Internet and Remote Work in Ecuador — Speeds, Providers, and the Reality of Working Online from Cuenca

Can you work remotely from Ecuador? Yes. Thousands of people do it every day — running businesses, taking client calls, shipping code, and managing teams from Cuenca, Quito, and the coast. The internet is good enough. But "good enough" comes with caveats, and if your livelihood depends on a stable connection, you need backup plans. Here is everything you need to know.

Internet Providers in Ecuador

Three main providers serve residential customers. Quality varies significantly by city and neighborhood.

Netlife (Now part of the Tigo brand)

The best option in Cuenca. Netlife was Ecuador's first dedicated fiber-optic ISP and has the most extensive fiber network in the country. In 2024, Netlife was acquired by Tigo (Millicom), though the service still operates under the Netlife brand in most areas.

• Speeds available: 50 Mbps, 100 Mbps, 200 Mbps, 300 Mbps
• Monthly cost: $30-55/month depending on the plan
• Installation: $0-50 setup fee (often waived with a 12-month contract)
• Availability: Excellent in Cuenca's urban core, El Centro, Ordoñez Lasso, Yanuncay, El Vergel. Spotty in outlying areas like Misicata and parts of Challuabamba.

Netlife fiber delivers consistent speeds. On a 100 Mbps plan, you will typically get 85-100 Mbps download and 40-60 Mbps upload. That is more than enough for video calls, file transfers, and streaming simultaneously.

Ask your landlord or building manager which provider serves the building before signing a lease. In some older El Centro buildings, only CNT copper is available, and you are stuck with slow speeds. Newer buildings almost always have Netlife fiber.

CNT (Corporación Nacional de Telecomunicaciones)

The government-owned telecom. CNT is everywhere — it is the default provider in most of Ecuador, including rural areas where no one else reaches. Quality ranges from acceptable to frustrating.

• Speeds available: 10 Mbps to 100 Mbps (fiber in select areas), DSL in older areas
• Monthly cost: $20-40/month
• Availability: Everywhere, but fiber coverage is limited. Many areas still have DSL over copper lines.

CNT fiber is fine when available — comparable to Netlife. CNT DSL (which many older buildings and houses still have) tops out at 10-20 Mbps with higher latency and more reliability issues. If a landlord says "the apartment has CNT internet," ask specifically whether it is fiber or DSL. The difference is enormous.

Claro

The mobile carrier expanding into home internet. Claro (owned by Carlos Slim's América Móvil) offers home internet via fiber in expanding areas and fixed wireless in others.

• Speeds available: 50-200 Mbps (fiber), 20-50 Mbps (fixed wireless)
• Monthly cost: $25-45/month
• Availability: Growing in Cuenca. Good option if Netlife is not available in your building.

Claro's fiber service is competitive with Netlife. Their fixed wireless product uses 4G/5G towers and can be inconsistent during peak hours.

The Reality: What to Actually Expect

On a good day

Your Netlife 100 Mbps connection works exactly as advertised. Zoom calls are crisp. Downloads are fast. You forget you are in South America.

On a bad day

The power goes out for 3 hours. Your internet provider has a routing issue that drops speeds to 5 Mbps for an afternoon. A construction crew accidentally cuts the fiber line on your street. Your router dies and the replacement takes three days.

Outage frequency

Expect internet outages 1-3 times per month, lasting anywhere from 15 minutes to several hours. Most are brief. Some are not. This is not Netlife-specific — it is infrastructure-level. Construction, weather, and maintenance all cause disruptions.

Power outages are the bigger issue. Ecuador's electricity grid is heavily dependent on hydroelectric power, and during dry seasons, the country has experienced rolling blackouts. In late 2023 and through 2024, Ecuador implemented scheduled electricity rationing (apagones) due to drought-reduced reservoir levels. Outages of 4-8 hours were common. The situation improved in 2025, but it demonstrated a structural vulnerability. When the power goes out, your internet goes out — fiber, DSL, everything.

Latency

Ping times from Cuenca to US East Coast servers: typically 80-120ms. To US West Coast: 100-150ms. To Europe: 150-200ms. This is fine for video calls and web browsing. It is noticeable for real-time gaming or trading platforms where milliseconds matter.

Backup Solutions — Non-Negotiable for Remote Workers

If your income depends on being online, you need at least two backup plans.

Backup 1: Mobile hotspot

Buy a Claro or Movistar SIM card with a generous data plan. A 30GB data plan costs $15-25/month on Claro prepaid. Keep your phone charged and ready to tether your laptop. Claro's 4G network in Cuenca is solid — you will get 15-30 Mbps in most areas, enough for a video call.

If your internet drops during a meeting, switching to your phone hotspot takes 30 seconds. It has saved more client calls than I can count.

Backup 2: UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply)

A UPS keeps your modem, router, and laptop running during brief power outages. Buy one at Computrón or MegaKywi in Cuenca. A basic APC UPS costs $60-100 and gives you 20-45 minutes of power for a modem and router. That covers 90% of brief outages.

For longer outages, pair the UPS with a fully charged laptop. Most laptops have 6-10 hours of battery. Your modem and router on UPS power, plus your laptop battery, means you can work through outages of 30-45 minutes without interruption — and longer if you are just on your laptop's hotspot.

Backup 3: Portable battery bank

A large power bank (20,000-30,000 mAh) keeps your phone charged for hotspot use during extended outages. The Anker PowerCore series works well. Buy before you move — they are pricier in Ecuador.

Backup 4: Coworking space or cafe

When your home internet is down for hours, having a second location with independent power and internet is critical. See the coworking section below.

Coworking Spaces in Cuenca

Cuenca has a small but functional coworking scene. None are WeWork-level, but they get the job done.

Selina (Calle Larga)

Part of the international chain. Located in the heart of El Centro with river views. Offers day passes ($10-15) and monthly memberships ($80-120). Good wifi, decent coffee, social atmosphere. Popular with digital nomads passing through.

Impact Hub Cuenca

More professional, business-oriented. Located near the city center. Monthly memberships from $80-150. Meeting rooms available. Quieter than Selina. Good for people who need focused work time.

La Oficina Coworking

Local coworking space with a community feel. Monthly plans from $50-100. Smaller and more personal than the chains.

The 1000 Coworking

Near Remigio Crespo area. Affordable day passes and monthly plans. Reliable internet and a mix of local entrepreneurs and foreign remote workers.

Monthly coworking membership in Cuenca: $50-150/month. Day passes: $8-15. Most include coffee, printing, and a mailing address.

Cafes Where Remote Workers Actually Work

Not every cafe wants you camping with a laptop for four hours. These places are known for tolerating (and even encouraging) remote workers:

• Goza Espresso (multiple locations) — Good wifi, good coffee, power outlets, and they do not rush you out. The Remigio Crespo location is a reliable work spot.
• Common Grounds (near Supermaxi on Remigio Crespo) — Expat-owned, popular with the remote work crowd. Strong wifi, comfortable seating.
• Café del Museo (Pumapungo Museum) — Quiet, beautiful courtyard setting, decent wifi. Good for focused work.
• San Sebas Coffee (San Sebastián area) — Cozy, good music, solid wifi. Popular with younger expats and digital nomads.
• Tutto Freddo (multiple locations) — Chain cafe with reliable wifi and lots of seating. Not the coziest, but consistent.

Pro tip: buy something every 90 minutes. A $2 coffee or $3 juice every hour and a half keeps you in good standing and supports local businesses. Do not be the person nursing a single americano for six hours.

Time Zone Advantage

Ecuador runs on Eastern Standard Time (UTC-5) year-round. No daylight saving time. Ever. This is a genuine advantage for remote workers.

If your clients or company are on the US East Coast: You are in the same time zone all year. No confusing "are we one hour apart or the same right now?" conversations. A 9am meeting in New York is a 9am meeting in Cuenca.

If your clients are on the US West Coast: You are 2-3 hours ahead (depending on their daylight saving). You can start work at 7am Cuenca time and be in sync with their 7am. Or work normal Cuenca hours and have your afternoons free after West Coast close of business.

If your clients are in Europe: The 6-8 hour difference means mornings are your overlap window. A 3pm London meeting is a 9-10am Cuenca meeting. Tight but workable.

If your clients are in Asia or Australia: Tough. You are looking at late-night or very early morning calls. Not a Ecuador-specific problem, but worth noting.

Legal Considerations for Remote Workers

This is the part nobody wants to hear, but you need to know.

Working for a foreign company remotely

Ecuador does not have a specific "digital nomad visa." If you work remotely for a US, European, or other foreign company while physically in Ecuador, you exist in a legal gray area. You are technically performing work in Ecuador, but for a foreign employer, earning foreign income, paid into a foreign bank account.

In practice, Ecuador does not actively enforce work permit requirements against remote workers employed by foreign companies. Immigration officials are not checking whether your laptop has Slack open. Thousands of expats do this daily without issues.

That said, "nobody enforces it" is not the same as "it is legal." If you want to be fully above board, consider:

The Professional Visa (Visa Profesional)

If you want a residency visa that explicitly covers working in Ecuador, the professional visa is the most relevant. It requires a university degree (apostilled and recognized by SENECA), a sponsoring entity or proof of professional activity, and income documentation. This visa gives you a cedula and full legal right to work.

Tax implications

If you spend more than 183 days in Ecuador in a calendar year, you are considered a tax resident by the SRI (Servicio de Rentas Internas). Ecuador taxes worldwide income for tax residents, but with deductions and credits that mean most remote workers with moderate income owe little or nothing in Ecuador. Consult an Ecuadorian tax accountant — a session costs $50-100. Do not ignore this.

For US citizens, remember you still file US taxes regardless of where you live. FileAbroad handles expat tax filing if you need help.

Starlink

Starlink launched in Ecuador and is available for residential use.

• Monthly service: $99/month
• Equipment: $599 one-time purchase (the dish and router)
• Speeds: 50-200 Mbps, variable depending on congestion and weather
• Latency: 25-50ms (better than you might expect for satellite)

Starlink is not a primary internet replacement for most urban Cuenca residents — Netlife fiber is cheaper and more consistent. But for:

• Rural properties (Misicata, Challuabamba outskirts, Yunguilla Valley)
• Backup internet during outages
• Coastal locations where terrestrial internet is unreliable

Starlink is an excellent option. Some remote workers maintain both a Netlife connection and Starlink as a redundant setup. At $99/month it is not cheap, but if your income depends on connectivity, the redundancy is worth it.

Note: You need a clear view of the northern sky for the dish. Apartments in El Centro with narrow courtyards and tall neighboring buildings may not have suitable placement. Houses with rooftop access work best.

Power Infrastructure — The Elephant in the Room

Ecuador's 2024 electricity crisis was a wake-up call. The country generates approximately 80% of its electricity from hydropower. When reservoirs drop during El Niño dry periods, generation capacity falls below demand, and the government implements rolling blackouts.

In late 2024, Cuenca experienced scheduled outages of 4-8 hours daily. Businesses ran generators. Restaurants served cold food. Remote workers camped in the few coworking spaces and hotels with backup power.

The government has invested in thermal backup generation and new renewable capacity. The situation in 2025 and into 2026 has been markedly better. But the underlying vulnerability remains — another severe drought could trigger rationing again.

What this means for remote workers:

• Own a UPS. This is not optional.
• Have a phone hotspot plan with enough data for work days.
• Know which coworking spaces and cafes have generators or backup power.
• Consider Starlink with a battery backup as a fully independent system.
• Keep your laptop charged above 50% at all times. Make it a habit.

The Digital Nomad Community

Cuenca's remote work community is growing but still small compared to Lisbon, Medellín, or Mexico City. You will not find large-scale nomad meetups or packed coworking spaces full of 25-year-old developers.

What you will find:

• A steady community of 30-50 year old professionals and entrepreneurs who chose Cuenca specifically for quality of life
• Weekly or biweekly informal meetups at cafes (check the Cuenca Expats and Digital Nomads Cuenca Facebook groups)
• A growing number of Ecuadorian remote workers and entrepreneurs, especially in tech
• A quieter, more intentional community than the party-focused nomad scenes elsewhere

If you want the buzzing digital nomad energy of a Canggu or Playa del Carmen, Cuenca is not that. If you want a calm, affordable city where you can focus on deep work and enjoy a high quality of life without the hustle culture, Cuenca is hard to beat.

Setting Up Your Home Office

A few practical tips for your remote work setup in Cuenca:

Desk and chair: Buy locally at KyWi, Coral Home, or hire a carpenter on Calle de las Herrerías to build a custom desk for $80-150. Good office chairs are available at Computrón or order from MercadoLibre Ecuador.

Monitor: Bring your own from the US if possible. A 27-inch monitor costs 20-30% more in Ecuador. If buying locally, Computrón and PC World in Cuenca carry LG, Samsung, and Dell monitors.

Noise: If you live in El Centro, invest in noise-canceling headphones. A $300 pair of Sony WH-1000XM5s or AirPods Max will save your sanity during Zoom calls when the car alarm goes off downstairs. Buy before you move — electronics are more expensive in Ecuador.

Standing desk: Not commonly available in Ecuador. Ship one or use a tabletop converter. Some people build custom standing desks through local carpenters for $150-250.

Bottom Line: Can You Seriously Work from Ecuador?

Yes. With proper preparation, remote work from Ecuador is not just possible — it is pleasant. The time zone alignment with the US is ideal. The cost of living means you keep more of what you earn. The weather means you are not trapped indoors for half the year.

The caveats are real: outages happen, infrastructure is not bulletproof, and you need backup plans that you would not need in a US city. But those backup plans cost $50-100/month (hotspot plan + UPS battery), and the savings on rent and living expenses alone cover that many times over.

Set up fiber internet, buy a UPS, keep your phone charged with a data plan, bookmark a coworking space, and you are ready to work. The biggest productivity risk in Cuenca is not the internet — it is the temptation to close your laptop and go walk along the river on a 68-degree afternoon.