Colombia’s internet is good enough for remote work in any of the cities digital nomads actually live in, and the honest caveat is that “average” speed figures vary a lot depending on which measurement methodology you’re looking at, so treat any single number, including the ones below, as a rough guide rather than a guarantee for your specific building.
What the numbers actually say #
By Ookla’s Speedtest Global Index, the most widely used benchmark for country comparisons, Colombia’s fixed broadband averaged around 214 Mbps download as of early 2026, putting it comfortably mid-table internationally and ahead of most of its regional peers. Mobile speeds trail well behind fixed connections, averaging in the 45 Mbps range. Real-world, browser-based measurements (which tend to run lower than benchmark speed tests, since they capture actual browsing conditions rather than an optimal test) put the practical median closer to 48 Mbps. The gap between these numbers isn’t Colombia being inconsistent, it’s two different ways of measuring the same thing; what matters for you is that either number is more than sufficient for video calls, cloud work, and streaming.
What this means for remote work specifically #
Any fibre connection in El Poblado (Medellín), Chapinero or Usaquén (Bogotá), or the main tourist and expat zones of Cartagena will comfortably handle multiple simultaneous video calls, cloud-based work, and large file uploads. The practical bottleneck for remote workers is rarely raw speed; it’s building-level wiring quality and, occasionally, shared building infrastructure in older properties. Ask a prospective landlord which provider serves the building and, if possible, test the connection before signing a lease.
The main providers #
Claro has the widest overall coverage, including rural and smaller-city areas, making it the most reliable single choice if you’re moving around the country. Movistar and Tigo are strong in the main cities and are frequently cited among the fastest fixed providers in head-to-head speed comparisons. For most remote workers based in Medellín, Bogotá, or Cartagena, any of the three will perform well; the deciding factor is usually whichever one already serves your specific building.
If you need a backup #
Mobile data works as a reasonable backup connection in any of the main cities, and a second SIM on a different carrier from your home internet provider is a cheap insurance policy against an outage during an important call. See the SIM cards and internet guide for current mobile data plans.
Coworking spaces as a reliability hedge #
If your work genuinely cannot tolerate an outage, a coworking space membership is the more reliable option than betting entirely on home internet, since most spaces run business-grade connections with backup failover. See the best coworking spaces guide for options in the main cities.
Related: SIM Cards and Internet | Best Coworking Spaces in Colombia | Medellín Expat Guide
