Thread: Internet in Panama City

Where can a person go to use the internet in Panama? Are there many internet cafes? Are there any libraries with internet?

There are internet cafes all over the city, and all over the country on the tourist trails. Expect to pay $1.00 per hour; so its super-cheap, but you should be prepared for a Spanish-language sign-in screen. All the large hotels have business centers with free computers for their guests as well.

Outside of the U.S. and Europe, personal computers are just not as common, so internet cafes are ubiquitous and cheap. There hasn't been a place I've been yet in the last five years without a cheap and easily available way to get online, check email, make e-calls, etc.

Cheers.

Clarocom internet cafe on Via Veneto and on the corner of Avenida Eusebio Morales. high speed internet, wifi, 3 dollars for 12 hours, very friendly staff, nice atmosphere, has a terrace too.Excellent place to meet people.

I thought $1.00 an hour was amazingly cheap. Then I read Patricio's post. $3.00 for 12 hours? I almost fainted. I think I pay more than that for internet at home.

Correction this was when using the wireless (wifi) service with my laptop
ticket says 12 hours.

Originally Posted by themark

I thought $1.00 an hour was amazingly cheap. Then I read Patricio's post. $3.00 for 12 hours? I almost fainted. I think I pay more than that for internet at home.

I know my internet is probably around $40 a month, so around $0.75 a day is what I pay at home--so $1.00 an hour may seem cheap, but that is only in comparison with places like Kinko's in the U.S., where its $12 an hour.

Cheers.

Originally Posted by Lalaguayaba

I know my internet is probably around $40 a month, so around $0.75 a day is what I pay at home--so $1.00 an hour may seem cheap, but that is only in comparison with places like Kinko's in the U.S., where its $12 an hour.

Cheers.

I was thinking of how many hours I use the internet at home. Even though I have it 24 hours a day, I probably only use it a few hours on average.

Originally Posted by themark

I was thinking of how many hours I use the internet at home. Even though I have it 24 hours a day, I probably only use it a few hours on average.

But if you're paying $40 a month, that's $0.75 a day, or about $0.03 an hour. Is 3 cents an hour too expensive?

You can easily see where the profit margins come in when you have an internet cafe; after the costs of computers (and the more you buy, the cheaper they get) are factored in, you've got about 14 months until you break a profit. That's an excellent plan!

Cheers.

Clarocom internet cafe on Via Veneto and on the corner of Avenida Eusebio Morales. high speed internet, wifi, 3 dollars for 12 hours, very friendly staff, nice atmosphere, has a terrace too.Excellent place to meet people.

It's a great place, much better than the other Internet cafes in Via Veneto where it's impossible to breathe. They used to have an offer where wireless Internet is free if you also buy a phone card; I'm not sure if that's still available.

Anyway, I'm very hesitant about using wifi anywhere in Panama because anyone can capture your information if it's not encrypted. On the other hand, Internet cafe computers might have spyware installed, which is an even higher risk because it also captures anything you type. So the best bet is to use your laptop and connect it through a network cable. It's possible to do that at Clarocom also.

" They used to have an offer where wireless Internet is free if you also buy a phone card; I'm not sure if that's still available. "

yes that offer is still on....costs 3 dollars for 12 hours.
nice place , only sitting on the terrace can be noisy and car pollution is not very good for your health.

nice place , only sitting on the terrace can be noisy and car pollution is not very good for your health.

That's true. Plus, it's hot and humid, which might not be that good for your computer!

3$ for 12 hours ! Is that possible ? What about the computer specs ? Are they good ? Flat-Screen or just the old ones ?

No flat screens that I've seen--definitely not the norm, just the regular cathode ray tube monitors. As far as most of the computers--this is not Vista country yet, but 2000 and XP abound. Its not the computer dark age, but not super-fast either. I recommend bringing your own and connecting to the net @ the cafe...

Cheers.

I am in a hotel right now that offers free wireless internet if you are staying here, the download speed is pretty decent.

How much does it cost to stay at the hotel?

Originally Posted by tallman33

How much does it cost to stay at the hotel?

Perhaps y'all want to move this thread to http://www.panamaforum.com/hotel-reviews/ ?

Cheers.

Originally Posted by Patricio

Correction this was when using the wireless (wifi) service with my laptop
ticket says 12 hours.

ok now... what i haven't understand... that price, $3 for 12 hours is insanely cheap, but you need to have a laptop? i mean... there aren't internet cafes with their own computers? anyway... i don't think i could stay longer than 2-3 hours on a chair in front of a computer surfing the internet

The cafes have their own computers, but if you want to bring your own laptop and plug in, its cheaper. Got it?

Cheers.

Do you have to pay to use the internet wifi even if you have your own laptop? Many places in the States have wifi and it is free to use.

Originally Posted by coolandhot

Do you have to pay to use the internet wifi even if you have your own laptop? Many places in the States have wifi and it is free to use.

It is not free wifi--you need to log in with a purchased phone card, see previous notes. Some hotels may offer free services, as well as some of the universities--but you should do some of your own research the next time you come on down and let us know what you found.

Cheers.

3$ for 12 hours ! Is that possible ? What about the computer specs ? Are they good ? Flat-Screen or just the old ones ?

The Clarocom place does have flat screens. And the computers are quite fast. I think they only opened 2 or 3 years ago, so they have "new" equipment (even though 2 to 3 years already quite old in the computer world ).

The only hotels I know of that offer completely free wifi are the Country Inns. But using wifi is dangerous anyway unless you take extra precautions because just about anyone can intercept your traffic.

well if it's Internet Cafe then you must pay for internet even though it's wireless... but if you're going to a coffee shop that also has internet you only have to pay for what you're drinking. at least that's in my country.

Its the same thing in the U.S.--but I think they're just trying to add value to that $5 latte. Internet cafes just aren't as popular in the U.S. outside of college towns or tourist spots, so the free wifi is offered at tons of spots--pubs/bars, bookstores, coffee shops, all that is required is the wifi card for your laptop. In my D.C. neighborhood, I've got fantastic coverage, from the park to the pool--but its also heading into autumn, so I'm headed south.

Cheers.

Originally Posted by PanamaPat

The Clarocom place does have flat screens. And the computers are quite fast. I think they only opened 2 or 3 years ago, so they have "new" equipment (even though 2 to 3 years already quite old in the computer world ).

Sweet! That's nice to note about Clarocom, I haven't ever been in there, so I'm glad to know that if I need it, I can get some glare-free viewing in the city on the cheap. For some reason, the secure feeling that I get from plugging-in is worth a schlep~
I've always thought it funny how quickly tech stuff gets dated with the built-in obsolescence factor--my 'new' desktop is 6 mos. old...but it still has that 'new computer smell.'

Cheers.

If free wifi continues to spread, that might put a lot if internet cafes out of business.

Originally Posted by panamapal

If free wifi continues to spread, that might put a lot if internet cafes out of business.

Outside of the 1st world countries--where the beast known as the 'Internet Cafe' is utterly ubiquitous, I really doubt that free wifi will put the long-running cafe culture out of business. The proliferation of free wifi is great--but only if you have computer. That's why the internet cafe is so darn successful in places where the majority of ppl cannot afford a computer.

And then there are the security issues with an unsecured wireless network--but that's another thing entirely.

Cheers.

well for example... in my country, when i was younger, we've had 1 internet cafe at every 3 streets but now, you'll hardly find one or two in the whole neibourhood.

Originally Posted by Nosfer

Well for example... in my country, when I was younger, we [had] 1 internet cafe at every 3 streets but now, you'll hardly find one or two in the whole neighbourhood.

If I recollect correctly, you live in Europe? In Italy? Don't you attribute rising numbers of computer owners to the falling number of internet cafes, rather than the proliferation of wifi? Especially in the last ten years, with the establishment of the E.U. and the Euro as the common currency--don't you see higher levels of economic stability and less frequent (read: practically non-existant) value fluctuations than the lira?

I do like the fact that wifi is cheap to set-up and share, but I don't think that its widespread enough to account for the lower numbers of internet cafes; that is generally more attributable to higher levels of economic prosperity resulting in more private computer owners, and thus, lower numbers of cafe users. That's my point.

Cheers.

well it's true you are right... but they are probably both combined: i mean... rising number of cumputers + home-internet available to much more people through wi-fi. i guess that's why the number of i-cafes is lowered every year by year.

and i don't know if i'm seeing it correctly but i think computer prices are getting a little lower too...