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One thing I always miss when I go abroad is the internet in Uruguay—chronically online, much? I know you might say that there’s internet everywhere these days, but it can’t hold a candle to the quality of service here. And let’s be honest, it’s not actually available everywhere, is it? How many times have you been stuck in an airport with paid internet, or in some far-flung countryside with only an EDGE connection at best—or worse, in a café with a snarky sign saying, “Sorry, no WiFi! Talk to each other!”? Ugh, so frustrating.
Luckily, Uruguay has affordable high-speed internet everywhere—and I mean everywhere. You can work from any café without the connection cutting out or post a hike-in-the-middle-of-nowhere Instagram story without a hitch. If you’ve ever considered working abroad as a digital nomad, Uruguay might just be your best bet.
There’s high speed fibre optic internet connection in every major city. Uruguay’s mobile internet is blazing fast, ranking fourth globally with speeds hitting 149.08 Mbps—way above the world average of 42.35 Mbps. Montevideo is the city with the second fastest internet in the world, just behind Dubai. The country’s early rollout of 5G helped boost these speeds, leaving regional neighbours like Brazil and Chile in the dust.
Uruguay is a tech powerhouse in Latin America, with top-notch connectivity thanks to heavy public investment. Nearly 90% of homes have internet, all public schools are connected and fibre optic coverage is widespread. It’s no surprise Uruguay leads the region in tech development and is Latin America’s top software exporter per capita.
One of the great things about travelling in Uruguay is that free wifi is available everywhere. Hotels provide it for free. Restaurants and cafes too. The airport wifi is free. Long distance buses have free internet connections. Even local buses have wifi! It’s really, really easy to get online in Uruguay.
Uruguay is the first country in the world to completely implement the One Laptop Per Child initiative. Every child in state-run education in both primary and secondary school has a laptop or tablet. The project began in the interior of the country (reversing the typical tendency for the capital city, where half of Uruguay’s population lives, to get new developments first) and only rolled out in the capital once the entire of the interior was covered.
One thing to note, internet connectivity and pricing is controlled by the state-owned telecoms company, ANTEL. They are doing a pretty good job to be honest. Their unlimited fibre optic offerings range from 1.590 UYU (38 USD) for speeds up to 400 Mbps download / 30 Mbps upload, up to 4195 UYU (100 USD) for 1000 Mbps download / 300 Mbps upload. Their limited plans are much cheaper, but they offer up to 450 GBs.
Uruguay pushes for democratic access to tech with its Universal Hogares plan, a no-monthly-fee internet plan that includes 10 GB of monthly data. Exactly as you hear it, free, no costs at all, not even for the router. Once this data is used up, owners can continue using the service by purchasing top-ups at affordable prices and anyone with a landline phone can access to this plan.
There’s a data centre owned by Antel, Uruguay’s national telecoms company, designed to help businesses in the region keep their digital assets secure while providing individual users with easy access to high-capacity cloud storage. Additionally, another data centre is located in Zonamérica, in Canelones, a business and tech park operating as a tax-free zone, where companies like Citi Bank, Deloitte, and PwC have offices.
Google is currently building a new data centre in Uruguay—its second in South America after Chile—while simultaneously deploying the world’s longest submarine cable, Firmina, named after abolitionist María Firmina dos Reis. This state-of-the-art cable will link the U.S. East Coast directly to Punta del Este, cementing Uruguay’s rep as a hotspot for global tech giants. With this the country is reinforcing its role as a leading regional and international hub for innovation and technology. This project will also significantly improve access to Google’s services for millions of users across South America.
Namasté — Vegetarian restaurant in Montevideo
Namasté is more than just a vegetarian restaurant in Montevideo. This colourful, family-run spot has been serving vegetarian and vegan food since 2008. And the food is only part of the experience. Come for a relaxed meal, stay for the atmosphere, the friendly service and the chance to slow down for a while.
Dance tango in Uruguay. Whether a complete newbie or you already dance, the tango scene in Montevideo is a great way to make friends.
Estancia Los Plátanos – Authentic 6th generation ranch
Venture into deep Uruguay to Estancia Los Platanos, a working ranch. Just 3 guestrooms—and there’s a gorgeous indoor pool.
Nominate your favourites for the 2027 Montevideo Guru’Guay guide
Do you love a business in the capital that absolutely MUST be in our next best selling Montevideo guidebook?
Ignacio Fuentes, RE/MAX – Recommended Montevideo realtor
Montevideo real estate made easy—foreigners trust this realtor for smooth, reliable rentals and property purchases.
Estancia El Cangüé – Cattle & roses in Paysandú
Home to Uruguay’s biggest rose collection, this 200 year west Uruguay estancia is the perfect destination for outdoor adventure or a wedding.
Martín Pescador – Sierras ranch 1 hr from ocean
Just an hour inland from the beaches of Punta and José Ignacio, the perfect Uruguay estancia, horse riding and trekking.
Uruguay LGBT rights – A trailblazer for over a century
Did you know Uruguay is among the most LGBT-friendly countries worldwide? Small nation. Big equality record.
TEFL Uruguay: new qualification for foreigners and Uruguayans to teach English abroad
TEFL Uruguay comes to Montevideo in 2027: Four-week face-to-face training for foreigners and English-fluent locals.
Expats in Uruguay spill the beans: What life is really like
We interview foreigners in Uruguay who moved here from principally English-speaking countries so you can learn from their mistakes.
Did you know Uruguay is among the most LGBT-friendly countries worldwide? Small nation. Big equality record.
Uruguay makes history once again. Euthanasia in Uruguay is now legal. We learn what went on behind the scenes from the most visible campaigner.
I’ve lived all over the world. Here’s my evaluation based on my experience living and travelling in Uruguay for the last 20+ years.
Cannabis in Uruguay decoded: How legal weed works—from pharmacy scans to 420 culture—its surprising stats and real social impact
A member of the Guru’Guay team shares her great-aunt’s story, highlighting the dictatorship’s lasting impact on Uruguayans.
Uruguay is known for its progressive laws and society. So how come it fell under a dictatorship? Guru’Guay explains.
