How to Get Mobile Internet in Argentina for Travelers: What Option to Choose?

One of the top concerns of tourists is mobile internet in Argentina, which is essential while traveling. Below is information travelers need to know for their upcoming trip to Argentina.

Mobile internet in Argentina includes information about coverage area, access speed or suggestions for convenient options for using the internet on the go. Mobile internet plays an important role in the tourist experience. The article below contains specific information for first-time visitors to Argentina.

I. Mobile Internet in Argentina – Coverage and Speed

For mobile internet, the main factors to consider are its coverage area and access speed. Once you identify and compare these two factors between network operators, you will easily choose for yourself a form of internet use mobile internet in Argentina. The major network operators in Argentina are Claro, Movistar and Personal.

1. Argentina Mobile Internet Coverage

The network coverage areas are distributed across the country due to their relatively similar market shares:

• Claro coverage

Claro also has as much market share as the other two network operators and has widespread coverage across the country, especially in densely populated areas, urban areas and indispensable rural areas. However, the coverage is not really uniform.

While large cities such as Buenos Aires, Cordoba, San Luis, Mendoza,… have coverage of 4G, 4G+, 5G networks, some rural areas have no or very little coverage such as Eldorado, Rio Salado , La Pampa,… This hinders the village if they want to experience it in rural, less populated areas.

• Movistar coverage

Movistar is the second company that many people are interested in in Argentina. Movistar’s coverage area is nationwide, especially the 4G/LTE network. In 2016, the network covered up to 68% of the country’s population and this number gradually increased monthly and yearly. In Buenos Aires, Movistar has the best coverage with Subte.

Movistar’s 4G service is available in 23 provinces and 380 locations. Although spread across the country, Movisar concentrates the most types of mobile networks in La Plata, Buenos Aires, San Juan, Mendoza,… Many large areas of Argentina are not covered by Movistar. It can be seen that the network is not as popular as Claro.

• Personal coverage

Personal was formerly a state-owned company, so it was given priority to develop more market share in rural areas but was more limited in terms of prepaid packages than Claro and Movistar. Although only ranked third, Personal delivered nearly the best performance in the nation.

More than 90% of the Subte system (subway system) is covered by Personal’s 4G/LTE network. By the end of 2017, Personal had covered more than 1,000 large and small towns and cities, accounting for 71% of the country’s population.

Our recommendation: When it comes to coverage in rural areas, the advantage belongs to Personal. But overall, Claro has a more even distribution and strongly develops both 4G, 4G+, and 5G. Therefore, you can refer to Claro.

2. Argentina Mobile Internet Speed

Internet speed is considered in the following aspects:

Criteria	Claro	Movistar	Personal
Media download speed (Mbps)	21.12	16.64	36.59
Latency  (ms)	55	46	39

Personal is the carrier with the best download speeds in Argentina. Besides, the latency on this carrier’s servers is the least. In terms of download speed playing an important role, Claro ranks 2nd. Therefore, you should choose to use Personal or Claro.

II. What are Connectivity Options for Tourists to Argentina?

Tourists always have many options for using the internet in Argentina such as: Argentina SIM cards, eSIM, Data roaming, pocket wifi, public wifi. You can rely on the comparison below to make the most suitable choice:

Criteria	Pros	Cons
SIM cards Argentina	There are prepaid or postpaid options, but we recommend using a prepaid SIM card so you can control your data usage Connection speed is faster and more stable than other forms There are often multiple SIM card data plans specifically for travelers Good coverage so easy to buy in many different locations, from urban to rural areas	Do not keep the SIM card fixed, but need to remove a fixed SIM card on the phone When buying a SIM card directly, you usually need to present your passport
Pocket wifi	No need to disassemble the phone Multiple devices can connect at the same time	Inconvenient to carry when moving around a lot Easily weak when too many devices are connected
Argentina eSIM	It is an embedded SIM that does not need to be removed like a physical SIM card Usually purchased online without providing a passport	Connections often have slower speeds Only smartphones support eSIM You should refer to some network operators that offer online eSIM purchases
Data roaming with operator in Argentina	Access anywhere within the coverage area of the carrier making the switch Stay in touch by phone number	Need to pay a high cost Not all carriers are able to roam data in Argentina, but it also depends on the agreement between the network operators
Public wifi	Cost savings Access wherever you go	Not really cyber secureLow access speed

From the above information, you can see that buying a SIM card is the optimal solution and the cost is the most diverse. If your phone supports eSIM, you should choose Argentina eSIM because it is the most optimal in terms of space and time. Visitors can refer to eSIM at Gigago.

III. Internet Rates in Argentina

Cost is one of the top factors to compare when choosing a form of mobile internet usage in Argentina:

Option	Internet rates
Argentina SIM cards	from 17455 ARS ($20 USD) to 43637 ARS ($50 USD)
eSIM Argentina	from 14400 ARS ($16.5 USD) to 25222 ARS ($28.9 USD)
Roaming with Claro	from 14574 ARS ($16.7 USD) to 24873 ARS ($28.5 USD)
Roaming with Movistar	about 6109 ARS ($7 USD) per day
Pocket wifi	about 2982 ARS ($8 USD) per day
Public wifi	Free

Choosing Argentina SIM cards is still the most optimal choice in terms of both convenience and cost. Furthermore, if you have a compatible device, eSIM is the optimal choice in both space and time. Network operators Claro and Movistar both offer a variety of options for tourists.

IV. Data SIM Card for Mobile Internet in Argentina

Data SIM cards are a good choice for travelers to both stay connected and stay in touch with people back home through apps. Some short-term travel packages from network operators in Argentina you can refer to:

• Claro: 

• 104730 ARS ($120 USD) = 1 GB data (valid 3 days)
• 148368 ARS ($170 USD) = 1 GB data (valid 7 days)
• 218188 ARS ($250 USD) = 2 GB data (valid 7 days)
• 279281 ARS ($320 USD) = 2 GB data (valid 15 days)
• Movistar:

• 122185 ARS ($140 USD) = 2 GB data (valid 3 days)
• 157095 ARS ($180 USD) = 2 GB data (valid 5 days)
• 122185 ARS ($140 USD) = 1 GB data (valid 7 days)
• 174551 ARS ($200 USD) = 2 GB data + 2 Gb for social media (valid 7 days)
• Personal:

• 69820 ARS ($80 USD) = 1 GB data (valid 1 day)
• 122185 ARS ($140 USD) = 2 GB data (valid 3 days)
• 209461 ARS ($240 USD) = 2 GB data (valid 7 days)

V. Data eSIM for Argentina – Best Option to Get Mobile Internet for Tourists

eSIM allows users to easily switch between phone numbers when necessary. The network operator can easily upgrade the eSIM without the user having to change the SIM, making it convenient and time-saving for the user. Users have 2 ways to buy eSIM: buy directly from the operator that provides the country’s eSIM or buy from eSIM providers.

1. Buy eSIM from Argentina Operators

Argentina’s 3 major network operators all offer eSIM: Claro, Movistar, Personal. Note to customers that with this method, you must show your passport or ID card for the registration process. This way of buying you get direct instructions from store staff but you have to provide personal information that can easily reveal information.

Comparison between eSIM of network operators is as follows:

Criteria	Claro	Movistar	Personal
Data	From 1GB to 100GB per month	From 1GB to 100GB per month	From 1 GB to 9 GB
Cost	Starting at around 500 ARS ($0.57 USD) per month for 1GB of data	Starting at 1500 ARS ($1.72 USD) per month for 1GB of data	Starting from 12000 ARS ($13.75 USD)
Network coverage	Coverage nationwide	Coverage nationwide	Coverage nationwide
Valid	Depends on data package	Depends on data package	30 days

2. Buy eSIM from Gigago

How to buy eSIM from reputable eSIM providers like Gigago is considered the most convenient and easiest solution because it doesn’t have to show anything because it’s 100% online, no passport, no ID card, no waiting for SIM delivery, easy setup (scan QR), have internet as soon as arriving in Argentina.

eSIM Argentina from Gigago has a variety of capacities from 2 GB to 6 GB, valid from 7 days to 30 days. This is a way to buy without showing personal documents and saves a lot of time. As long as the phone connects to the Argentinian network, the steps to buy are very simple:

• Choose a plan that suits your needs + budget + trip duration
• Make payments
• Wait to receive email
• Scan QR code or import activation code manually
• Turn on data roaming on phone
• Done

VI. FAQs

VII. Conclusion

Above is a summary of information about mobile internet in Argentina, including a summary and details of the mobile internet situation for tourists. Hope it makes sense to you. Don’t forget to receive the promotion from Gigago now!