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Information Sheet Last Updated: September 2005
Keeping in Touch
Communications in Ecuador may not always be as straightforward as they are in more developed countries. Telephones and computers are not ubiquitous, and in many places are hard to come by. Interruption of service can be quite frequent. This is not to say that keeping in touch with people at home and within Ecuador is impossible; patience is often necessary, but one can always find a way to get through.
Mail
Ecuador’s postal service is slow and not always totally reliable, but fine for most correspondence and packages. Sending packages is not cheap. It is best not to send anything you cannot afford to lose. Some travellers find that the best way to send things overseas is to find a compatriot who is heading home, and get them to mail it from there.
Telephone and Fax
Local calls can be made from public phones on the street using a token. Most hotels and some stores have telephones which you can use to make local calls for a small charge, but proprietors will often balk at long-distance calls, even if you’re using a calling card (they are often double-billed by the national telephone company, EMETEL). EMETEL has offices in most mid-sized and large towns where local, national and international calls can be placed and paid for in sucres. EMETEL and many small computer oriented shops offer fax services, some charging by the minute, others by the page.
E-mail
The Internet is not as accessible as it is in more developed countries, but there are a handful of servers operating from Guayaquil and Quito. Public e-mail service can be found at the SAE, as well as some computer centers, Spanish schools, and hotels. If you have your own computer in Ecuador and can find a private phone line to use, you can connect to CompuServe, America On-line and other international servers through local access numbers, though this can be expensive.
