There have been some improvements in the past couple of years, but there is still a way to go. Last month I looked into internet options, particularly for better speeds than what was on offer in 2005 when I was living in Lombok - which was a 32k dial up (almost impossible to use on many internet pages these days cause the page designers tend to assume you have better bandwidth)
Wireless internet is available, but because Lombok has a lot of high hills, there are issues with the 'line of sight' method. I spoke to one company called Citramedia who emailed me a proposal. They advertised in the Lombok Times a number to ring for 'English', however the level of the person's English skill was not sufficient to even be able to find out what areas the service is currently available and how much it costs. The proposal they sent was in English and quite clear. My main concern with using their service would be communication if there were issues - my Indonesian is not good enough and their English is not good enough. The cost for a 128Kbps (32 Kbps upstream) 'Personal' connection is 900,000 per month + 10% tax. Connection runs at about 1.3 Juta to 2 Juta depending on requirements + you buy a antenae pole high enough to 'see' their antenae, plus a lightening arrester for about another million. As I understand, they have an tower in Senggigi which covers from the sheraton to the other end of that strip, but no service as yet into Green Valley, Batu Bolong, or Batu Layar.
I spoke to another company who had a full page ad in the local paper who advertised wireless 2G internet (and claim to have it working on Gili T), and could not get any sense out of the guy at all. His English was good, but he could not tell me anything about the service, how much it cost, how it worked (he was getting confused about whether it was wireless or needed a phone line), or what areas it was available. He wanted me to pay 1 million just to meet him and for him to tell me that information. It was all quite odd really.
Personally, I think the best bet is to use Telkom Speedy, which needs a landline but provides 'fast' internet. I can't lay my hands on the brochure, but you can pick one up at any Telkom office. Talking to others living in Lombok around Senggigi through to Mataram it seems to be the most reliable, fast internet option. The main issue with this service is the quality of the landline - if you have a really old line, or one strung through the trees across the village on bamboo poles (as mine used to be), you could get issues.
Cheers
Wed Nov 05, 2008 8:23 pm