Island in Irkutsk Oblast, Russia
Internet in Olkhon Island: speed, SIM cards and coworking
Is the internet good in Olkhon Island?
Café wifi in Khuzhir is slow and unreliable; mobile data works near Khuzhir but is patchy elsewhere. Not suited to remote work.
Getting online in Olkhon Island
| Details | |
|---|---|
| Home fibre | Few guesthouses have wifi; satellite or radio links are slow. No fibre on most of the island. |
| Cafés and coworking | Café wifi in Khuzhir is slow and unreliable; mobile data works near Khuzhir but is patchy elsewhere. Not suited to remote work. |
| Outages | Frequent power and mobile outages |
| Tourist SIM | Local SIMs need your passport and biometric checks, and can take up to two weeks. Roaming SIMs lose data for hours or days on arrival. |
| Carriers | MTS, MegaFon, Beeline, T2 |
| Monthly data plan | ₽500–900 ($6.0–10.8) |
| Blocked services | Instagram, Facebook, X and LinkedIn are blocked, YouTube is throttled, and WhatsApp and Telegram calls are restricted. Regional mobile internet shutdowns are common. Many VPNs are blocked. |
Coworking in Olkhon Island
There's no dedicated coworking scene here; people work from cafés and accommodation.
Internet speeds in Europe
National medians, Speedtest Global Index.
| Country | Fixed | Mobile |
|---|---|---|
| France | 332 Mbps | 133 Mbps |
| Iceland | 283 Mbps | — |
| Switzerland | 281 Mbps | 120 Mbps |
| Denmark | 278 Mbps | 161 Mbps |
| Romania | 276 Mbps | 83 Mbps |
| Hungary | 271 Mbps | 94 Mbps |
| Spain | 263 Mbps | 84 Mbps |
| Portugal | 252 Mbps | 128 Mbps |
| Andorra | 244 Mbps | — |
| Netherlands | 226 Mbps | 158 Mbps |
| Luxembourg | 221 Mbps | 173 Mbps |
| Poland | 215 Mbps | 109 Mbps |
Quick answers
Is the internet fast in Olkhon Island?
Café wifi in Khuzhir is slow and unreliable; mobile data works near Khuzhir but is patchy elsewhere. Not suited to remote work.
Which SIM card should I get in Olkhon Island?
Local SIMs need your passport and biometric checks, and can take up to two weeks. Roaming SIMs lose data for hours or days on arrival.
More about Olkhon Island
Going to Olkhon Island solo?
SoloSquare is where travelers, nomads and locals in Olkhon Island meet up for small plans: coffee, dinners, walks and day trips. Join one, or start your own in a minute.
Sources
- Speedtest Global Index: Russia
- MTS
- MegaFon
- Beeline
- T2
- Irkutsk International Airport
- Russian unified e-visa portal
Speeds are medians from Ookla's Speedtest Global Index, cited for reference. Compiled and reviewed by SoloSquare. How we compile and score this. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.