SIM Cards and Internet in Cali: The Setup That Actually Works

It was a Tuesday in early July 2024. I'd just arrived in Cali from Medellín, sweating through my clothes, convinced my backpack was about to split open. All I wanted was a local SIM card so I could order an Uber to my Airbnb in San Antonio. Four hours and three almacenes (stores) later, I was still standing on the sidewalk, defeated.

It turns out getting online in Cali as a foreigner is a special kind of challenge. Here's what I've learned in the last year and a half.

Claro vs. Movistar vs. Tigo: what I learned the hard way

Every Colombian will tell you they have a strong opinion about which carrier is best, and those opinions are usually contradictory. Valentina at BestInCali swears by Movistar, but after a lot of trial and error, I've landed on Claro for a few reasons:

• Coverage: Claro seems to have the best coverage, especially outside of the main cities. This matters if you plan on taking day trips from Cali.
• 4G Speed: In my experience (and according to most speed tests), Claro offers the fastest 4G speeds. Tigo was consistently the slowest for me.
• Customer Service (lol): Let's be real, customer service is rough across the board. But I've found Claro's online chat support to be slightly less painful than the others. Slightly.

That said, your mileage may vary. Ask around, especially if you're staying in one of the neighborhood guides further from the city center.

One weird trick: multiple SIMs

I actually carry two SIM cards: a primary Claro SIM for data and a cheap Tigo SIM for making local calls. Why? Because some Colombian businesses insist on calling you, and calling a Claro number from a Tigo SIM is surprisingly expensive. It's a small price to pay to avoid the awkward "Te llamo (I'll call you)" dance when someone asks for your number.

Prepaid or contract? The cedula question

This is where things get tricky. To get a monthly contract with any of the major carriers, you typically need a cédula (Colombian national ID card). As a foreigner, you probably don't have one (unless you've gone through the visa process and obtained a cédula de extranjería).

That leaves you with prepaid SIM cards, which you can buy at most almacenes or official carrier stores. The upside is that they're easy to get. The downside is that you have to constantly top them up with recargas (recharges).

My prepaid strategy

I've found the easiest way to manage prepaid is to download the Claro app and link a Colombian bank account (more on that in a future post). That way, I can recharge my SIM from my phone without having to find a physical store. You can also buy prepaid SIMs and data packages online through services like Recharge.com (not an affiliate link, just useful).

Home fiber: Claro Hogar, ETB, and the 'up to' lie

Ah, home internet. The holy grail of digital nomad life. In theory, getting fiber internet in Cali should be straightforward. In practice, it's an exercise in patience.

Claro Hogar and ETB (Empresa de Telecomunicaciones de Bogotá, for some reason) are the two main players. Both offer fiber plans with speeds "up to" a certain number. And that's the key phrase: "up to."

My Claro Hogar experience

I signed up for a 200 Mbps Claro Hogar plan in my apartment in El Peñón. The reality? I rarely see speeds above 80 Mbps, and during peak hours, it can dip as low as 20 Mbps. Valentina tells me this is normal.

The installation process was also a comedy of errors. The technician showed up four hours late, drilled a hole in the wrong wall, and then asked me for a propina (tip). I love this country.

The lesson: manage expectations

Don't expect to get the speeds you're promised. Factor in regular outages. And for the love of god, have a backup plan.

The coworking + home + backup hotspot stack I actually use

After months of frustration, I've cobbled together a system that (mostly) works:

1. Coworking Space: I work from a coworking space 2-3 days a week. It's worth the cost for the reliable internet and the chance to socialize with other humans. coworking spaces in Cali are actually pretty good.
2. Claro Hogar Fiber: I use my home internet for lighter tasks and after-hours work. It's not perfect, but it's good enough for email and browsing.
3. Claro SIM Hotspot: When the fiber inevitably goes down, I switch to my Claro SIM card and use my phone as a hotspot. It's not ideal for long Zoom calls, but it's enough to keep me online.

This setup isn't cheap (around $150 USD per month), but it's the price I pay for (relative) peace of mind.

What to do when the internet dies during a Zoom call

This is not a hypothetical question. This is my life.

Here's my protocol:

1. Panic (internally): This is crucial. You need to feel the full weight of the situation.
2. Switch to hotspot: Quickly disconnect from the WiFi and switch to your phone's hotspot. Pray that your computer connects automatically.
3. Apologize profusely: Blame the internet, blame the weather, blame the pigeons outside your window. Just apologize.
4. Mute yourself: If the connection is still shaky, mute yourself and turn off your camera. Nobody needs to see your buffering face.
5. Blame Colombia (quietly): Okay, maybe a little bit.

Living in Cali means accepting a certain level of chaos. The internet is just one small part of it. But hey, at least the coffee is good.