Quito eSIM
In Quito you connect to Claro or Movistar, whichever is performing better where you are standing. The typical speed across the country is 34 Mbps. Your data starts working the moment you land, before you reach the immigration hall.
- Networks
- Claro and Movistar
- Typical speed in Ecuador
- 34 Mbps typical, 8 Mbps at busy times
- 5G
- 4G only
- Throttle
- None on metered plans
- Tethering
- Allowed on every plan
Plans that cover Quito
| Data | Validity | Price per GB | Price | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 GB | Never expires | $9.89 | $9.89 | |
| 3 GB | Never expires | $6.30 | $18.89 | |
| 5 GBMost travellers | Never expires | $5.78 | $28.89 | |
| 10 GB | Never expires | $4.29 | $42.89 | |
| 20 GB | Never expires | $3.94 | $78.89 |
How Ecuador compares across South America
- Regional typical speed
- 33.5 Mbps
- Upstream networks
- 2, Claro, Movistar
- 5G
- 4G only
- Next fastest nearby
- Peru, 35 Mbps
- Next slowest nearby
- Argentina, 33 Mbps
- Cities with their own page
- 3: Quito, Galapagos, Cuenca
Landing at Mariscal Sucre International Airport (UIO)
- Airport
- UIO / SEQM
- Distance
- 24 km from the centre of Quito
Getting into Quito
- Ruta Collas and Conector Alpachaca access roads to Quito (UIO)
- Aeropuerto to Río Coca bus, continuing to El Labrador metro station (UIO)
Underground and on the metro
Metro de Quito runs 1 lines. It opened in 2023. The operator does not publish whether the tunnels carry a mobile signal, so we do not claim either way.
Worth knowing about Quito
- Quito's metro is a single line: 22.6 km entirely underground, 15 stations, running between Quitumbe in the south and El Labrador in the north, in commercial service since 1 December 2023.
- The airport is not in Quito proper: it sits at Tababela in the eastern suburbs, which concessionaire Quiport describes as 24 km from the capital, while the metro's only line stays inside the city between Quitumbe and El Labrador.
- Surface public transport is the MetrobusQ network (Red Integrada de Transporte Publico): the green Trole trolleybus, the red Ecovia and the blue Central Corridor.
- Mainland Ecuador, including Quito, runs on Ecuador Time (ECT) UTC-05:00 with no daylight saving.
- One Cuenta Ciudad access method, whether the QR code, the card or a linked ID, lets up to four people through the metro gates together, and children under five must hold an adult's hand.
- Bicycles and scooters may travel on the metro on weekdays from 10:00 to 16:00 and from 20:00 until closing, and at any time on weekends and holidays, always in the first or last car.
- The Carcelén airport bus runs Monday to Saturday from 05:30 to 21:20, and on Sundays and holidays from 06:00 to 20:20, with a bus every 12 to 15 minutes.
- Metro de Quito trains run Monday to Friday 05:30 to 23:00, Saturday 07:00 to 23:00, and Sundays and holidays 07:00 to 22:00. The operator asks riders to enter at least 15 minutes before stations close.
- A metro trip costs a flat $0.45 whatever the distance, and children under five ride free. Every one of the 15 stations has a staffed booth selling paper tickets for cash.
- Visitors can open a Cuenta Ciudad account online with a passport number and pay with a digital QR code, but passport-based accounts always pay the base fare and never the reduced rates.
- Station machines at Quitumbe, Morán Valverde, Magdalena, San Francisco, Jipijapa and El Labrador sell tickets and top up accounts by cash or card, but they need the exact amount and give no change.
- Metro stations have no toilets, food and drink are banned on trains and in stations, and packages larger than 60 by 60 cm are not allowed inside the system.
- The city runs about 1,500 free Wi-Fi points called Internet Público Municipio de Quito at Trole and Ecovía stops, markets, squares and parks. Registration asks for a cédula number, email and phone, then allows two hours a day at each site.
- The municipal Aeropuerto to Río Coca bus route now continues to the El Labrador multimodal station, giving a direct link from the airport to the metro, Trolebús and Ecovía. It runs weekdays from 04:45 to 22:00, every 20 to 25 minutes.
- Two more public bus routes serve the airport: one from Terminal Quitumbe in the south, daily from 05:00 to 22:00 every 10 to 15 minutes, and one from Terminal Carcelén in the north.