Where to buy a sim in Bali and how to do it?
The most convenient operator is Telkomsel, Simpati tariff. This operator has the best coverage in Bali and quite fast mobile internet, which is caught almost everywhere in Bali. Somewhere in Bali even 4G/LTE is available.
Buying a SIM card in Bali is quite easy, you don’t need a passport or any other document. You can do this either at the airport after your flight, or in any of the many shops that sell mobile phones – they are on every corner in Bali. All that needs to be said is Telkomsel Simpati. There, in the store, they will activate your SIM card (if necessary, cut it to the size of the phone), put money on the balance and help you buy a special Internet tariff.
You can also put money on the phone in these shops, just come and say Pulsa (balance), name your operator (Telkomsel Simpati) and show the phone number. The money is transferred to your account by the seller in the bank and takes a commission of 2000-3000 rupees (this is approximately $0.20). Check your balance: *888# (It is recommended to immediately check that the money has been credited).
Mobile operators in Bali
- Telkomsel by state-owned Telkom Indonesia and Singapore’s SingTel (via Temasek Holdings)
- By.U is part of Telkomsel
- IM3 Ooredoo part of Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison (IOH)
- 3 (Tri) part of PT Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison ( IOH)
- MPWR part of PT Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison (IOH)
- XL Axiata & AXIS by Axiata Group Berhad of Malaysia (via Khazanah Nasional)
- Live.On part of XL Axiata
Prices for mobile communication in Bali
Mobile communication is cheap in Bali, but the most important thing is cheap internet rates. So, for less than $5, you can connect a tariff for 2-5 gigabytes per month (depends on the operator). (All those who come for less than a month also buy a monthly internet tariff.
The cost of a SIM card is 20,000-50,000 rupiah ($2-4) – it depends on the markup of the mobile store. Internet packages cost from 60,000 rupiah ($5) per month for 2 GB. It makes sense to put 100,000 rupees ($8) on the balance, buy a 2 GB package, and use the rest for calls and SMS.
The cheapest internet tariff, or rather what they call in Bali an “internet package” in Telkomsel somewhere for 2 GB for 50,000 rupiah (prices are constantly changing), this tariff is enough for me personally for a month (unless, of course, I don’t watch youtube for 24 hours day).
You can go to the operator’s office: the Telkomsel office is located next to Kuta in the Bali Galeria shopping center on the second floor. The XL office is located on Sunset Road, near Siloam Hospital. If you take a taxi, any taxi driver knows both that and the other place. Tariffs there will cost the same, you may save on buying a SIM card, but there is still no significant difference in price.
Mobile Internet in Bali
Importantly! A special Internet tariff must be connected separately. Without connecting the tariff, the Internet is debited from the balance at some extortionate prices (more than $10 can be debited in a couple of hours). In addition, if you have used up your Internet quota, the money will start to be debited again at these extortionate prices.
In addition to Telkomsel Simpati mentioned above, there are two other operators in Bali – Indosat Oredoo and XL. Telkomsel has better coverage (especially on other islands of Indonesia, where most often only Telkomsel catches), but Indosat, for example, has better internet tariffs. If you take SIM card to use the Google map, it is better to take Telkomsel. If you want to connect a computer through the hotspot and work on the Internet, it is better to pay attention to Indosat Oredoo. If, of course, it is caught in your area.
All operators have an English-language version of the site, where you can read about tariffs. Tariffs are constantly changing, so every time I provide a link in the article, after a couple of months it ceases to be relevant . If nothing has changed, then information about Telkomsel should be here : (Click on the English button, the Internet tariff is called Telkomsel Flash). Telkomsel also has the MyTelkomsel application, through which you can view the balance and make some manipulations.
The speed of mobile Internet on Telkomsel depends on the location, but at least this is 2 Mbit, usually much higher.
The Telkomsel Internet package can be activated through the menu *363# (or ask for help in mobile shops). Be sure to check the balance to make sure that the money for the tariff has been debited, and therefore it is activated.
With many operators, when purchasing an Internet tariff, you will be connected to several different Internet sites, each with a hotel quota. For example, for Rp 50,000, Telkomsel Simpati currently offers 1GB Internet 4G (4G/LTE speed) + 1.3Gb Data Lokal (only in the area where you live, for example in Bukit) + 200Mb Flash (3G). That is, if your phone catches 4G, the first quota will be used, if only edge/3G is caught, then the last quota will be used. It’s all a bit confusing, so it’s worth checking your quota once or twice a week to see if you still have internet left. Or immediately buy a more expensive package, there will be a lot of quotas and there will be no need to steam.
You can see the balance of the Internet quota on Telkomsel through the menu *888# (the same as the balance). You need to go to cek quota -> cek internet quota in the menu. See the image below.
Other operators that have good fast internet at better prices (but not always good coverage): Indosat Oredoo ( Freedom Combo tariff ) and XL ( Internet Hotroad tariff ). (For example, Oredoo had a tariff for 200,000 rupiah where you get more than 30 GB). These operators also have mobile applications in which it is convenient to see the balance on the account, etc.
I will say right away: to become the happy owner of stable, unlimited Internet in Bali, similar to the one you use at home, is almost unreal or the price for it will be extortionate, about $500 per month. Things are much better with mobile communication in Bali. But it is too early to despair, in recent years the number of Internet providers on the island has increased significantly and they are actively reducing the prices of their tariffs.
Internet connection options in Bali
3G internet in Bali
This type of connection, in my opinion, is one of the most acceptable in terms of price-quality ratio. There are 3 main operators providing this service on the island: XL, Indosat, Telkomsel. The cost of the tariffs and the speed of the channel are approximately the same and the choice depends only on your location. For example, in one part of the island, 3g Internet from XL works perfectly, but if you go 5 km to the side, the signal will be much worse, or even not received at all, but at the same time, the Internet from another operator will work perfectly. The declared speed of this channel is limited to 7.2 mb\s and often this is close to reality. Here’s an example of Indosat’s mobile internet speed measurement that I use at home: link to speedtest.net. Tariffs for Internet in Bali with a similar speed are limited, the cost is $20 on average for 5-6 GB of traffic.
Adsl modem TelkomSpeedy in Bali
Connection is possible only if there is a telephone line in the house. Good tariffs, cheap installation, acceptable speed and stability of the channel. But, unfortunately, a local telephone is a rarity in most homes in Bali.
Satellite Internet In Bali
The cost of installing the necessary equipment is about $300. Most of the tariffs are unlimited, but the connection speed needs better. The cheapest tariff is 512 kbit/s, the cost is $60 per month. The stability of the channel depends on weather conditions due to the specifics of the equipment.
Fiber optic connection in Bali
Judging by the quality, this is the best Internet option in Bali, but there are 2 important disadvantages:
- The monthly fee is from $100 to $500, depending on the selected speed.
- The area of possible connection is not very wide.
4G modem Smartfren in Bali
This type of communication resembles the Russian analogue – Skylink. Recently, this company introduced an interesting novelty to the market: a pocket modem — a wifi router. The coverage area of this provider is gradually expanding throughout the island, so this type of connection is very convenient if you often travel to Bali. There is a large selection of different tariff plans, the cost can be compared with 3G Internet.
It is also important to mention that almost all cafes, warungs and restaurants have free WIFI internet. Usually this is the Internet from the aforementioned TelkomselSpeedy, in some places the quality of the connection is very decent.
Useful tips in Bali about Internet and mobile communication
- Don’t overpay more than 20,000-30,000 rupiah for a sim. In tourist areas, they may try to sell at a higher price, look for another stall.
- They also often try to sell tourists a SIM card with allegedly already connected Internet, but it is much more expensive, the basic Internet package should not cost more than 50,000 rupees (2 GB)
- When you put money on the phone through the kiosk, be sure to check the balance that the money has arrived. By the way, in order to deposit money, you need to know your phone number, do not forget to write it down
- When using Google Maps on the road, keep your phone with you: in tourist areas, the phone is often snatched from your hands right on the move
- If you live in a villa, then after your arrival you can give money to the staff so that they go and buy you sevens
- For those who have come to Bali for a long time, I advise you to go to the operator’s office and write down the SIM card for yourself (take your passport with you), so if you lose your phone/SIM card, they will restore your number
- The SIM card is canceled if you do not use it for several months (so if you took the SIM card with you to Russia, it will most likely not work by the next trip)
- It is rare, but it happens that the Internet does not want to connect on the phone for some reason, check the APN settings, the information is on the operator’s website