The Cayman Islands has the dubious distinction of having some of the most expensive internet services in the world as well as an infrastructure that is, at best, fragmented. Despite a breakup of the old telecoms monopoly in the early 2000s, the four internet companies that emerged to bring high-speed optical cable connections to the entire system are still arguing with the government over the rollout and who pays for it, meaning service is patchy, and quality is dependent on location.
If you’re new to the Cayman Islands and looking for the best internet provider or just curious about the available options, here’s what to expect.
What’s Available in the Market? The three factors that people are most interested in when looking for internet service are speed, reliability, and cost, usually in that order. However, while some districts on Grand Cayman enjoy ultra-fast fibre optic connections, many Caymanians have to rely on slower DSL, coaxial cable, wireless, satellite and, in more remote areas, even dial-up connections. Cayman Islands internet speed is a very mixed bag.
While fibre optic internet is the gold standard, offering the highest speeds (500 Mbps or more) and best reliability, there is often an associated cost for the fastest home internet in Cayman. If you are not an avid online gaming family, or you’re in a household where there are not multiple people watching movies online at the same time, then a slower and cheaper DSL connection (up to 100Mbps) may be your answer. This is more than adequate for most households, although speed is heavily affected by your distance from the service provider’s hub. Meanwhile, affordable cable TV bundles (100Mbps or more) that also provide internet service are popular and fairly widespread but also have their drawbacks, particularly when everybody in the neighbourhood wants to use them at the same time. Latency issues can be a problem.
What’s Available at my House? This is a constantly changing landscape, and the availability of a service is dependent on the area you move to. Some, like densely populated areas of George Town and Seven Mile Beach, home to luxurious Caribbean property for sale, have plenty of internet connection choices, and all four providers are represented. Other areas, particularly less populated eastern and northern areas of Grand Cayman, have to accept what they are given. The easiest way to find the fastest and most reliable service at the most acceptable cost is to ask your neighbours for their experiences and not rely on what Cayman internet service providers say in their sales information, as the reality can often be different.
Are There Hidden Costs? Service bundles are offered by all four providers but need to be carefully looked at. You need to check whether there are caps on the total amount of data you download and if your internet habits can fit within them. Going over your data limit can result in a shock when payment is due. Some plans require you to separately rent a modem/router, the cost of which is not apparent until sign-up. Other deals are time-limited introductory offers that can be expensive once the introductory period is up. Again, talk to neighbours or building management if you’re part of a strata development and gather information based on actual experience before deciding.
