Cheap Mobile Internet Solutions in Indonesia

After 2 years we've been seeing GSM Operator battle for 3G Internet solution, let me conclude what options we have currently (data gathered as per Sept 12th, 2008).

The hot offers for this time being is : Indosat 3G Unlimited, Telkomsel Flash Unlimited, and Indosat M2 new package. Read each provider's summary in my article below.

Indosat M2

Indosat M2 (IM2) is a subsidiary of PT Indosat Tbk. Their business is mainly in providing pay TV and Internet services. Mobile Internet services comes with providing a USIM Card with prefix 0814, it can be used for data only, voice call is not available.

IM2 offices are separated from Indosat Galeri, but you can find them operating together in some places, such as at Galeri Indosat Artha Graha, Roxy, Pondok Indah. Or you can go to their new store at Plasa Semanggi.

Currently they offer 2 options for mobile Internet

• Pre-paid option.
  Package name is called IM2 Broom. Similar to prepaid GSM, you have to buy voucher to top-up your account. Vouchers can be purchased from BNI and Permata Bank ATM. The good thing is if you don't fully use up your quota then it can be used for following month depending of expiration of the voucher. This is a cheap Internet solution for light users. Voucher prices are vary:

IDR 50,000.- for 100MB, expired in 30 days after first use
IDR 100,000.- for 200 MB, expired in 45 days.
IDR 150,000.- for 300 MB, expired in 60 days.

A new promo package with 3G/HSDPA Model is also available. By paying approx. IDR 125,000 for 6 months contract (by charging to Mandiri or BCA Credit Card) you will get **ZTE MF620** HSDPA modem plus Voucher for 200MB data. You can purchase this starter pack on their reseller outlets (see [the list here](http://www.indosatm2.com/index.php/services/indosatnet/resellerprepaid_3g)). - [Post-paid option](http://www.indosatm2.com/popup.php/promo/3G_popup_brochure). For quite heavy users, you need a bigger Internet quota. You will be billed on monthly basis, separated from Indosat GSM Matrix billing (if you also have it). Here I only list cheap packages

• Paket Eco, IDR 160,000 per month, 700MB quota, excess quota: IDR 0,4/KB.
• Paket Ecofit, IDR 259,000 per month, FREE Modem, 700MB quota per month.
• Paket You, IDR 350,000 per month, 1,2GB quota, excess quota: IDR 0,35/KB.

Indosat

Indosat as a 3G Player is often not too aggresively pursuing customer by not offering cheap mobile Internet. They have IM3 and Mentari for GSM Prepaid, Matrix for post-paid, and Indosat 3G / 3.5G Broadband for Internet-only users.

• Retail option is IDR 1/KB usage, this is applicable to IM3, Mentari, and Matrix users. You don't have to subscribe to any package. Just use each network APN to dial-up to Internet.
• Matrix 3G Internet packages (ask for Paket Data when you go to their office), bind to your Matrix billing.
• IDR 50,000 for 50MB
• IDR 75,000 for 100MB
• IDR 100,000 for 250MB
• IDR 250,000 for 1GB
• Indosat 3.5G Broadband package (prefix 0814). Ask for Huawei E220 modem purchase (IDR 1.2 million) if you are subscribing these package. See complete packages on their site here.
• Economy, 500MB/month, IDR 90,000
• Extra light, 1.25GB/month, IDR 200,000 (IDR 99,000 for first 3 months)
• Medium, 3G/month, IDR 400,000 (IDR 250,000 for first 3 months)
• NEW: Indosat 3.5G Broadband Internet Unlimited. No ads in newspaper but I found these in their website. This is the most make-sense option for unlimited browsing using Indosat network, but remember that Indosat 3.5G Unlimited uses separate SIM card (with prefix 0814)
• ISAT Eco, IDR 100,000 per month, up to 256kbps.
• ISAT Medium, IDR 300,000 per month, up to 1Mbps
• ISAT Heavy, IDR 500,000 per month, up to 3.6Mbps
• ISAT Super, IDR 1,5 million, up to 7.2Mbps (really? use what device? :) )

XL

XL has not updated neither their price nor Internet quota for more than a year. Options are still the same:

• XPlorer/Mega Data, quota 250M, IDR 99,000 per month
• Xtion / Giga Data, quota 1GB, IDR 279,000 per month
• Xtreme, quota 3GB, IDR 499,000 per month

Telkomsel

Telkomsel comes with Telkomsel Flash Unlimited brand, it is the most popular Internet option among users. Nowadays users complain a lot about its connectivity and speed. So try it before you buy.

You need to become KartuHalo subscriber or direct debit to credit card in order to subscribe to free modem bundling.

With Free Huawei E220 Modem bundling:

• Basic : IDR 250,000, speed up to 256 kbps (means 30 KB/s !!)
• Advance : IDR 350,000, speed up to 512 kbps (64 KB/s)
• Pro : IDR 525,000, speed up to 3,6 Mbps

Without Modem:

• Basic : IDR 125,000, speed up to 256 kbps
• Advance : IDR 225,000, speed up to 512 kbps (64 KB/s)
• Pro : IDR 400,000, speed up to 3,6 Mbps

HSDPA Modem Options