The Republic of Peru is a representative democracy counting around 32 million citizens. The country has battled poverty and corruption in the past, but over the last few years has managed to sustain development and close the gap between other Latin American countries. This sentiment is mirrored in the way that Peru handles its internet. For a long time the country relied on dial-up technology and even that was only available in cities, yet the government has invested enough resources to drastically increase internet penetration and made broadband connections more widespread. The country has its ups and downs when it comes to censorship but the authorities don’t use underhanded methods to spy on people or restrict their right to free speech.
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Peru has an internet penetration rate of 56%, which is slightly above the average when compared to other Latin American countries. Nevertheless, the nation has shown signs of rapid improvement in this area, with the government supporting the idea of competition among ISPs. In recent years internet cafes and public Wi-Fi hotspots have been booming in the larger cities and it’s become common practice in three-star hotels and above to set up a router in every room.
When roaming the streets of cities and larger towns you’ll no doubt come across internet booths, something every couch surfer should visit while in Peru. Frequented by both locals and tourists, internet booths offer access to a computer just like internet cafes but for a budget-friendly price. For $1 an hour, visitors can make use of a unique browsing experience, call their family on Skype, print, scan or watch a quick stream.
Though political espionage and surveillance of opposition figures was common in the past, Peru is now a country that respects the internet user’s privacy. However, its congress is a place of constant battles, and privacy rights aren’t often a priority. In December 2010, Peru’s largest ISP, Telefónia del Perú, introduced a general bandwidth limit that restricted the connection speeds of those who reached the end of their monthly quota. In this case the government has intervened and created a policy that prevents ISPs from limiting their subscribers.
In 2013, however, the congress greenlit a new cyber criminal law in an effort to reduce illegal data access. The bill was heavily criticized for being vague and putting too much power into the hands of authorities, as law enforcement forces are able to monitor the online activity of certain individuals more closely. Nevertheless, digital surveillance still requires written permission from a judge.
The government of Peru supports internet freedom to a degree. Although the country has its fair share of scandals regarding corruption, the OpenNet Initiative hasn’t found signs of data filtering or statewide surveillance, meaning that the citizens of the country are free to express their thoughts without consequence. Law enforcement forces may initiate monitoring of someone’s emails or chat room activity but they first need proper authorization from a legal body. The most likely hindrance to speaking your mind comes from either self-censorship or the lack of infrastructure to do so.
Despite enjoying free speech, a VPN is still good to have available, especially if you are a blogger or journalist in Peru. Since foreign countries often block access if you are using a different IP, rerouting your traffic through a local server can open up a broader library of content from all over the world.
Streaming is swiftly gaining popularity in Peru, but a seamless experience can only be found in the capital city otherwise you’ll need to prepare to see the buffering icon a lot. As it stands now, at least 4MB/s is required to run videos smoothly, which is quite a tall order in the rural villages and smaller towns. Currently there are three popular streaming platforms in the country: Netflix, Claro Video, and Viki TV. The first one doesn’t require an introduction, but Claro Video is a Brazil-based service targeting a Latin American audience with exclusive series while Viki TV is responsible for distributing foreign soap operas in the region.
Each of these streaming sites are available on smartphones after downloading a free app, but the chances are high that the Peruvian audience won’t be able to access this video library if they travel abroad. To avoid missing out on the latest episode of a favorite series, it’s a good idea to subscribe to a VPN provider who has established servers in Peru.
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