord’s shared connection.

Best options for home internet in Medellin:
– Claro Hogar: Fiber plans starting from 60,000 COP/month (~$15 USD) for 100 Mbps, up to 400,000 COP/month for 1 Gbps symmetrical. Installation usually 7–14 business days.
– Tigo Hogar: Comparable speeds and pricing to Claro. Coverage slightly different across specific neighborhoods.
– EPM (Empresas Públicas de Medellín): The city’s own utility company offers fiber in some areas. More limited coverage but often cheaper.

Note that installation contracts are typically 12 months — factor this into your long-stay planning.

The Bottom Line

Medellin’s internet infrastructure makes it a legitimate option for high-bandwidth remote work — video production, software development, large-scale data work, multi-call days. The limiting factor isn’t the city’s infrastructure; it’s the specific accommodation or workspace you choose within it.

Priority checklist for remote workers:
1. ✅ Get a Claro SIM at the airport
2. ✅ Confirm apartment WiFi speed before booking (200+ Mbps fiber is achievable)
3. ✅ Know your nearest coworking space as a backup
4. ✅ Download offline Google Maps before day trips to areas with poor mobile coverage

Working remotely from Medellin? Check availability at medellinlodging.com — apartments in Provenza with fiber WiFi built for remote work.

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