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When you stay a bit longer in one place – basically when you are a traveler, not tourist – internet cafe’s tend to lose their appeal to surf the internet. The disadvantages are many
- you have basically shared bandwidth, therefore slower connection
- they tend to be more expensive than own dedicated access (of course; they have a whole infrastructure and staff to pay for)
- it can be noisy, if many people are around or some kids play shooter games
- it’s not very private, if you want to “Skype” someone, on top of that you disturb the people around you
- mainly, only WWW/Mail is available, other services like FTP, Skype, USB Ports can be restricted
- you don’t know what malicious software is running on their PC’s, can be anything from viruses, trojans, keyloggers, other log software
You surely can go every other morning with your own laptop to a wireless hotzone and log in, thus avoiding the more security-related concerns of public internet access.
But then – why not getting your own access, in the place you live? What options has Bali to offer here?
So far 4 providers are visible to me, Telkom (with their dial-up and Speedy Offers), IndoSatM2, GlobalXtreme and Blueline. Some of these providers offer more services country-wide, not all of them are yet available in Bali (i.e. Indosat Cable). A good overview of internet technologies used in Indonesia can be found here. Not all of those services are available in Bali though.
Here is a roundup of the available services, features, prices and differences in Bali (as of 01/2007), if you don’t want to read everything, recommendations can be found below the tables:
Telkom Instan
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Website |
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Technology |
Modem Dial-up |
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Bandwidth |
up to 56 kbps |
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Pricing |
weekdays Rp 9.000/hour, weekend/public holidays Rp 6.000/hour (actual prices are billed per minute) |
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Pro’s |
– no registration needed – billed via your phone bill – can be dialed from any laptop with inbuilt modem – just dial number 0809/89999 with your modem, Account telkomnet@instan, Password: telkom |
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Con’s |
– need telephone line – only dial-up speed – expensive hourly price for power users |
Telkom Speedy
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Website |
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Technology |
ADSL, volume-based pricing |
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Bandwidth |
64/384 kbps (up/down) |
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Pricing |
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Pro’s |
– in general fast speed – competitive pricing compared to Blueline or GlobalXtreme – can use a wide range of cheap 3rd party or own ADSL equipment |
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Con’s |
– need analogue telephone line to set up (your telephone number must start with 7 not 8!) – not available everywhere on the island – bandwidth is not guaranteed, you share bandwidth with other users in your area – speed can go down, as more subscribers are signed up |
IndosatM2 Dial-up
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Website |
http://www.indosatm2.com/index.php/…/internetdialup/en |
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Technology |
Modem Dial-up |
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Bandwidth |
up to 56 kbps |
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Pricing |
Internet Dial Up Subscription Fee (in Rupiah) Dial Up Personal
Dial Up Package
Note:
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Pro’s |
– can be dialed from any laptop with inbuilt modem – attractive Package Pricing deals – much lower prices than Telkom Dial-up (as low as Rp 2.500/hour!) |
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Con’s |
– need telephone line – registration needed – only dial-up speed |
IndosatM2 Hotzone/Hotspot
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Website |
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Technology |
2.4 GHz Wireless, hour/time-based |
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Bandwidth |
up to 256 kbps |
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Pricing |
One-time Equipment Fee: Rp 2.300.000 Registration Fee: Rp 45.000 Recurring Costs: Monthly Fee Rp 25.000 Hourly Charge Rp. 9.500 Note:
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Pro’s |
– higher wireless speed than GlobalXtreme – offer hotspots around the tourist areas, where you can login with your account as well – lowest per-hour-cost for broadband internet |
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Con’s |
– need expensive extra equipment, which drives the initial prices/one time fees very high – not available everywhere |
GlobalXtreme Wireless
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Website |
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Technology |
2.4 GHz Wireless, hour/time-based |
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Bandwidth |
32/64/128 kbps |
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Pricing |
W-LAN Dial on Demand Setup Fee/One Time Fee Rp 2.500.000 W-LAN Dedicated 32 kbps Setup Fee Rp 2.500.000 W-LAN Dedicated 64 kbps Setup Fee Rp 4.500.000 W-LAN Dedicated 128 kbps Setup Fee Rp 8.500.000 Recurring Costs: 32 kbps – Basic 50 hours Rp 280.000 – Basic 100 hours Rp 480.000 – Overtime/hour Rp 6.420 64 kbps – Basic 50 hours Rp 480.000 – Basic 100 hours Rp 800.000 – Overtime/hour Rp 11.220 128 kbps – Basic 50 hours Rp 800.000 – Basic 100 hours Rp 1.280.000 – Overtime/hour Rp 19.200 |
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Pro’s |
– offer hotspots around the tourist areas, where you can login with your account as well |
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Con’s |
– need expensive extra equipment, which drives the initial prices/one time fees very high – not available everywhere (only around 5 km of their towers) – high hourly prices (Rp 5.600-16.000 depending on speed) |
Blueline SOHO Services
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Website |
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Technology |
2.4 GHz Wireless, volume-based |
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Bandwidth |
256/512 kbps (up/down) |
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Pricing |
One-time/Set-up fee is Rp 2.900.000, including equipment. Blueline has 2 pricing plans:
The second plan goes like this:
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Pro’s |
– no contract or sign-up fee – no minimum contract period – can connect multiple PC’s to 1 account/router – attractive recurring costs, if you can control your surfing behaviour and volume |
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Con’s |
– high one-time fees of Rp 2.9 Mio |
Recommendations:
If you use your internet access mainly for web-surfing and e-mail, I would go for a dial-up service. Here the most competitive is IndosatM2’s Dial-up. If you don’t want to be registered with any company and money isn’t so much the issue, Telkom can be an option. So far, my experiences even with Skype via Dial-up are normally satisfying enough, that it doesn’t justify the way higher price of broadband in Bali.
If you need higher speeds, or plan to transfer lot’s of graphic files, pictures or want to use streaming services (Video, TV, Radio, MP3) and need fast download speeds – the question for you should be: per MByte (Volume) or per hour?
You don’t like a ticking clock in your neck, want to take your time to surf and your monthly volumes are in the 700-2.000 MByte range (or below), then you can’t go wrong with Telkom’s Speedy ADSL Service. It’s a smart and competitively priced service.
If Telkom Speedy isn’t available in your area or for your digital telephone number, or your volumes would easily exceed 2.000 MByte you can either go with IndosatM2’s Broadband Service or Blueline Wireless Broadband, depending on your surfing behaviour and the location you live.
Just give your decision a bit of thinking beforehand, as the setup-costs for all broadband services except Speedy are quite significant! 
Did I forget any ISP? What are your experiences? Please just use the comment form below to let other readers know:
or save article to your Facebook with 1 simple click:
January 3rd, 2007 at 7:51 pm
Hi
A number of your cons state “not available anywhere” do you mean not available everywhere?
I am currently Lombok based but looking at relocating part time to Bali & would like a high speed connection. Can you recommend the best areas to locate myself in terms of ISPs.
Thanks
Gemma
January 3rd, 2007 at 8:06 pm
Gemma,you are absolutely right! Sorry for that, my english.
Will change that immediately.
Regarding your question about the area: for Telkom Speedy I would make sure, that you have a telephone line starting with a 7 (analogue line), not an 8 (digital line). Then you can apply for the Speedy Service.
The other providers are mainly active in the areas around Kuta, Seminyak, Legian, Kerobokan. What service were you thinking of? Maybe it’s good to check their websites and even enquire by e-mail. At least you have then a bit more certainty.
All the best for your move! :-)
January 4th, 2007 at 9:32 am
Thanks for a very clear overview. I use GPRS to dial up and check my mails through my mobile phone and laptop. It’s from Indosat and the subscription is called Matrix. If you would like to add it to your roundup, let me know and I can share my (generally positive) experiences and details with you.
http://www.matrix-centro.com
Now, in Jimbaran we cannot get a fixed telephone line in our house, since there are no numbers left for our area. That means that my choice gets limited to wireless internet. As far as I can judge the three providers: IndosatM2 Hotzone/Hotspot, GlobalXtreme Wireless, Blueline SOHO Services are all available in Jimbaran. But:
– Does distance from sending antenna to my house influence speed and quality?
– do wireless providers give you a chance to test for a month?
– How is the performance in comparison with Telkom Speedy (which we use in the office at 384)
– Which of the three providers has your preference? when keeping in mind that I prefer paying per MB to be online as much as possible and high speeds, while at home in case oveseas relatives come online to talk.
As said, we use Telkom Speedy at the office for one year when they started to operate. At that time speeds were satisfying enough to use Skype (with webcam) and listen to streaming radio. Since May 2006 the speed has gone down gradually (more customers) and I am hardly able to use it anymore without a lot of hickups. Speed usually gets worse in the afternoon. We have had several times that internet was down for one or more days and Telkom was unavailable for support. Other than that, I would still get it at home if I could, since the quality is not bad considering the price in Bali.
Albert
Addition on 05th of January 2007:ÂÂ
As far as Matrix. It’s a mobile subscription from Indosat that includes 50 MB free usage of internet per month. The flat fee is Rp. 200.000 per month. Phone calls are billed additionally and excess usage over 50 MB as well. The cost for that is 10 rupiah per kilobit.
Pro’s:
– Access to internet all over Indonesia, as long as you have coverage
– Usage with smartphone and/or laptop
Con’s:
-Rather slow. Good to check emails but unsuitable for regular surfing.
– GPRS Bandwidth is used with up to 8 users in a certain area (this info I have found somewhere on the internet once)
– High cost per MB and at that speed
Matrix works great for people like me that have access to internet all day, but also want to check mails in their free time or in case of emergencies. I also use it to chat online using MSN or Skype at night when my relatives in Europe are online. As a supplementary source of internet the 50 MB per month is enough. As a matter of precaution, I have installed DU meter to keep track of my usage. Another tip is to make Outlook download headers only, so you can choose which emails to get in full and which ones you want to get later when you’re on broadband again.
Hope this info helps you.
Best regards,
Albert
February 11th, 2007 at 8:31 am
Hello,
I am curently staying in Tulamben. Using my older Nokia mobile phone as a modem for my notebook.
I tried XL GPRS out here and couldn’t get a connection at all. Called to the customer service number, they went through some steps and eventually told me the network wasn’t working, to try again in a day or 2. I tried severla days later, and nothing. Went to one of their offices in the South – after almost an hour of them “trying” to connect with my phone, they told me the network isn’t working.
I am using telkomsel out here for GPRS, which works occationally, but often not. I might have to try dialing up 5 to 10 times before I get a connection. Then, sometimes the connection works, often it doesn’t work – I am connected, but can’t get any download packets. And, it never stays connected for more than 5 minutes, often for only 1 or 2 minutes. This short period IS enough to get most e-mails, but makes it impossible to download any bigger files. Download speed shows on my DU meter ranging from 1.5 to 6 KBps, but mostly about 3 KBps.
I’m moving over to Ahmed and I wonder if you know of any services available there? I don’t know the phone number prefix – is there a good dial up option? GPRS? Other?
Thanks,
Steve
February 17th, 2007 at 5:50 pm
[…] The first reason why I chose this services becouse “it’s cheap” comparing with other ISP in bali. Of couse it’s a diffrent case if you strait-away to some internet cafe’s that easy to find arround the city and at the tourism area or you can go for a couple-cup of coffee arround Kuta, Seminyak and Sanur with your laptop to a wireless hotzone and log in. Compairing with other services that available in the island for only Rp. 200,- per 1 Mb transfer and less complicated equipment and setup or some surprising billing this alternative way is very recomended. Jagoan by Starone is a Prepaid CDMA Mobile services launch by Indosat for limited area only (can use only where the number is registered). You may fill back the credit with a voucer up to Rp. 50.000,- or you may buy the credit using BCA ATM or else up to Rp. 150.000,- credit. The company claim this product can connet to the internet with speed access up to 153.6 kbps. Here some tips how to get connected to the internet using the product with services. […]
March 8th, 2007 at 11:54 pm
Hi there,
I’m from Europe and I’m just curious if anyone can advise on the following: my boss will be travelling through Indonesia for more or less 3 months (mostly Bali, though) and wants to have good internet connection (for Skype and videoconferencing using Skype), what would you recommend? Money is not that important rather the quality…
Best regards,
Eva
March 9th, 2007 at 12:53 pm
Hija Eva from Poland, your boss will be just fine, as Bali has plenty of Internet Cafes with usually high enough speed for Skype.
You also can usually bring your own laptop and connect wireless. If he wants to do videoconferencing as well, it pays to use internet at the larger hotels or check the connection speed (bandwidth) of the Café Provider first.
Another option could be to go to a Telkomsel Shop and order some 3G mobile package, if he has a 3G/UMTS phone. Should allow Videocalls as well, but might be more expensive.
Mi lego dnia!
April 1st, 2007 at 6:43 pm
Hi,
I have been working on Gili Trawangan (Lombok) and would like to go back there for a while. I have heard that telkomsel is offer ing an umts service
since 09.2006. Do you know if its already available in lombok and the gilis? How much would be a flatrate?
Thank you very much!
Hany
April 2nd, 2007 at 1:59 pm
Hi Hany,
I saw those big advertising posters of Telkomsels 3G in Bali as well, but am not aware about coverage in Lombok. XL is offering 3G in Bali as well, not sure about Lombok again. I don’t use UMTS/3G here yet, as I don’t have any 3G gadgets.
Anyway, some more information regarding offered services, tariffs & pricing you can find here:
Telkomsel
http://www.telkomsel.com/web/info_3g
XL
http://www.xl.co.id/3G
May 24th, 2007 at 10:36 pm
I was at the carrefour the other day and in the Apple Store (pcMax) in that shopping center, they had a large advertisement for Indosat 3.5g which claims connections up to 3.6 Mbps. Anyone have any experience with them? Im going to try and go to the office tomorrow along the bypass for a demo.
May 29th, 2007 at 2:05 pm
Hi, Chris, am I missing something about IndosatM2 Dialup, which you declare as much cheaper than Telkom dial up? It’s my understanding that you still have to pay Telkom for the line rental and then when you connect you are paying Telkom for the connect time, which is the same as a local call using the national access number, so the cost is effectively the same as Telkom’s dialup service plus Indosat’s 2,820 rp per hour charge. Am I mistaken?
Peter
May 30th, 2007 at 8:14 pm
@ Colin & Peter: While I’m not aware of that Indosat 3G Offer (but will check it out soonest), the IndosatM2 Dialup is definitely cheaper than Telkom Dialup. I use it now the last 6 months and it lowered my phone bill from about Rp. 1-1.5 Mio to something around Rp 400.000-600.000 (all including phone calls from fixed line). I don’t think I use the internet less, it’s just plain cheaper (but requires registration, which Telkom doesn’t). And no, there aren’t any hidden Telkom Costs on my bill, I checked the detailed bill 2 times and there is nothing like that.
So far all the 3G offers I ran into, were way above Rp. 1 Mio/month with flat rate, offers without flatrate included max 500 MB, which might be not enough for most people. In my experience pay per volume can exceed your budget pretty fast, if you don’t use tools to monitor that as you go. What more did you find out on this, Colin?
May 31st, 2007 at 11:13 am
I’ve had a dial up account with Indosat for years, but never use it except to receive emails, particularly, when out of Indonesia, and when Telkomnet is misbehaving. I’ll try it again and see what happens to my phone bill. I’m assuming your line is rented from Telkom.
I’ve also seen the promotion that’s on for Indosat 3G which, apart from the investment in the special modem (2.3 million, I think and more for the Mac one), looks like a good deal for the first two to three months. People were saying that the service is faster and more reliable than Telkomsel’s 3G.
I live in Sidemen, in east Bali, where dialup (when the line is not down) gives a rate of about 9600Kbs, so I’m keen to find an alternative. Given that I’d have to travel to use the Indosat 3G connection, tt’s not such a good deal for me, though. Still it might beat going to Highway’s in Ubud a couple of times a month for heavier surfing.
July 12th, 2007 at 1:27 pm
[…] Since my recent review of private Internet Access Options in Bali from January 2007, things have changed quite a bit. Telkom Speedy (a DSL variant) is heavily promoted everywhere for land lines with analogue connections. And a few months ago, a few operators started to roll out 3G, that is 3rd Generation for Mobile Networks. […]
July 23rd, 2007 at 8:14 am
I am building a house outside of UBUD, and wish to signup for a 3G service. What provider can I use in Ubud ?
September 10th, 2007 at 11:01 pm
Another service worth looking into is PancaNet. We live in Sayan, just west of Ubud. I researched ALL available options and chose PancaNet as our provider. The initial set-up is expensive for the tower and receiver but if you need to send and receive large files with 24/7 service they are excellent.
We installed the system a year ago and after fine tuning it works fine. Speedy has just recently become available in Ubud and we will be using this for our business location but beyond the 5-8km range from the central office its not available because of line loss.
For our speed of service PancaNet is priced considerably less than Indosats IM2 wireless service as well as many other providers.
Whenever we have had problems – whether local or on the net itself the PancaNet service people provide up to date information or are here in a few hours to troubleshoot the system.
The cost of the service is not for casual surfers but for those who need the best price/performance ratio and our out of range of other ISP services PancaNet is hard to beat.
September 11th, 2007 at 1:47 am
Randall, thanks for the update. That’s great news! Maybe an option for Don in Ubud as well?
October 1st, 2007 at 3:15 pm
Hi All
I am about to return to Ubud after 9 months absence. Is speedy really available now in Ubud? Does anyone have a contact address?
Thanks in advance
Andy GRAY
October 2nd, 2007 at 1:25 pm
Definitely worth checking it out with any local Telkomsel Shop in Ubud….unfortunately I don’t live there. Maybe somebody else could answer the question?
December 9th, 2007 at 12:06 am
I’ve stayed at Oberoi Hotel, Seminyak – Bali few months back during a short business trip.
They have free internet access at their business center, the speed and stability are very recommended!
December 11th, 2007 at 4:57 pm
Hi Chris
Well, I ended up on Indosat starone, had some problems with that so switched to IM2 via Starone and it was great till they changed frequency about a month now much slower and often disconnected.
However now Im looking to move to Jimbaran and Indosat dont service the area. Global Extreme were to coem to the potential new housse today for a site survey and postponed till tomorrow. Curious about anyone elses experience of Glbal Extreme. I posted on Bali Expat forum and the two replies werent good. I really like this house but it will be dependant on me gettign a decent net connection as to whether I take it.
Thanks
Gemma
December 16th, 2007 at 9:17 pm
Both XL and Telkomsel now also offer 3G services, as well in Jimbaran if I’m not wrong. You could check out my other article about XL’s 3G service here or surf to the Telkomsel Site regarding their “Flash” service, although it appears there is no English version.
XL has volume-based, Flash time-based pricing.
What I see today, those old-fashion “wired” Internet Services will be soon pretty much outdated regarding their pricing and service they offer today.
January 10th, 2008 at 12:02 pm
Hi Chris,
I’m in Seminyak. I am in need of videoconferencing options aside from Skype. Am wondering if you know of any options here – any services in the surrounding area which can assist?
January 11th, 2008 at 12:54 am
Sepi, I’m sorry. I never heard of any professional Videoconferencing Service around here. Although XL’s 3G what I use works usually quite well with Skype and Webcam.
Maybe you want to try your luck at Telkomsel or Indosat directly? Another way could be to check in the Bali Expat Forum, if anyone had already similar needs.
January 26th, 2008 at 2:49 pm
Hi,
I will be living about 6klm north of Padingbai for the next 6months. There is no phone line available at the moment however I can get good mobile phone coverage (Xcel is the most reliable provider). Any idea how I can get connected to the internet at home using the mobile phone?
Cheers,
Ree
January 28th, 2008 at 7:35 am
Hi Ree,
as far i know from ppl who live or work in PB, Centrin is the only one who has actually signal there.. even the though you just get a GPRS coverage… no 3G!
But better as Telkomnet anyway :P
Mostlikely you will need either a 3G Modem or a Cellphone which supports 3G service…
cheers
January 28th, 2008 at 1:26 pm
Ree, in addition to what sjbali just said, here some more info. I have a prepaid “XL Bebas” SIM card and use its GPRS when surfing in Padang Bai on my Windows Mobile phone. You could connect your phone to your PC/Laptop and use it for (slow) surfing. Works well enough but maybe too expensive in the longer run.
Centrin offers cheaper packages but is using the XL signal as the underlying infrastructure.
Alternatively you might want to check out XL’s Xplor Postpaid SIM, which allows 3G as well, although I’m not so sure about coverage in Padang Bai.
Check out as well the other article I wrote about 3G in Bali with plenty of tips from other readers and users here.
January 30th, 2008 at 8:19 pm
Hi Chris,
Globalxtreme has Unlimited Packages
DL 384 / UL 128kbps 700.000Rp.
DL 512 / UL 256kbps 1.100.000Rp.
Just that u know :P
January 31st, 2008 at 7:13 pm
Thanks for the update, sjbali!
February 26th, 2008 at 9:06 am
Im using xl bebas with nokia 3230 but i’ve problem in connecting to internet. I dont know how to dial it. i’ve already try it but it doesnt works. what is the dial number for xl bebas? anyone can help me? thx alot,
February 26th, 2008 at 6:30 pm
Balaputera – you must configure the GPRS settings for XL. There is no number to dial. I don’t know about the Nokia setup, but the settings are the same for all phones:
APN (Access Point Name): http://www.xlgprs.net
Account/User: xlgprs
Password: proxl
You might want to check with your Nokia Service Center on how to set that up in your phone.
Be aware though – XL Bebas (Prepaid) is not a great volume-based tariff for using the internet. For accessing mobile/wap sites and checking e-mail headers – okay; but surfing standard websites, you can empty a 100K Rupiah top-up in little less than 3-4 hours.
March 13th, 2008 at 7:46 am
We’ve just relocated from Jakarta to Sanur and despite being told by Indosat that Sanur is covered by their 3.5G network, it turns out what they meant was the network covers the north and south of Sanur, but not the centre — and guess where our house is! You can see the coverage map here: http://www.indosatm2.com/maps/
We’d used the service in Jakarta and was very happy with it – costs around 650,000R for around 3g from memory.
If anyone has a tip on where to buy a 3G antenna to boost the modem range, drinks are on me.
Cheers & handy resource you got here.
Stuart
March 13th, 2008 at 7:00 pm
XL has a similar offer for its 3G service, 3 GB for Rp. 500.000 (plus Tax).
Check out this post for more details.
If they cover the area I would go with them. If you can get a land line in your rented house, you might want to check Telkom Speedy, which is even cheaper. A friend of mine in Sanur uses Speedy for about a year or two now and seems basically satisfied with it.
March 17th, 2008 at 2:08 pm
[…] would see Electricity Costs and Internet Costs (not in this chart – but more details here or for 3G internet here) falling into that […]
March 23rd, 2008 at 9:29 pm
.. be careful of Telkom’s billing tactics. I had speedy for a year and logged all my usage (approx 2-3G per month) only to find i was being grossly over-charged each month. I took the facts and figures to head office to be looked at. Bottom line is i was shunted from one branch in Ubung to the headoffice in Denpasar a few times and promised many return calls.
To this day I have not once been contacted regarding the overcharges i presented.. so telkom here runs a close second to the evil over-charging telkom we have in South Africa.
I have been with Indosat since and generally have pretty ok results.. dialup was fine and you get a pretty reliable 56k connection.. their cdma service is pretty good aswell, except that you get “thrown off” or disconected if your link is inactive.. requires cdma phone with data link.
Overall, Indosat billing seems to be much better than telkom .. there is a slight bit of acceptable “extra” added with the cdma accounts but nothing compared to what was happening with telkom.
.. so keep an eye on telkom if you using more than the monthly average ;)
March 31st, 2008 at 12:13 am
Chris :
THANK YOU for this info ! I must have missed it in Jan. somehow , but this is exactly what I was looking for .
I’m going to read your post again ( after coffee ) and the comments , but it answered my basic question of “Can I run my business from Bali for awhile?” .
Ideally, I would love to find a Bali guesthouse that either:
1. Has a voice over internet phone set up with a U.S. # .
or 2. Already has a very fast net connection ( fast enough to set up my voice over internet phone so I can retain my U.S. # and operate as if I were in the U.S.). If you are other posters know of this , please contact me !
March 31st, 2008 at 6:27 am
Amanda,
well i am using Yahoo Messenger which has by far the best quality calling to the states, VOIP is very good as well.
Skype is “so so”, from time to time.
I am using a globalxtreme line and i am happy with it, but dont forget it is still Indonesia, if you depend on the Internet, you should always have a “Backup line”!!!!
cheers
April 1st, 2008 at 11:08 pm
peter, thanks for the info regarding Telkom Billing Tactics!
Amanda, I can only agree with sjbali, although I do most VoIP with Skype and it works fairly well with XL’s 3G service, which I use currently.
It definitely depends on the service and the location your business will be in. You might even want to look into dedicated lines or satellite link providers, if your business will be dependent on internet access.
Unfortunately you have to check it out and confirm it yourself, as landlords will promise you almost anything to make you sign a rental contract and it might be tough to get the promised things working in the end. Very common here. There are also no guarantees for bandwidth as far as I know.
April 29th, 2008 at 9:32 am
Just an update on my earlier post. What I ended up doing was throwing away the generic 3.5G modem Indocrap supplied me with and purchased an Ericsson W20E Fixed Wireless Terminal for WCDMA/HSDPA networks and an on-glass antenna. I ordered the goods from Oz and had a two week battle with “Customs” in Jakarta (random check — who would have thought!) to get the goods through — they arrived yesterday. I mounted the antenna to a two metre bamboo pole (hi-tech meets low) and affixed it to the roof of our house.
The connection since has hummed. None of this dropping off the HSPDA network onto the far slower GPRS network and am yet to have a single service interruption. Downloaded just shy of 400Meg in about 35 minutes — previously I would have had to decamp to KFC to get a strong enough signal for a download of that size (and eat a hell of a lot of KFC in the process!)
According to the sales rep I dealt with in Oz, bundled with the right antenna the Ericsson has a range of over 100kms (it’s primarily designed for yachts to get access to terrestrial networks), so if you’re on a remotish part of Bali, hankering for hi-speed, it could be worth looking into.
Chris, thanks again for these posts — they’ve been very useful — perhaps the ISPs shoudl start reading them
April 29th, 2008 at 10:00 am
Stuart, if I get you right, you basically still use Indosat’s service, just with your own (better) antenna? That sounds like good news for people who want to use 3G services but only are able to get 1 or 2 bar out of 5 with the standard receivers (modems) in their area. Hopefully with increasing competition the coverage areas will expand as well quickly with all providers in Bali. There is hope…. :D
April 29th, 2008 at 10:06 am
Yes, I’m still on Indosat’s 3.5G network, but have stopped using the modem they supplied me with and am instead using my own modem and antenna. Connection is now reliably five bars HSPDA with no slippage back to GPRS. They haven’t improved their service at all, but rather with the improved equipment it’s no longer an issue.
May 14th, 2008 at 1:50 pm
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May 30th, 2008 at 6:58 pm
I just tried Global xtreme internet cafe at kerobokan, they are upgraded their PC’s to Intel Core 2 Duo, complete with headset and webcam, try skyping around and the quality is excelent, the cost is Rp. 5000 for first hour and Rp. 2000 for next 30 minutes, cool place and nice atmosphere …
June 10th, 2008 at 12:11 pm
Hi Stuart,
I am interested with the Ericsson W20E and an on-glass antenna, that you use. Can you tell me where do you buy in oz please, I really need that for my IM2 connection in Negara, west of Bali. I am planning to open internet cafe, but it’s still far away here in negara (about 100 km from Denpasar). Do you think I can use it in negara?
June 20th, 2008 at 4:15 pm
Hi Putu,
Sorry for the late reply!
I bought it through a mob called Powertec (http://www.powertec.com.au) though I’d suggest you don’t get it shipped by Fedex unless you want to get in a brawl with customs in Jakarta as I did.
Not sure if it will work in Negara — it’s great for us, but we’re in Sanur, so not really all that far from the Indosat antennas. I’ve been told after buying it that all I needed was an aerial and not the fancy modem, so perhaps you could try that first?
Reliability is has been outstanding — have been on HSPDA five-bars more or less non-stop since I set it up. Only problem is some days I need to reset the modem once or twice — dunno why.
For me it was an expensive, though in the scheme of things worthwhile investment. Not sure for you though — perhaps contact Powertec and see what they have to say — they were quite helpful with my queries.
June 20th, 2008 at 10:04 pm
stuart, may I ask how much you paid for that piece? May be an option to get a Telkomsel signal or better XL signal as well…..
By the way, XL I have to reset from time to time as well, but like for you it’s not a big problem, as the reliability is basically good.
June 20th, 2008 at 10:32 pm
Hi Chris,
All up, for the modem, antenna, Fedex up from Oz and a million Rp in “facilitation fees” to customs in Jakarta — around $500 — so not particularly cheap.
The modem should work with any 3G service, the antenna is specific to the frequency the provider is using. In Indosat’s case it is 1900/2100 MHz — not sure about Telkomsel, but it’s just a case of getting an antenna tuned to their freq.
Cheers
June 20th, 2008 at 11:25 pm
stuart – thank you for the additional information! Well worth looking into if one is a bit further off from the antennas of the current providers.
July 5th, 2008 at 9:57 pm
[…] and various providers offer 3G services, in some areas even better than in Europe or the US, where landline based broadband is much more common and saturated the highspeed internet market already years […]
July 16th, 2008 at 9:14 pm
Any info on internet access on Flores? I am thinking of moving there but need internet in my house that is fairly reliable.
July 24th, 2008 at 11:44 am
Hi Stuart,
Hi Chris (nice to meet you again),
It is really a helpful bog here. I have a global connection and it is xtreme slow… XL 3G is working fast and the signal is so bad, that I have to sit on a bar chair in my house and can not move…. Now I am searching for a 3G antenna…
I want try Remo or someone has an idea where I could buy it?
Cheers (and I am busy for the next 6 days to find a shop in this wonderful paradise ;))
Thomas
July 24th, 2008 at 6:33 pm
Andi, sorry, it seems that either Flores is quite under developed or not many readers have updates about the internet options there.
Thomas, is that you the Master of the Tiger??? I still owe you a call back. Internet is of course a bit of hit or miss and heavily dependent on your location. Remo in Denpasar could be the first place to shop for antennas. This or probably bringing or ordering it from overseas.
August 13th, 2008 at 2:25 pm
[…] I’m ready to throw in the towel and change my ISP once again. Will check the usual suspects of ISP’s, if they still require up to Rp. 2 Mio installation […]
December 11th, 2008 at 9:20 am
Excuse me, Chris.
I’d like to offer wireless internet connection with speed up to 1Mbps(64K guaranteed) to anybody stay around Kerobokan, Petitenget, Seminyak and Legian with monthly fee started from IDR 1mio per month (Other plans available).
One week trial available, no obligation to subscribe and no contract.
Thanks.
March 16th, 2009 at 11:45 pm
What would you guys recommend for wireless internet (prepaid) at the moment? I’ll be on the island for 4 months… thanks for your advices
March 17th, 2009 at 10:42 pm
Alex, prepaid is usually a way more expensive option in Bali. I would go with 3G, either XL, simpati or Indosat. Best thing would be maybe to drop by their showrooms (XL just opposite from Carrefour on Jalan Sunset, Indosat highway near the airport, Telkomsel/Simpati in Denpasar) and check their latest promos. Just watch your volume/timing and be aware that prepaid can probably can cost you an arm and a leg, as there isn’t any flat rate yet as far as I know.
Another (cheaper) option is probably to go to an internet cafe with your laptop and let them hook you up.
June 1st, 2009 at 5:23 pm
What about getting a cell phone with 3G and then tethering to a laptop or desktop computer? How is the 3G coverage and speed? And which phone to get that has USB out to support tethering.
June 2nd, 2009 at 12:35 pm
BigJim, that should work also fine! Coverage and speed would depend on your internet provider in your area and what model of phone you use. Some can only do 3G, some HSDPA or even HSUPA. There are so many hundreds of models on the market, I have no idea which one to take. Maybe look on some of the mobile phone site like http://www.gsmarena.com and use their seach engine/filters to find some reviews/user opinions for the brands you’d prefer. :-/
June 20th, 2009 at 2:57 am
Antennas for 3.5G (1900/2100Mhz) are expensive, provide medium gain and hard to find in Indonesia. Found one +3Bdi gain in Rimo, but at that gain it’s not worth it.
There is however people who tried a setup with 2.4Ghz (wifi) Antenna and reported excellent results.
http://evdotips.blogspot.com/2008/10/parabolic-grid-antenna.html#idc-container
July 28th, 2009 at 10:30 am
Just note to everybody who income depend on internet.
STAY OUT OF BALI!
The only comfortable option you can get here is Speedy (100$/month) for 1 mbs connection, and if you are very luku and stay in soth free wifi from local shops/restarants.
It is a pity – but to get internet here i must go to icafe/shopping center for free wifi.
August 3rd, 2009 at 3:11 pm
Harsh statement, Sergey. It actually improved quite a bit over the last couple of years. It all depends on how much you want to spend. The cheapest option is probably Speedy, if it’s available in your area. Or choose 2 providers with 3G internet, that way you should have a safe bet even for business reasons and it doesn’t bust the bank.
January 13th, 2010 at 7:16 am
Hi and thanks for good info.
I’m about to stay in Bali for at least 1 year in the Cangu area. Since I’m dependent on an internet connection I’ve been looking around. I don’t need very high speed (384 kb minimum) as long as it’s solid, but I need unlimited (not semi-unlimited with speed penalty) transfer.
By far the best option seems to be Smart-Telecom’s EVDO alternative, which is not yet available in Bali. However, according to information I found on their web site, they will start covering Bali during 2010. Do you know anything more about this?
Any suggestions for options covering my needs are highly welcome.
Regards,
Don
January 13th, 2010 at 2:00 pm
Don, internet is still a sad chapter here in Bali, although I wouldn’t go as far as Sergey in comment #60.
The Smart EVDO service seems to be already available in Bali, as there was a huge advertising billboard for 2 months a few weeks back on one of the main intersections (Jl Sunset near Carrefour). They offered unlimited internet for 888.000 Rupiah for 3 months including hardware dongle, if I’m not wrong….however….this solution is CDMA based, so I wouldn’t expect too much performance from it.
Right now, I don’t know anyone who is using it, so no 1st or 2nd hand experience from my side. Did you use it in other parts of Indonesia already? How is the service quality?
January 14th, 2010 at 1:37 am
Hi Chris and thanks for your quick response
I haven’t used it yet but according to this guy (http://javamilk.com/2009/04/30/smart-internet-unlimited/) the service used to be good in Jakarta, about 0.7 Mbit, but as more people subscribed it dropped down to 0,3-0,5 Mbit but still decent and the cheapest solution for true Unlimited service it seems. EVDO is the next generation CDMA and allows for higher speeds. I will probably try this service when I get to Bali, provided my area is covered.
Kind Regards
Don
January 15th, 2010 at 4:37 pm
Yeah Don, that’s really the problem in Indonesia, as elsewhere also. When I started with XL’s 3G just 3 years back here in Bali, it was really cool and almost reliable. Just 12 months down the road – as more people subscribed to it – it became almost unusable, which hasn’t changed ever since. Clearly the capacities are not up to its usage. Now I barely use it for my mobile phone, but it works less time than it does at all.
So it’s not really a good internet option anymore.
I wonder, what’s the problem here in Indonesia? You have many companies, great competition, but the service quality is really abysmal. Xl, Telkomsel Flash, Indosat – it’s merely the same problems with all of them.
Compare that with the Philippines, where you mainly have only 2 big providers – but they are years ahead of Indonesia in terms of service quality and coverage.
Seriously, I wish you best of luck with this CDMA/EVDO solution! Am just a bit concerned, as I don’t know of any place, where this technology has proven its reliability under real life conditions.
August 9th, 2010 at 11:33 am
I am using the Smart EV-DO since 1 month now, and when i signed up it worked ok. Now a few weeks later, i cannot even make a proper video skype call in the evenings. ( seminyak/kerobokan area). I called to complain, and they tell you they will get back to you within 2 weeks notice ???!!! Im having Global Extreme in my office in Kerobokan, wich seems still the most reliable option.
Does anybody has updates, of a better option, unlimited internet access? how long does it take to get a phone line and speedy installed? thanks
August 9th, 2010 at 8:07 pm
Welcome to Bali natalie. It’s perfectly normal that one day things work, another day not. Better have a backup solution ready.
Just buy another SIM card and try another provider to use as an alternative. Ah, the Smart is CDMA, right? Then the USB dongle won’t work with Indosat, XL or Simpati, might need a GSM/3G one.
If there is no phone line installed in your area or at your neighbors house, it can take forever to get one. Especially, if you only rent and are not the owner. Maybe ask the owner, if he can help you with getting a line. But be prepared to pay more than usual.
Unlimited Internet Access is almost impossible in Bali, if not a dedicated solution. Most ‘Unlimited’ options of the mobile providers have a volume cap, after which the speed drops to almost a standstill (or maximum modem speed).
That’s unfortunately still the reality, especially in your area.
November 26th, 2010 at 6:44 am
Price Not Important, Speed Is Everything.
Hello all
Anyone know the answer to this Bali internet provider riddle? (I don’t have a telephone line as an option.) I will put up a pole or launch my own satellite if it helps.
All insights/suggestions appreciated. -AB
December 14th, 2010 at 7:18 am
Hello All
Just connected here in Canggu/Berawa (500 meters up from Legong Kraton Hotel, 100 meters downhill from Canggu Cafe) with Global Extreme and want to update.
From all my research, it seems like “the best provider” is completely dependent on where you live. For us here, Global Extreme has been a great great experience so far. Went to the office on Friday afternoon, they sent a survey guy Saturday at noon, and Monday at their scheduled 10am time, three guys arrived to install an antenna (2M Rup) and 256kbps speed (600,000 R monthly).
So far, day one of service, it’s very smooth and fast. Canggu Cafe told me, on the rare occasion they have a problem, Global Extreme is super fast to respond and remedy.
All that said, if you’re hunting for internet here in Canggu, I 100% recommend Global Extreme. I’ll update in a few days as to their reliability, as well as ability to vid skype.
All the best in Bali. -AB
December 15th, 2010 at 11:33 am
AB Berawa, that’s good news for everyone in Canggu looking for reliable internet connection. Global Extreme is definitely on the higher end of internet prices in Bali, but their service still seems to be good. So if money is no object and you are looking for a reliable and decently fast service while living in a more remote area, just invite them to do a survey at your place and enjoy your internet!
February 6th, 2012 at 12:32 pm
Great reading all the info on here.I have just moved to Berawa Canggu for 2 years and am trying to find the best service provider.any updated info on Global Extreme would be appreciated.
Thanks Kristine