Internet Access -- Nearly every hotel in Chile has an Internet station, but if for some reason they don't, cybercafes are commonplace and clustered around all commercial areas in every city's downtown area. Mid-range and upscale hotel guest rooms have dataports, and more and more frequently hotels, cafes, and retailers are signing on as Wi-Fi (wireless fidelity) "hot spots." The Santiago airport has Internet kiosks scattered throughout their gates for a per-minute fee.
Cellphones -- Chile's two largest phone companies Entel and Telefónica operate on a GSM 1900 MHZ frequency. Any dual or multiband GSM cellphone will work in Chile, but you'll pay expensive roaming rates; check with your cellphone company before leaving. (In the U.S., T-Mobile and AT&T/Cingular use this quasi-universal system; in Canada, Microcell and some Rogers customers are GSM.)
If your cellphone does not have this capability, you can rent a phone, either before you leave home or upon arrival in Chile. Pre-departure, North Americans can rent a phone from InTouch USA (tel. 800/872-7626; www.intouchglobal.com) or RoadPost (tel. 888/290-1606 or 905/272-5665; www.roadpost.com). InTouch will also, for free, advise you on whether your existing phone will work overseas; simply call tel. 703/222-7161 between 9am and 4pm EST, or go to http://intouchglobal.com/travel.htm.
In Chile, you can rent a phone at the Entel or Telefónica kiosks located on the arrival level at the Santiago airport and insert your own SIM card; you'll still pay regular roaming rates. Considering that Entel and Telefónica earn money when you dial using roaming rates, they do not rent phones with prepaid calling cards, however they do sell phones for as low as $55 (£28), which includes a calling card with $19 (£9.50) in calls. Local calls average 52¢ (26p) using calling cards and receiving calls is free, however this option does not allow you to dial internationally. Both kiosks at the airport can be found in the arrival level, and are open daily from 6am to 9pm.
