Determining whether there is suitable wifi for remote workers in Istanbul is an important consideration for anyone looking to travel here. Thankfully, Istanbul enjoys a good communications infrastructure and internet connectivity is ready available across the city. There have been reports from other remote workers here about spotty connections and slow speeds during peak hours, although this depends greatly on internet providers and other factors.

In general, speeds in Istanbul are the fastest in Turkey at around 25-30 Mbps down and 9 mbps up. Around the city you’ll also find lots of places to connect and access secure networks in great environments where you can get some work done.

Without a doubt, the city’s cafes will be some of the best places to find great wifi for remote workers in Istanbul. These spaces are extremely laptop-friendly and are usually bustling with locals and foreigners enjoying a cup of traditional coffee at all times of the day. Cafes are a central part of Turkish culture, so these will be easy to find across the city and you can always count on the coffee served to be some of the very best. Certain cafes in areas popular with foreigners have gone a step further to curate spaces which are particularly welcoming to remote workers - natural light, striking designs and fast wifi define some of these special cafes. These spaces will naturally also be excellent spaces to meet other remote workers and even mix with locals.

Some of the most popular cafes with wifi for remote workers in Istanbul include TIYOP, Federal Coffee and Story Coffee Moda.

If you are looking for superfast wifi for remote workers in Istanbul, then any of the coworking spaces in the city will be excellent for you. These spaces have purpose-built infrastructure which provides dedicated and secure connections to members. Speeds here will be much higher and meant to support professional work by developers and others who rely on stable connections.

Several coliving spaces across the city will also provide good wifi to remote workers in Istanbul, as well as great places to actually work from. Both coworking and coliving spaces in Istanbul are fantastic beyond the fact they provide good wifi - these will also offer valuable networking opportunities and give remote workers the chance to meet other slow travelers as well as locals interested in exchanging language and culture. Some of the most popular coworking spaces in Istanbul include Kolektif House, Atolye and Impact Hub Istanbul.

Across the city you will also find public wifi networks providing convenient connectivity wherever you are. The city has in recent years funded a number of projects aimed at democratizing access to wifi across town, making Istanbul an increasingly digital city with countless hotspots around. Parks, government buildings, major touristic attractions and other public spaces are all wifi-enabled with the “IBB WiFi” network. Taksim Square, Kadıköy Square and several other squares around Fatih are all major wifi hotspots also. The city’s public transport, including metrobuses, buses and some ferryboat services are also within the scope of coverage. Anyone can access the “IBB WiFi” network, which allows for up to 1GB of usage per day at 2 Mbps of speed.

Certainly, it will be important to have great connectivity in your apartment and your phone. In line with this, it is always a good idea to get a speed test from your prospective landlord before signing any contracts, so that you can ensure that speeds are appropriate for your remote job. Turk Telekom is reported to provide the best fixed broadband and wifi for remote workers in Istanbul and it should be fairly easy to determine whether prospective apartments have this type of connection. Turkcell and Vodafone also provide home broadband services, but visitors should keep in mind that non-Turkish citizens will find it difficult to contract any home utilities themselves. When it comes to mobile data, finding a SIM is easy - you can get one with your passport at official stores around the city and at the airport with your passport. Costs for a month of 5GB data average at around 55TRY and Turkcell and Vodafone are popular providers.

For more information about living in Istanbul as a remote worker, check out our complete Istanbul guide.