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Laos coverage

Quality tier C. Thin. One usable network or consistently under 15 Mbps. We sell it, we label it, and we price it accordingly.

26

Mbps typical

6

Mbps when busy

2

networks available

Which network you get

CarrierRole5G
UnitelPrimary, used by default4G only
Lao TelecomFailover, used when the primary degrades4G only

You do not choose between them. If the network you are on gets congested we move you to the other one automatically, in the middle of your trip, and tell you afterwards.

Your phone
Carrier Acongested, 4 Mbps
Carrier Bclear, 61 Mbps
Moved, without asking you
A single carrier provider cannot make this move. It is the whole reason we buy from more than one.
A single carrier provider cannot make this move.

About these figures

The speed figures on this page show the typical download speed and the speed when the network is busy, for the country as a whole and for its main cities.

What the Laos numbers mean

Two numbers matter and only one of them is the one every seller quotes. The typical speed, 26 Mbps, tells you what a good moment looks like.

The tenth percentile, 6 Mbps, is the one that matters. It is the speed in the worst tenth of the day, when the cell above the station is full and everybody around you is on it too. A country with a high median and a low floor is a country that works beautifully right up until the moment you actually need it.

If the trip depends on video calls or tethering, plan around the busy figure rather than the typical one.

What happens in Laos when the network is busy

Congestion is not a fault, it is a Tuesday evening. The question is what your eSIM can do about it, and for most travel eSIMs the answer is nothing: one wholesale agreement per country, one network, and no way out except buying a second eSIM from somebody else while standing in the street.

Here, Orbislo traffic runs over Unitel and Lao Telecom. When the network you are on degrades we move you to another one, mid trip, without you asking, and tell you afterwards rather than interrupting you at the time.

Questions about Laos

Which network will I be on in Laos?
Unitel or Lao Telecom. Orbislo moves you to whichever is performing better where you are standing, without asking you and without you noticing.
How fast is the data really?
Typical download speed is 26 Mbps, and 6 Mbps when the network is busy. The busy figure is the one to plan around: it is what you can expect when the cell is crowded.
Can I tether a laptop?
Yes, on every plan, at the same allowance as your phone data and at no extra cost. At 26 Mbps expect a tethered laptop in Laos to be fine for email and documents and strained by video calls.
Do speeds vary within Laos?
Yes. Speed depends on where you are, the time of day and how busy the network is. It is usually highest in the cities and along the main roads, and lower in the mountains and on the water.
What if I get no signal at all in Laos?
Open the app and use your free rescue data: customers get at least 100 MB once a calendar month, loaded onto your line, and it works at a zero balance. It exists for exactly this moment, because needing data in order to buy data is not a situation anybody should be put in. If that cannot find a network either, message us from the app and we will sort it.
Will my phone work in Laos?
If it supports eSIM and is not carrier locked, yes. We check your exact model before you pay and tell you plainly if it will not work, rather than taking the money and leaving you to find out on arrival.

Coverage nearby

Laos plans from $0.83Asia regional planCompare every country

How Laos compares across Asia

Regional typical speed
42.95 Mbps
Upstream networks
2, Unitel, Lao Telecom
5G
4G only
Next fastest nearby
Sri Lanka, 27 Mbps
Next slowest nearby
Pakistan, 25 Mbps
Cities with their own page
2: Vientiane, Luang Prabang

Nearby destinations in Asia

Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan, 37 Mbps, 2 networks
Mongolia
Mongolia, 35 Mbps, 2 networks
Philippines
Philippines, 34 Mbps, 2 networks
Kyrgyzstan
Kyrgyzstan, 33 Mbps, 2 networks
Bangladesh
Bangladesh, 28 Mbps, 2 networks
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, 27 Mbps, 2 networks
Pakistan
Pakistan, 25 Mbps, 2 networks
Myanmar
Myanmar, 22 Mbps, 2 networks
Nepal
Nepal, 21 Mbps, 2 networks
Afghanistan
Afghanistan, 19 Mbps, 5 networks

Cities with their own page

Luang Prabang
Luang Phabang International Airport, nearest airport LPQ, 2 km from Luang Prabang
Vientiane
Wattay International Airport, nearest airport VTE, 4 km from Vientiane