In Reply to: Broadband Internet posted by dolittle on Thursday, 21. February 2008 at 15:04 Bali Time:
yes everything concerning infrastructure in indonesia is old and expensive, internet communication is one of them.
i can recommend you a few solutions depending on your bandwidth requirement, remember there is nothing more than 1Mbps speed offered to the common people.
1) ADSL Speedy by telkomNet, used to be good but now the number of subscribers in bali is 800% more than the installed capacity, during peak it is slower than telkomNet instan (modem dialup) - also you need a land-line as well as a resident or work permit to apply for one. you need to buy an ADSL modem too
2) mircowave solution (radio link) utilized 2.4 GHz radio wave you have dedicated access to the service provider. this service is only for those who need unlimited internet access as well as high bandwidth, it is expensive. you need to buy or rent an antenna, an annual contract is required. bandwidth possibilities are 64, 128, 256 and 512 kbps, each with flexibility to arrange for a combination of downlink and uplink bandwidth.
3) GPRS - the ISPs call them as 3.5G (the terms need to be verified here in bali, as all the 3.5G standard services are not available) is one options for short term visitors with normal bandwidth requirement. there are Telkomsel FLASH, Centrin/Pro XL services. these GPRS services are also available if you are using your home-based mobile number with roaming service here in bali.
drop me a line in case you require more information.