Country code: 593. Public phone boxes are scarce at present, but telephone offices can be found everywhere and are cheaper. Also, cellular public phones can be used with a pre-paid card.

Roaming agreements exist with one international mobile phone company. Coverage is variable.

Internet access is broadly available, especially in Quito where there are a number of Internet cafes.

Airmail to Europe and the USA takes anything from a week to a month, while incoming deliveries are even less certain.

Post office hours: Mon-Fri 0800-1900, Sat 0800-1200. Shorter hours are likely in rural areas.

Under the Ecuadorian Constitution, journalists are given freedom of speech. However, the seizure of three private TV journalists and one radio journalist by the government in July 2008 prompted many concerns. Defamation in Ecuador is punishable by prison sentences of up to three years. By law, the government is given free air time on radio and TV.

• Dailies include El Comercio, El Tiempo and La Hora, with regional editions.
• Hoy, El Telégrafo and El Universo, based in Guayaquil.
• There are two English-language newspapers, Inside Ecuador and Q, though both are published irregularly.
• International newspapers and magazines are available at international airports, main post offices and in some bookshops.

• TC Television is the national, commercial station.
• Other stations include Ecuavisa, Gamavision, ETV Telerama and Teleamazonas.

• Radio Sucre provides news and information, Cadena Radial Ecuatoriana (CRE) is a Guayaquil-based commercial network and Radio Nacional del Ecuador is government owned.
• Radio Centro is privately owned.