Three operators share the island: my.t (Mauritius Telecom, the best overall coverage), Emtel (excellent in tourist areas, often the fastest 5G) and MTML's CHILI (the cheapest). All sell tourist packs at the airport, at counters right after customs, open for flight arrivals: passport, five minutes of formalities, and you're connected before you even reach the taxi. Expect Rs 400 – 700 for a SIM pack with 10 to 30 GB valid 14 to 30 days, local calls included.
The eSIM is even simpler if your phone supports it: Emtel and my.t offer online or in-store activation, and international platforms (Airalo, Holafly) sell Mauritius plans from 4 – 5 € for 3 GB — handy for being reachable on landing, less good value per gigabyte than local packs. The smart play: an international eSIM for the first 24 hours, then a local SIM if you stay more than a week. Passport registration is compulsory for any Mauritian SIM; it's the law.
4G coverage nears 99% of inhabited territory, and 5G is spreading across the north, the plateau and the hotel zones — you'll often get better speeds on Trou aux Biches beach than in Paris. The only dead zones: the heart of the Black River Gorges and a few wild South coves. Download offline maps before hiking. Free wifi, meanwhile, is everywhere: hotels, cafés, malls, and the national programme's public hotspots in gardens and stations — fine for emails, not for video calls.
For digital nomads, the case is closed: Mauritius offers a free Premium Travel Visa allowing remote work on the island for up to a year, fibre equips most holiday rentals (my.t plans from Rs 749/month for 10 Mbps, far beyond in urban areas) and coworking spaces are blooming between Grand Baie, Tamarin and Ébène. Local tip: top up your prepaid SIM in any village shop or via the operator's app — and if the shopkeeper offers you « enn ti top-up spesial », it's usually a genuine deal of the day, not a scam.