Lao Telecom Review – Steady Performance & Good Prices

Lao Telecom is one of the biggest operators in Laos with a market share of 50% according to an article from 2019. LaoTel is a joint venture between the government of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic (51%) and Shenington Investments (49%) for an initial period of 25 years.

Lao Telecom offers 2G, 3G, 4G, and 5G services in Laos. The 5G coverage is very limited and should be considered more as a trial than a real commercial deployment.

How to buy a Lao Telecom SIM Card?

Buying a prepaid SIM card is not a complicated process, but if you are visiting Laos for a few days / weeks, why don’t you avoid the trouble and pre-order your SIM Card with us? Pay online and have the SIM Card delivered to your hotel door before your arrival.

If you rather buy an LTC SIM Card yourself, Lao Telecom main office is located in Saylom Road. The customer center is open from Monday to Friday from 8AM to 5PM and on Saturday from 8AM to 3PM.

If you decide to go and purchase your local SIM Card by yourself, it is important to know that there are two types of SIM cards. Data SIM and Standard SIM. Data SIM are made for mobile hotspot devices or data cards. These SIM Cards cannot receive or emit calls or SMS. If you are looking for a Voice + Internet SIM card, please mention it to the shop.

If you fancy a nice number, you can buy it online on the Lao Telecom shop.

Can I use an eSIM with Lao Telecom?

What is an eSIM?

Lao Telecom does support eSIM. If your phone supports it, you can go to Lao Telecom Customer Care in Saylom Road or in Nam Phu and ask for an eSIM. The process is fairly easy, do not forget to bring your passport with you. After registering at the counter, you will have to scan a QR code to start using the service.

LaoTel eSIM service is compatible with eSIM with Iphone XS, Iphone XS max, Iphone XR, Iphone10, Iphone11, google pixel 3-4-5, Samsung Galaxy S9, S9 + version 12.1.2 or later.

If you already have a regular SIM from Lao Telecom and you like to move to an eSIM, it is possible and free of charge. Just visit LTC customer service with your ID and an agent will take care of it for you.

Is Lao Telecom network affordable?

You can top-up your Lao Telecom prepaid SIM cards almost everywhere in Laos. Look for the Lao Telecom sign in front of the small shops. The mini marts are also a good place to buy top-up. They have both top-up scratch cards or e-topup (electronic top-up) so you can even ask someone to top up for you remotely.

If you have a BCEL bank account and use BCEL One Pay, you can also top up your phone directly from the mobile application.

Price-wise, the mobile operators in Laos are all very close. The prices are regulated and they all rely on promotions to catch subscribers from the competition. Most of the Lao people have multiple SIM Cards with multiple operators.

The domestic call rate with Lao Telecom is fixed no matter your network. It will cost you 800 LAK ($0.05) per minute. Sending an SMS to a Lao Telecom number will cost you 100 LAK ($0.006). Sending an SMS to another network in Laos will cost you 200 LAK ($0.012).

If you are planning to use mobile Internet, Lao Telecom offers volume-based data packages. These packages are limited in volume, but the quota is very large. Depending on which package you choose, you will pay between $0.08 to $0.15 for 1 GB of data. Packages validity range from for 10 days to 30 days.

Is LTC blocking or throttling internet services?

It is quite common for mobile operators to throttle instant messaging such as WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger. The main reason for this is that it impacts the operator voice business, as most of the calls are passed through these platforms instead of using the traditional voice network.

Lao Telecom is not one of these. The Lao mobile operator does not throttle any instant messaging app. None of the other operators in Laos do that either. Laos is one of the last countries that really respect net neutrality. For the time being, at least.

Can I watch Netflix with LTC?

Netflix is available in Laos, there is no problem watching Netflix with your mobile internet or home broadband service. If you are using your mobile, the service quality will depend on your mobile coverage. The Netflix catalog in Laos is not as great as the catalog in the US or Europe, so you may want to use a VPN to connect to Netflix US and access a largest choice of movies and TV shows.

Is Lao Telecom mobile data fast enough for streaming?

Lao Telecom runs a 4G network, which supports speeds of 15mbps on average. This is more than enough to stream in High Definition. With LTC Laos, you can watch Youtube HD, Instagram Videos, Tiktok, or Hulu without any issue as long as you stay under strong coverage.

You can find the average speed of each telecom operator in Laos by visiting the Ookla website. Unfortunately, there is no breakdown per technology, it is a blend of mobile and fixed Internet speed.

Useful USSD codes for Lao Telecom

How to check your balance with LTC: dial *122#
How to find your number with LTC: dial *110#
How to check your data package balance with LTC: dial *122#

LaoTel Fiber to the Home – FTTH

If you plan to stay in Laos for a while, you may want to subscribe to Fiber to the Home. LTC FTTH is available in the main cities in Laos. The big advantage of fiber to the home compared to 4G is the latency (important for gamers) and the unlimited volume, which means you will be able to stream as much as you like without limitation.

Lao Telecom FTTH is not the cheapest in Laos, it will cost you around $29 per month for 10Mbps Speed. This speed is sufficient for a household of 2 people with 3-4 connected devices.

How to contact Lao Telecom?

LTC hotline is available in Lao and English, you can contact them by dialing 101.
You can also contact them on the website chat box. The chat applet is a bit old and rubbish, but the customer team is reactive.