Local prepaid data in Guyana costs a fraction of what any travel eSIM charges, and the country now has three networks competing for it rather than the two most visitors expect. Digicel's seven-day Mega Data pack is 22 GB for GYD 2,000 before 14 percent VAT, One Communications sells 50 GB for thirty days at GYD 4,500, and ENet, the Guyanese newcomer with the only 5G network, was listed in mid-2026 at 80 GB for GYD 3,500. At roughly 209 Guyana dollars to the US dollar those come to about 11, 21.50 and 17 US dollars. The cheapest gigabyte on any eSIM sold for this country costs 2.25 dollars. What stands between you and the local price is a government photo ID at a counter, a starter SIM of around GYD 2,000, and a store to buy it in. At Cheddi Jagan airport only a Digicel kiosk has ever been reported, and it does not appear in the airport's own shop directory.
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Digicel, One Communications and ENet: Not the Duopoly You Read About
For most of the last twenty years a visitor had two choices here, and plenty of travel guides still say so. Digicel entered Guyana in 2007 when it bought U-Mobile, and it has grown into the largest operator, with the widest coverage along the coast and the best reputation once you head south to Lethem. One Communications is the rebranded GTT, Guyana Telephone and Telegraph, which spent decades as the country's protected incumbent until the 2016 Telecommunications Act took effect in October 2020 and opened the market. The ONE name went up on 6 September 2024.
The third option is the one visitors miss. ENet, formerly E-Networks, is a Guyanese company that already ran internet service and launched 4G and 5G mobile in July 2023. It is the only 5G operator in the country, it says it won Ookla's fastest-network award for Guyana in February 2026, and it prices data far below the other two. Its limitation is reach: Georgetown, the populated coast and Bartica, and not much beyond.
The GTT name has not quite gone away
Expect to see both names during a single trip. Stores carry ONE branding, but top-up vouchers, older signage, taxi drivers and the Airalo and Nomad eSIM listings still say GTT. They are the same company. One practical change is coming with the rebrand: One Communications is switching off its 2G network on 31 October 2026. If you carry a basic backup handset that only does 2G, it will stop working on that network, so check the phone before you bring it.
Since 10 February 2025 all three carriers support number portability, so a Guyanese number can move between them in a day or two. For a visitor that mostly means the market is competitive enough that promotions change often. Ask what is on before you pick a bundle.
What a Gigabyte Costs at the Counter and Online
Local prices below come from the carriers' own plan pages where they publish them, checked in September 2026, with ENet's from a mid-2026 local survey because its site did not load its price list for us. The US dollar column uses about GYD 209 to the dollar, the rate the Bank of Guyana has held within a narrow band for years.
| Plan | Price | About | What you get |
|---|---|---|---|
| Digicel 1 Day Prime | GYD 530 | $2.55 | 4 GB, 10 minutes, 10 texts |
| Digicel 3 Day Mega Data | GYD 950 | $4.55 | 9 GB, data only |
| Digicel 7 Day Mega Data | GYD 2,000 | $9.55 | 22 GB, data only |
| Digicel 30 Day Lite Mega Data | GYD 4,450 | $21.30 | 50 GB, data only |
| One Move 7 | GYD 2,250 | $10.75 | 25 GB plus unlimited calls and texts to One numbers |
| One Move 30 | GYD 4,500 | $21.50 | 50 GB, 100 off-net minutes, 200 texts |
| ENet Orange 30 Days | GYD 3,500 | $16.75 | 80 GB on 5G, reported June 2026 |
| Nomad eSIM | $35 | GYD 7,300 | 10 GB over 30 days |
| Airalo eSIM | $46 | GYD 9,600 | 10 GB over 30 days |
| Holafly eSIM | $59.90 | GYD 12,500 | Unlimited for 7 days, on Digicel |
Two adjustments before you compare. Digicel quotes its prices before the 14 percent VAT, so its seven-day pack costs nearer GYD 2,280 at the till and the monthly one nearer GYD 5,070. And none of the bundles include the SIM itself, which travellers report at around GYD 2,000 from a Digicel outlet. Even with both added, a first week on Digicel comes to roughly 20 US dollars for 22 GB and a SIM you keep. The cheapest comparable eSIM is 35 dollars for 10 GB.
One detail on Digicel's own plan page is worth checking at the counter if Guyana is one stop on a longer trip: it describes its upgraded Prime bundles as including roaming in Digicel's Caribbean markets and the USA. Ask exactly which countries and how much of the allowance applies abroad before you count on it.
Buying a Line in Georgetown: ID, Starter SIM and Short Codes
Digicel's support pages say a new or replacement SIM requires a government-issued photo ID at a dealer store, listing the national ID card, a passport or a driving licence. For a visitor that means the passport itself. The larger stores do the registration in five to ten minutes when there is no queue, and the Saturday rush at the city stores is the time to avoid.
The Digicel main store is on Church Street, a short walk from Stabroek Market. One Communications runs its flagship on Brickdam. Both carriers have counters in the malls, including Giftland Mall and MovieTowne on the eastern edge of the city, which have parking and air conditioning and suit anyone arriving by taxi. ENet has its own Georgetown stores. Pharmacies, supermarkets, gas stations and roadside stalls sell top-up vouchers everywhere on the coast, but not new registered lines.
From counter to working data
1. Bring the passport and a phone you know is unlocked, because a carrier-locked handset is the most common reason the purchase fails.
2. Pay for the starter SIM in Guyana dollars. US notes are sometimes accepted but the rate you get will be worse.
3. Buy the bundle by name. On Digicel dial *136# or use the MyDigicel app; on One Communications dial *663#, which spells ONE, and pick the Move menu.
4. Check it took: on Digicel *120# shows credit and *123# shows data.
5. Save the carrier app while you still have a connection, so later top-ups can be done by card from anywhere with signal.
If you want the local price without a plastic card, all three carriers now sell eSIMs of their own. Digicel sells a new-customer eSIM with 3 days and 4 GB for GYD 2,092.90 on its website, and dealer stores have been reported charging around GYD 3,000 for a standard eSIM. One Communications can email an eSIM QR code within 24 to 48 hours of payment, which is fine for a long stay but no help on the day you land.
Topping up from abroad also works: Digicel's own top-up site takes international cards, which is handy if a colleague in Georgetown needs more data on a line you bought for them.
Matching the Network to Where You Are Going
The right carrier depends almost entirely on how far from the capital you travel, and the answer is different for each part of the country.
Georgetown and the East Bank only. ENet is the value pick. 80 GB for a month at around GYD 3,500 is the cheapest data in the country, it is the only network with 5G, and a short business trip that never goes further than the hotel, the ministries on Main Street and the offices in Kingston will not find its limits. Its coverage thins quickly once you leave the coast.
The coast, Linden and Bartica. Digicel or One Communications. Both cover the Essequibo Coast, the Berbice and Corentyne villages and the bauxite town of Linden, and the choice between them comes down to whose bundle suits you. One Move plans include unlimited calls to other One numbers, which helps if your driver or guide is on One.
The Rupununi and the road south. Digicel first, One Communications second. Digicel launched LTE in Lethem in August 2022 and markets itself as the network of choice in the region. One Communications has since upgraded Lethem, Annai and the Kurupukari river crossing to 4G as part of a 35-site programme, and has also brought 4G to Mabaruma and Port Kaituma in Region 1. Between those points, expect nothing.
Two SIMs for a split itinerary
Because starter SIMs and bundles cost so little, a common setup for a trip that combines the capital with the interior is two lines: an ENet SIM for fast, cheap data while in Georgetown, and a Digicel SIM for the drive or flight south. A phone that takes one physical SIM plus an eSIM handles this neatly, and number portability means you can move a number later if one network disappoints. Sort both before leaving the city, because nobody will be selling registered SIMs at a savannah airstrip.
Kaieteur, Iwokrama and the Lodges Where No SIM Helps
About nine in ten Guyanese live on the coastal belt, and the mobile network is built for them. Most of the land area is rainforest and savannah with small, widely spaced villages, and that is exactly where most visitors are going.
Kaieteur Falls is usually a day trip by light aircraft from Ogle, the Eugene F. Correia airport on Georgetown's East Coast, with tours from about 270 US dollars and a flight of around an hour. Signal at the Kaieteur camp is intermittent at best, so assume the day is offline and post from Georgetown that evening. Operators often need nine to twelve passengers before a flight goes, so a trip can slip a day, which is a good reason to have data in the capital to rebook.
The road to Lethem runs south from Linden through the forest, crosses the Essequibo by pontoon at Kurupukari, passes the Iwokrama reserve and the Atta canopy walkway, then comes out onto the savannah at Annai. Kurupukari and Annai now have 4G. The forest between them does not, and the stretch around the canopy walkway is where most travellers lose signal for good. Iwokrama River Lodge lists its WiFi as limited, which is an honest description of most lodges in the region.
Starlink has changed what lodges can offer
Starlink launched in Guyana in April 2025, priced at GYD 7,400 a month for Residential Lite and GYD 11,000 for standard Residential when it opened. For a lodge that previously had a slow satellite link or nothing, that is a transformation, and a growing number of interior properties have installed a dish. Coverage by dish is not the same as coverage for guests, though: some lodges limit it to evenings, some keep it for bookings and emergencies, and some deliberately stay unplugged. Ask three questions before you book: whether there is Starlink, whether guests can use it, and at what hours.
Some places have no connection of any kind. Shell Beach on the Region 1 coast, where sea turtles nest, the Mount Roraima trek and river journeys beyond the main towns are all off-grid. A satellite messenger is the only reliable way to reach anyone from there, and your tour operator or lodge will usually have a satellite phone for emergencies. Tell family at home which days you will be out of contact.
Counter or QR Code: Choosing for Your Trip
The price gap is large enough that the eSIM needs a specific reason to win here. Some trips have one.
Buy a Guyanese SIM when
Buy an eSIM when
The eSIM also works well as a bridge. A small plan covers the ride from Timehri, the first evening and the morning in town until you reach a counter, then the local line takes over. The Guyana eSIM guide compares all three providers' verified prices, the Cheddi Jagan airport guide covers what the arrivals hall does and does not sell, and the eSIM Finder will size a plan for your dates. If you are weighing unlimited data on Digicel, read the Holafly review first, because its price rises steeply after five days.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is GTT the same company as One Communications?
Yes. Guyana Telephone and Telegraph renamed itself One Communications on 6 September 2024, and the network, towers and customers carried straight over. You will still see GTT on top-up vouchers, older shop signs and the Airalo and Nomad eSIM listings. When you buy a line, look for ONE branding and dial *663#, which spells ONE, to choose a Move plan.
What does a month of mobile data cost on a Guyanese prepaid line?
Between about 17 and 25 US dollars for a very large allowance. One Communications' Move 30 is 50 GB for GYD 4,500, Digicel's 30 Day Lite Mega Data is 50 GB for GYD 4,450 plus 14 percent VAT, and ENet's Orange 30 Days plan was listed in mid-2026 at 80 GB for GYD 3,500. Add a starter SIM of roughly GYD 2,000. The closest eSIM, Nomad's 20 GB for thirty days, costs 45 dollars.
Which documents does a Georgetown phone store ask a visitor for?
A government-issued photo ID, which for a foreign visitor means your passport. Digicel's own support pages list a national ID, passport or driving licence as acceptable for buying or replacing a SIM. Bring the physical passport rather than a photo of it, and bring a phone that is unlocked, since the store cannot fix a carrier lock for you.
Is an ENet SIM any use if I am heading to the Rupununi?
Only for the Georgetown part of the trip. ENet has the cheapest data and the country's only 5G network, but its coverage is concentrated in the capital, the populated coast and Bartica. For Lethem, Annai and the road south, Digicel is the stronger network, with One Communications behind it after its 4G upgrades at Lethem, Annai and Kurupukari. Plenty of visitors carry an ENet line for the city and a Digicel line for the interior.
Can I get online at a Rupununi or Iwokrama lodge without any phone signal?
Often, but only through the lodge. Since Starlink launched in Guyana in April 2025 many interior properties have added a dish, while others still have a slow satellite link, limited hours or nothing by choice. Iwokrama River Lodge, for example, describes its WiFi as limited. Ask before booking whether guests can use the connection and when, and plan for at least some days with no contact.