Wireless Internet heats up in public places

Wireless Internet heats up in public places

Bali is fast becoming a wireless internet haven with the number of hotspots increasing significantly in recent years to meet the rising demand of tourists.

The sight of people sipping coffee, having their lunch and surfing the internet at the same time has became common in Denpasar and major tourist destinations such as Ubud and Kuta.

Internet cafes, where public computers are available at a fixed rate, are becoming old hat, as an increasing number of cafes and restaurants install Wi-Fi or WLAN connections, enabling users to enjoy wireless internet access using their own personal laptops, PDAs or smartphones.

Use of the internet in Bali has increased in recent years as new technologies make it easier to stay online anywhere, anytime.

"Since we lowered our prices a year ago, customers using the Speedy dedicated line have risen from 5,000 in 2007 to 14,000 in 2008," I Ketut Purwa, public relations secretary of the Bali branch of Telkom Indonesia said.

As many as 206 of the new customers have added wireless connections to their lines, mostly in public places such as cafes, restaurants, hotels and malls.

The telecommunication company has also installed Wi-Fi hotspots at Udayana University, the Bajra Sandi monument in Renon, a public park in Denpasar, Ngurah Rai international airport and along a 2 kilometer stretch of Kuta Beach.

"We are seeing a huge trend in the use of wireless internet, especially in Denpasar, as people want to be more flexible with the use of the internet," Purwa said.

Similar trends are being seen in Nusa Dua, Jimbaran, Kuta, Legian, and Seminyak.

In order to get online, hotspot users obtain a username and password by purchasing a prepaid hot spot card, which enables connection for between 30 minutes and four hours.

Another internet service provider, Global Xtreme, is experiencing a similar upsurge. Since its launch three years ago, 600 customers have subscribed to the service.

"Most of our customers are villa owners. But currently more and more providers are appearing on the market which makes it hard to expand," Dia Ayu Widiastuti, head of Global Xtreme's customer service, said.

In the Kuta area its almost become essential for tourism establishments to provide patrons with wireless internet access; it is certainly a wise business decision.

"Since we installed the hotspot a few months ago, we have observed a huge rise in customers, and of course revenue, all day long, although we don't charge for use of the Wi-Fi," Agung Mahendra Wijaya, a staffer at the Bestest Caf* in Seminyak, said.

One of the first cafes on the island to offer the service, caf* Seminyak, in front of the Bintang supermarket, has demanding clientele as well.

"People drinking coffee want to make use of good, working, fast internet to email to their relatives or do business," Henny Zaffini, owner of the caf*, said.

At Warung Kopi Renon, Denpasar, the first hour is free when having a meal, the second hour costs Rp 4,000.

"I prefer to go out of the house to surf the internet, I come to this place every time I have a day off and go on working a little but I also do private stuff on my laptop while having drinks and food," Bonaventura Fajar Putranto, a patron of the caf* said.

Telkom Indonesia has planned to extend the number of hotspots to 300 this year and is currently developing a new product that will enable customers to use Speedy wireless internet without having to install a dedicated phone line first.

Claudia Sardi , The Jakarta Post , Denpasar | Thu, 01/08/2009 10:37 AM | Bali