Communication in Peru

Updated 16 April 2014

Most guide books contain information about communication. Nowadays, it's pretty easy to keep in touch with people back home. The country code of Peru is 51. All city codes begin with 0, however, we someone wants to call to Peru, they have to drop the 0. In order to call out of Peru you will have to dial 00 then the country code followed by the phone number. If you want to make phone calls, the best thing to do is to go to a Locutorio, which is a place that has phone booths. They charge much less than if you use a public phone.

Land lines
If you want to get a land line, you will have to go to Telefonica or Telmex and ask for one. I recommed Telmex over Telefonica, prices are better and it takes less time to get the line installed. Fees vary between 40 and 120 soles a month. Americatel is another option. You will need your ID and a water or electricity bill. If usually takes between one and two weeks for the phone to be installed and then you can make a certain amount of free local calls. It’s free to receive calls. Be aware that you will usually sign a contract for six months. If you cancel early you will have to pay for the remaining months and a fee. If you're interested in VOIP calls, try looking at this link.

Cell phones
Cell phones are very common and there are three servers: Telefónica/Movistar, Claro and Nextel. Telefonica and Claro have similar rates and offers and Nextel tends to be more expensive and is used for businesses. You can either buy a post-pago or a pre-pago cell phone. Post-pago means that you sign a contract and Pre-pago means that you buy phone cards and can use your cell phone as long as it has money on it.

Internet
Internet cafes or cabinas can be found just about everywhere and charge between .50 soles to 2 soles a half hour depending on where you are. Internet connections tend to be fast and many have USB ports as well. If you want to get internet at home, you will have to contact Speedy, which is part of Telefonica. Fees vary, but are around 100 to 200 soles a month.

WiFi places are popping up all over the place. Starbucks and MacDonald's in Parque Kennedy have it. As well as Parque Kennedy itself, just be wary of taking your laptop there out in the open. Vivanda also recently installed WiFi. You can also watch TV and movies online, see the section below on Radio, Newspapers, and TV.

Fax
Fax services can be found in cabinas and locutorios or photo copy places. Faxes inside the same city are around 1 or 2 soles. National faxes are around 2 and 3 soles and International are about 3 to 5 soles. Make sure that the fax feedback form says that the fax was sent and double check the number that they sent it to.

Post
The national postal service is called Serpost. Postal service is iffy, so you might want to have things sent to your work, rather than your house. If you're going to send a package or letter, don't seal it. The post office has to check it before they close it. And Serpost doesn't offer tracking for its parcels and packages.

Couriers are also available, but more expensive. Try also TNT, Olva Courier (they work with DHL, but have cheaper rates), Fed Ex, UPS, or DHL. It is usually safe, however, be wary of sending money. NEVER send cash. I ask for my mail to be sent to my school as it’s more likely to arrive to a business than a home address. Things usually take about one or two weeks to arrive. If you need to pick up a package, you will need your original ID, a photo copy and have to pay a fee of about 7 soles. When having things sent to you, have your last name written in capital letters.

If you're moving to Peru, you can have your mail forwarded to you. DHL , USABox, Skybox, Earth Class Mail, all have mail forwarding services. There are plenty of other. Just search for "mail forwarding address" and you'll find plenty. Prices vary so shop around.

Newspapers, Radio, and TV
In Ovalo Miraflores in front of McDonald's they sell foreign newspapers, such as The Guardian and some German papers. Here's a list of Newspapers in Peru

• All You Can Read
• BN Americas
• CNN en Español
• Correo Peru
• EditoraPeru
• El Comercio
• Journal Peru
• La Republica
• Latin Finance
• Latin-Focus
• Latin News
• Latin Trade
• Peru21
• Peru.com
• Peruvian Times

Radio Stations vary city to city. But here are a couple. RPP, Studio 92, CPN, Filarmonia, Radio San Borja. 107.7 and 102.1 in Lima have English songs. Studio 92 also has English songs and is in cities around Peru.

There are a couple of local TV channels with news, talk shows, and comedy. Cable is available from your telephone company. Cable Magico from telefonica is a popular cable company. Direct TV is also an option.