Internet Access in Fuerteventura

Author:

JP in Fuerteventura

Published:

October 4, 2015

Updated:

April 15, 2023

It isn’t that often I find something negative to say about living here but the internet access in Fuerteventura is an exception.

I needed to upload my next video to Youtube last night. After compressing the file to be as small as possible it ended up as a 400Mb file. I started the upload to Youtube and it said it would take 6 hours. I left it to run and then, 4 hours later, I checked it. It had uploaded only 12% and it said it would take another 20 hours to finish uploading! I have had to stop it and need to think again. There must be a way to get a faster service.

In the UK I would be getting around 200mbs download and at least 20mbs upload speeds. Here, for much more than I would be paying in the UK, I get around 4.5 to 5.5mbs download and 0.15mbs upload speeds. It is positively stone age. In fact, I think Fred Flintstone got better speeds than that in Bedrock.

Oh for fast internet access again. Is that too much to ask for in this day and age? Wake up Fuerteventura – this is the 21st century.

February 2021 – I have fibre optic internet access!

Yes, a miracle has happened. We now have fibre optic internet access after all these years of waiting and promises. I have the 100mbps package but may upgrade to 600mbps, which is also available.

These are my speeds:

Update on internet access in Fuerteventura

May 2018: Miracles may, just possibly, happen. We are on a waiting list to have fibre optic internet installed. We will have 50mbps initially at a cost of 39.95€ per month and can increase that to 300mbps afterwards for an additional 5€ per month.

I have heard there is a delay (so no surprise there then) and I will believe it when I see it quite frankly. If it is then I will have to eat my words that we will get fibre optic internet access in Fuerteventura when Hell freezes over!

We get our internet via Europa Network.

FURTHER UPDATE, June 2020 – scrub the above. Two years later and still no fibre optics where I live. I sent a message wishing the money I paid for installation a happy 2nd birthday and asking when I was going to be connected. I received no reply except a credit note for the installation fee I paid. So it looks like Hell may well freeze over before we get fibre optics here in La Oliva (but then we are only the capital of the municipality). The annoying thing is that they have had fibre optics in the small hamlet of El Roque near El Cotillo for over a year!

Using Mobile Data

If you are here on holiday you should be able to use your UK/German mobile Data for no extra charge due to the EU regulations. 4G is available in all the main areas.

JP in Fuerteventura( Site Owner )

I have been holidaying in Fuerteventura for over 30 years and have been living here full time since 2013. I have a popular Youtube channel related to this website called JP in Fuerteventura

29 responses to “Internet Access in Fuerteventura”

Nicki

August 12, 2016

Hi JP
I have been living in Fuerteventura for 6 months now and am having the same issue. It doesn’t help that I live in Villeverde, and our only option was to get a 3G wifi installed with Movistar.
The download is fine but I am trying to upload a 2.6GB video to Vimeo for my work, and it is saying 8 hours! This is as small as I can compress it.
Did you manage to get any better results? Or do you know of anywhere on the island ( North if possible) where you can go to use their internet for uploading?
I know there is a shared office space in Corralejo, but their internet is even worse!
Thanks for your help

Reply
1. admin
  
  August 12, 2016
  
  Hi Nicki, I am surprised it uploaded that quickly to be honest. I uploaded a 272Mb video last night which took 1.5 hours using telephone internet. At that rate your 2.6Gb file would have taken 12 hours. I assume that you are too far from the telephone system to get a landline, I know a number in Villeverde with that problem. I will ask them what the best internet solution they have found is. I am not aware of anywhere that you can pay to upload that is quick. If there is then it would have to be in Puerto as that is the only place where fibre optics exist.
  
  Reply
2. admin
  
  August 12, 2016
  
  I have just checked with a friend in Villeverde who now uses https://www.iberbandainenglish.com/ which gives 3mbps upload (10 times faster than I get).
  
  Reply
Brian James

February 4, 2017

Dear JP

First of all thank you very much for your great video’s which we watched before we spent a week on hols from 21 Jan. We stayed in TUI Magic Life just off the FV2 way down south and we had 39mbs download one night over wifi in our room. It became very unpredictable but was always above 10mbs download which is the best speed I have ever had in any hotel outside the UK. Obviously they are a big business but even in the UK speeds do drop off the more remote areas. As a side note we hired a car all week and explored some of the places you suggested and we are keen to come back.

Cheers
Brian

Reply
1. admin
  
  February 4, 2017
  
  You are making me cry Brian. I am not sure how they achieve that as I believe the only places where fibre optic cables exist is in Puerto del Rosario. I guess they must pay a fortune for some kind of special link. We not only experience slow download, and criminally slow upload speeds here in La Oliva but also for 3 months we lose the internet all together, sometimes 7-8 times in an hour. We lost it to 3 minutes of so 5 times during the England v France rugby today which didn’t please me one bit. 3 months and our ISP still haven’t solved the problem and I am beginning to believe they never will. The problem is there is no real competition here. Ho hum. I’m glad you enjoyed your trip and the videos. Thank you for your comment.
  
  Reply
Laurence Swain

June 14, 2017

Can anyone reccommend an internet service thats reliable in Tiscamanita (I know it’s in the sticks!) that does not rely on a landline phone connection?

I’m moving out permanently next week and need to sort a service out. I’m looking for a service that I can stream youtube or similar on (I know… Don’t laugh). I’m not interested in UK TV services or being forced to have a land line installed unless it is a must to get a reliable bandwith of 10 mbs+ download speed. Not to fussed on upload speeds as long as I can upload small stuff quickly if I need to.

All advice will be most helpful.

kind regards

Laurence

Reply
1. admin
  
  June 14, 2017
  
  You will be lucky to get anything like 10mbps. I have a landline, and am not in a remote area, and all I get is 8mbps at best and I only get 0.3mbps upload! I suggest that you post this question on one of the Facebook groups such as “Fuerteventura Forum Group” and “Fuerteventura we love you”. Good luck with the move.
  
  Reply
2. Peter Lockitt
  
  August 27, 2019
  
  Hi Laurence, I know it’s a while ago that you posted your question but did you get things sorted? I ask because I have a house in Tiscamanita and use Movistar (unlimited) with a router on 4 G. I feel it’s expensive though and it steadily rises. We started if at 46 euros ish and it’s now 52 in the 2 years we’ve had it. Kind regards. Pete
  
  Reply
Doug

August 11, 2017

Hi JP, I’m planning to head to El Cotillo later in the year to surf for a couple of weeks, but will be needing a solid internet connection as it will still be a working week and I can’t afford any issues. Do you know if that’s one of the good or bad areas in the island, and in 2017 can I still expect upload speeds <1mbps?
Thanks for your help!

Reply
1. admin
  
  August 11, 2017
  
  Hi Doug. Upload speeds greater than 1mbps are pretty much a pipe dream here. I currently get 0.2mbps via broadband on a good day! El Cotillo is no better or worse than most other parts of the island but speeds of 7-8mbps download and perhaps 0.5mbps upload would probably be the best via a landline. You may get better upload speeds via a mobile connection if you can get 4G where you will be staying. I have started tethering my mobile to my pc to upload my videos as I get around 0.75mbps using 3g.
  
  Reply
J T.

November 6, 2017

Hi I am going to winter in Fuerterventura at Casilla de Costa near Villerverde. I do not need super BB but just need to email, FaceTime, Skype, and stream the odd tv program with Rocu. I have no idea which system to go for so any advice would help. In the UK I use wifi through the telephone , is this available and if so cost effective.

Reply
1. admin
  
  November 7, 2017
  
  Hi. Have they put phone lines into Casillo de Costa? Phone lines are like gold dust here with a waiting list in many places. Your best option might be to have a mobile data router, either with a Spanish provider or, if you have a UK phone with a large data allowance you may be able to use that as under the new EU wide mobile data rules I think you can use 15Gb per month free. There are a few wifi only providers, which is available in Tamaragua, but I doubt that would reach you. Are there many properties sold in the development? If not, you could be in for a pretty lonely winter.
  
  Reply
Mike reid

January 31, 2018

What a nightmare trying to get WiFi! Orange 4g is limited to 50mb a month, Movistar will not give you 4g if there’s a landline in your area! I have orange adsl at the moment but it is down. Went to the store in caleta and the girl would not help. Said I had to try 1470, explained that the landline was also down. Would not budge. Returned after trying the1470 number and she contacted customer services. They would not help because I do not have a Spanish mobile! Now paying for no service and no help. Will be cancelling the adsl in the morning, but do not know what else to do.
Customer service is nonexistent on this island!
Any help would be appreciated

Reply
1. admin
  
  January 31, 2018
  
  I wish I could offer some help Mike. Unfortunately that is how it is here. I know someone how moved here at the end of November and signed up for Movistar adsl. Two months later she still hasn’t got it so she told them she wanted to cancel but has been told she can’t cancel! Even though after 2 months they have given her nothing. She has managed to get a Vodaphone router though – but with the 50Gb limit of course.
  
  Reply
Cat

February 2, 2019

Hi JP, any idea if conf calls on Skype / or other systems ( such as webex) are impacted by the poor internet speed in fuerteventura? We will be staying in el cotillo and need to work during this time, we’ll have a Movistar wifi connection. Thanks much!

Reply
1. admin
  
  February 2, 2019
  
  We use Skype when my wife is in the UK without a problem so you should be fine
  
  Reply
Bartek

February 20, 2019

Hi. If the miracle has happened? Does in Fuerteventura fiber appear? I wish to spend few months in El Cotillo but need to work online as well. Is there any chance for the 21th century?

Reply
1. admin
  
  February 22, 2019
  
  It is in certain parts of the capital, Puerto del Rosario, Corralejo and a few other places. We were promised it by May last year but nothing so far!
  
  Reply
Tommi

March 12, 2019

JP, first of all. Thanks for sharing your experience and knowledge about Fuerteventura. I’ve been searching with a kind of blurry success a good internet provider due the fact we are leaving the gloomy weather from the nordics for a sunnier and warmer place. After checking your video blog we decided to try Fuerteventura and La Oliva fits the requirements, specifically Villa Verde. By any chance do you know what’s the situation over there? Thanks in advance for your imput.

Reply
1. admin
  
  March 15, 2019
  
  Things are slowly improving. Although I am still waiting for the promised fibre optic internet, our standard broadband is at least much more stable than it was a few years ago. There are at least some other options now. You can get a 4G router with unlimited data now which is significantly faster than standard broadband. You would be likely to get a good 4G signal in Villaverde too as it is relatively high up.
  
  Reply
  1. Anders
    
    June 25, 2019
    
    Hi!
    Moving from Sweden to Corralejo next month and searching for an internet provider on 4g. You mentioned it was possible to get unlimited data now. Do you know what company that offers that ? Thanks for taking your time to give us an answer.
    
    Reply
    1. admin
      
      June 29, 2019
      
      Hi Anders. I think you can get unlimited 4G through Movistar/Telefonica. It seems that fibre optics are available in much of Corralejo so it may be worth checking out that option too.
      
      Reply
Anders Edvinsson

June 29, 2019

thanks a lot for your answer. i will give you feedback when i have any info about the options i have found.
//Anders

Reply
1. Chris Reed
  
  October 23, 2019
  
  Hello, I’m thinking of moving to Corralejo, from the centre of the island, I have been told the house has FIBREOPTIC, but my friends say it doesn’t work as well as you think. Is this true, I work online and struggle where I live right now, so fast broadband is important, does anyone have it in Corralejo and let me know if it’s any good? Thank you in advance
  Regards Chris
  
  Reply
  1. JP in Fuerteventura
    
    October 23, 2019
    
    I wish I could let you know whether it is any good or not but, as I paid for fibre optic installation 18 months ago and I am still waiting, I cannot. Certainly it is available in Corralejo but I don’t know anyone that has it to ask.
    
    Reply
2. Anders
  
  December 11, 2019
  
  Hi again.
  Moved to Corralejo August 15 and went to Movistar some days later to get an internet connection. 2 days after the contract was signed the technician called me. it was on Thursday and he wanted to install ADSL on Friday. Something went wrong so he changed the day to Saturday. He came and after 30 min we had internet up and running. Almost 100 % uptime. Last Friday they called and asked if we wanted Fibre. We accepted and first day after the weekend the technician called me and wanted to install Fibre on Thursday. All went ok and i am so far very satisfied with the Movistar. We live in Geafond area in Corralejo.
  //Anders
  
  Reply
  1. JP in Fuerteventura
    
    December 13, 2019
    
    Hi Anders. I am glad you got it all installed. I am not at all bitter about you getting fibre – I only paid to have it installed 19 months ago and still waiting!! 😉
    
    Reply
JP in UK

January 30, 2022

Hi JP, Greetings from another fellow JP 🙂 I’ve come across your blog post while searching whether 4g mobile data is available in El Cotillo. The apartment I will stay in only has Wi-fi in the main reception area and I need to check my emails / do a few MS Teams calls. Do you think 4g mobile reception is strong enough to hotspot from? Thanks for your help!

Reply
1. JP in Fuerteventura
  
  January 30, 2022
  
  Hi JP. I suspect 4G is available everywhere in most of El Cotillo, particularly if you are i the main part of the village. You could always take you laptop to one of the bars as most have decent free wifi for customers.
  
  Reply