Laos internet guide

Mobile network operators

Laos has two main mobile operators, both with government ownership:

Lao Telecom (LTC): the incumbent, joint venture between the Lao government and TOT/Shinawatra (Thailand). Best overall coverage ^[1].
Unitel: formerly Star Telecom, joint venture between the Lao government and Viettel (Vietnam). Competitive pricing, growing subscriber base ^[2].
ETL: smaller third operator, limited coverage primarily in Vientiane.

Both LTC and Unitel offer 4G in urban centres.

Tourist SIM (prepaid): get at Wattay International Airport (Vientiane) and Luang Prabang airport. 7-14 days data for 30,000-80,000 LAK (1-3 EUR). Passport required.
Standard prepaid SIM: get at operator stores in Vientiane, Luang Prabang, Savannakhet, Pakse. Passport required. Data packages from 20,000 LAK/month for 1 GB; 100,000 LAK/month for 15 GB.
Postpaid SIM: requires passport + valid visa + proof of residence. Monthly plans from 50,000-200,000 LAK.
eSIM: not widely supported as of 2026. LTC has introduced eSIM for postpaid customers on a limited basis. Check directly.
SIM registration: mandatory for all SIMs under Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications regulations.

Lao Telecom fibre: FTTH in Vientiane, Luang Prabang, Savannakhet, Pakse. 20-200 Mbps for 150,000-500,000 LAK/month (6-20 EUR) ^[1].
Unitel fibre: FTTH in Vientiane and major provincial capitals. 50-200 Mbps for 100,000-400,000 LAK/month.
Lao Telecom ADSL/SDSL: older technology, still available in areas without fibre. Slower (5-20 Mbps) and less reliable.
4G fixed wireless (MiFi): the most common internet for expats in areas without fibre. Lao Telecom and Unitel offer MiFi devices with prepaid data.

Installation: 1-7 working days for fibre. You can activate 4G MiFi the same day.

4G/LTE: available in Vientiane, Luang Prabang, Savannakhet, Pakse, Vang Vieng, Thakhek. Rural coverage is limited; 3G is still the standard outside towns.
5G: not available as of 2026.
Speed test averages (2026): mobile download 10-30 Mbps in Vientiane, 5-15 Mbps in other towns. Fibre: 30-100 Mbps.
International bandwidth: Laos is landlocked and relies on terrestrial fibre connections to Thailand, Vietnam, and China. International bandwidth is limited. Speeds can slow significantly during peak hours (20:00-23:00).

Prepaid mobile: 20,000-100,000 LAK/month for 1-15 GB. Data is more expensive per GB than in Thailand or Cambodia.
Postpaid mobile: 50,000-300,000 LAK/month for 10-60 GB + voice.
Broadband: 150,000-500,000 LAK/month for 50-200 Mbps.
Coffee shop WiFi: available in Vientiane and Luang Prabang cafes. Speeds variable (2-10 Mbps).

Data caps: "unlimited" data plans are rare. Most plans have a hard cap, that throttles speed to 128-256 kbps (effectively unusable for video).
Top-up: scratch cards available at convenience stores (Lao Telecom cards are yellow, Unitel cards are blue). Online top-up via mobile banking with participating Lao banks.
VPN: not blocked in Laos. Useful for accessing geo-blocked streaming services. Expats commonly use VPNs for banking.
Power outages: more common than in neighbouring countries. Get a UPS for fibre routers if working from home.
Starlink: available in Laos as of 2025. Increasingly used as primary internet by expats in Vientiane where fibre is unreliable. Subscription roughly 900,000 LAK/month + hardware.

Public WiFi: limited. Available at the airport, some shopping centres (Vientiane Centre, Parkson), and a few cafes.
Mobile tethering: common when broadband is down. Lao Telecom and Unitel 4G speeds are generally adequate for video calls if the signal is strong.

This page is indicative. Confirm current packages directly with the operator.