Internet Access in Bali

Internet access in Bali has improved over the last few years. Apart from using internet cafes, there are now wi-fi hotspots, some offering free access. Dial-up is no longer the only affordable way to get online at home. There are a number companies offering a range of solutions, depending on your location, requirements and budget.

Internet Cafes:

Mom & pop locally owned internet cafes are coming along from the old style places. Many cafes in the south area of Bali have moved on from dial-up, meaning its actually worthwhile getting online. In areas such as East Bali you will only get dial-up, so don’t expect much more than checking your email. Hooking up your own laptop isn’t going to happen.

Modern internet cafes in the Kuta / Seminyak / Ubud area have A/C, decent hardware / software and an okay connection. Tourists often complain about the speeds, but comparatively it can be okay. An example of a modern internet cafe would be Internet Outpost on Poppies II in Kuta. Hooking up your own laptop can happen in certain cafes such as Internet Outpost and Global Xtreme in Kerobokan.

Wi-fi hotspots:

Open network:
Seminyak particularly has an abundance of wi-fi places. The great thing here is you can use your own machine, very easily, often without paying. One of the restaurants in Seminyak that has an ‘open network’, meaning anyone can jump on, is Joulla’s German Restaurant. You can show up and get online, after my machine searches for and finds their connection. Its actually possible to sit in the restaurant down the street, JP’s Warung and still use Joulla’s connection.

Closed network:
JP’s has free wi-fi, but you need to get the password. Other wi-fi places in Seminyak include Blue Ocean and Lanai at the end of Jl. Double Six and also Raja’s in the Bintang supermarket parking area. Using your own machine is wonderful, as it being able to sit where you want often in a more enjoyable environment than an internet cafe. The downside is having to haul your machine around. The more wear & tear, not to mention dust and voltage surges your machine has to handle the shorter it will last. There is also the possibility of theft, when you go to the bathroom for example.

Paid wi-fi:
Its possible to get online for a limited time for a fee at certain places in Bali. One of these is
Le Spot, at Bali Deli, where a 50,000rp card will give you 2 hours (good for 1 month), 100,000rp for 4hours (good for 3 months).

DSL:
DSL (digital subscriber line) is available from Telkom, the phone company. You need a phone line to your house / office and the service is good, once installed. Here’s the company website with more technical information.

Wireless:

GlobalXtreme:
GlobalXtreme in Kerobokan is one of Bali’s favourite ISPs. Featuring 2.4 GHz frequency wireless connection directly from your home – Coverage Area is based in southern Bali. GlobalXtreme offers you competitive prices and total support. Our internet packages are available at several different speeds and prices to fit your needs contact us directly for more information and to learn how we can help you do business

Blueline:
It is a wireless connection promising 128 kbps for each user and the billing is calculated by how much data you suck / blow through the pipe, not hours a month. SOHO bandwidth speed is 512 kbps downloading and 256 kbps uploading for each customer. A large part of southern and eastern Bali is covered. Commercial connection is available in all areas of Bali.