Local, domestic and international calls
Phone numbers in the City of Buenos Aires are made up of 8 digits. Local calls do not require any prefix, except in the case of mobile phones (made up of the prefix 15 and 8 digits). For calls to other parts of the country, callers must dial 0, the relevant area code and, then, the local number. For international calls, callers must dial 00 before the international phone number. People wishing to call a City of Buenos Aires number from abroad must dial +5411 (for landline phones) or +54911 (for mobile phones) before the local number.
Mobile voice and data services
Telecommunication services coverage is excellent in the main areas of the City of Buenos Aires, the suburban area, provincial capitals and Argentina's main urban centres, but service is limited in more remote locations.
Local phone services are reliable and GSM, 3G and 4G mobile networks are available. Most modern mobile phones can operate in various locations and roaming services are available in different networks.
Most GSM phones used in Argentina admit the following protocols: 2G (EDGE, GSM/GPRS): 850/1900 MHz 3G (HSPA+, UMTS/WCDMA): 850/1900 MHz 4G (LTE): LTE 700(28)/LTE 1700(4)/LTE 2100(4)
For mobile phones with a system compatible with that used in Argentina, a PREPAID service SIM Card may be purchased and used upon arrival. These SIM cards, which provide a local phone number and a given number of minutes of service, may be purchased at mobile phone service provider stores and other points of sale, with the logo of the service provider.
For 2G and 3G, the phone must support the two frequencies, 850 and 1900. This is necessary in order to ensure connectivity to any antenna in the country.
For 4G, the phone must support at least band 4 (LTE 1700-2100) as it is the most used band in urban areas.
Mobile network operators
There are three mobile network providers in Argentina which provide high-speed (4G) services.
CLARO
www.claro.com.ar
Phone: 0800 122 1000
TELEFÓNICA MOVISTAR
www.movistar.com.ar
Phone: 0800 321 0611
TELECOM PERSONAL
www.personal.com.ar
Phone: 0800 444 0800
Internet cafés
All the neighbourhoods in the City have internet cafés, which are shops offering telephone and internet services. Calls are charged by destination and duration, whereas internet is charged by 15-minute intervals in most shops.