Looking to stay a month, need reliable internet

[BoltSnap]

I'm looking for places to stay in either Key Largo or Curacao for a month in Feb to March 2026. I need good internet access because I'm a therapist and going to do telehealth with clients part of each day and I can't miss appointments.

Are you going to be using a "Zoom" like solution or proprietary software? You need to find out the internet connection requirements first before you can make an informed decision here. Anyone would tell you that their internet service is great, but they are thinking of internet browsing, WhatsApp, etc., and not thinking of more specialized applications that may require higher-capacity and quality of service for your app to work well and meet your requirements.

 

[nldunn]

This is an expensive, almost certainly unnecessary solution. Fiber optic connections are all over the island. Just need to check with the housing unit.

I was worried that I hotels would tell me that OF COURSE we have good internet and then it would be a mess!! So I thought I'd ask if anyone had any experience with this. Thank you.

 

[nldunn]

But if she is considering doing this anything more than occasionally, and wants to consider increasingly remote locations...

Dream big, don't be such a crumudgeon.

Now that sounds good to me!!!!

 

[nldunn]

Are you going to be using a "Zoom" like solution or proprietary software? You need to find out the internet connection requirements first before you can make an informed decision here. Anyone would tell you that their internet service is great, but they are thinking of internet browsing, WhatsApp, etc., and not thinking of more specialized applications that may require higher-capacity and quality of service for your app to work well and meet your requirements.

Yes, I use Simple Practice and it takes a really good internet solution or it fails. It is HIPAA compliant so I have to use it. Thank you for bringing that up.

 

[Divin'Papaw]

Yes, I use Simple Practice and it takes a really good internet solution or it fails. It is HIPAA compliant so I have to use it. Thank you for bringing that up.

Does the software vendor publish required network connection specs? If so, you may want to have those in hand and verify against potential rentals. I'm thinking specs such as download mbps, upload mbps, and latency (often called a ping test).

An app like Speedtest will measure these specs for a given connection and even shows graphically if the connection is good for browsing, gaming, streaming, and video calling. You could request the owner/manager of the property provide you with the Speedtest specs run from the actual unit you will be using. You will want them to run the test connecting to a server or site in the same geographic area as where the Simple Practice servers are located.

 

[Divin'Papaw]

https://support.simplepractice.com/hc/en-us/articles/19032200477837-Optimizing-your-internet-connection-for-SimplePractice

I found this online about Simple Practice. Above is a great article for you to review. These specs are pretty modest. I would think you could find multiple options that can offer even 2-3x these requirements if not even faster.

I also see that they have a connection test within the application itself. I would recommend you run that immediately from the unit upon arrival and make sure everything is satisfactory.

• Mbps download measures how quickly information can be sent from other websites or computers to yours
  • You’ll need a download speed of 10 Mbps (megabits per second) or higher
• Mbps upload measures how quickly information can be sent from your computer to another
  • You’ll need an upload speed of 10 Mbps (megabits per second) or higher
• Latencymeasures the roundtrip time it takes for information to be sent between two computers
  • We recommend connections with a latency of 300 milliseconds or lower

 

[therookie]

I need good internet access because I'm a therapist and going to do telehealth with clients part of each day and I can't miss appointments.

Something else to consider for working remotely from an island - are power outages (even brief ones) frequent on Curacao? That's a "weakest link" sometimes overlooked when thinking of that kind of work situation. Fiberoptic connections are preferable from that standpoint but you need accomodation with a backup power system (for the routers / modems and potentially your laptop) that kicks in with only milliseconds delay or your connection could drop right in the middle of a session with a client, which could be very problematic for you. For me here in Honduras sometimes it feels like the local power company knows when I have an important meeting schedule and drops the power grid in my area a minute or two before it is supposed to start...

This is at least partly why Starlink is becoming more and more popular for permanent residents on Roatan and also gaining market share in mainland Honduras. Power outages here are usually a weekly occurrence, and at certain times of the year several times per week is not uncommon. Curaco may have better infrastructure than Honduras does, but thought I should mention it.

 

[BoltSnap]

app like Speedtest

Are you referring to one specific app or Speed testing apps in general?

This one specifically: Speedtest by Ookla - The Global Broadband Speed Test ?

 

[Divin'Papaw]

Are you referring to one specific app or Speed testing apps in general?

This one specifically: Speedtest by Ookla - The Global Broadband Speed Test ?

There are others, but that is the one I typically use.

 

[BoltSnap]

There are others, but that is the one I typically use.

Yes, that's the one I normally use too, in addition to the local ISP.