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One of the most important priorities for expatriates living in Jakarta is being able to communicate easily with people in Jakarta as well as with loved ones overseas. Enormous strides have been made in the telecommunications systems in Indonesia in recent years. A decade ago it was extremely difficult to obtain a telephone line for your home. Today, in major urban areas, the situation has vastly improved and many homes already have a phone line and often two installed. If, however, you are interested in leasing a house that doesn't have a telephone installed, be wary of your prospective landlord's assurances that he can get a phone line installed. In these cases it is customary to inform your landlord that you will withhold a significant amount from your rent until the telephone has been installed and is operational. If you are certain you need more lines that the house already has installed, check with the district office of Telkom to see if they are available, BEFORE you sign your lease. Don't trust a prospective landlord's comment, "I'm sure you can add a line" as they are not available in all areas of Jakarta. Phone numbers in Indonesia may have 5 (outside Jakarta), 6 (old numbers), 7 (the standard) or even 8 digits (some new exchanges). When you are receiving a phone number from someone verbally, confirm the number as well as then umber of digits. Paying your phone billAsk your landlord for the proof of payment for the last phone bill prior to your move in as well as the location where your phone bill should be paid.After the 10th of the month, you can call Telkom's Customer Service desk at 109 (press 2 for English) and you can find out the amount due through the recording. You will also receive a notification of the total due via mail, but not until after the 10th. Your phone charges for the previous month's usage should be paid between the 5th and the 20th of the month. It is best to pay earlier in the month as the closer you get to the 20th the longer the lines get. If you pay between the 20th and the 30th, an additional charge will be added to your bill. If you don't pay by the 30th, the phone company will automatically stop your ability to make outgoing calls, but you will still be able to receive incoming phone calls. You will know this has occurred when you pick up the phone you get a recording telling you that you didn't pay your phone bill! If you have a local bank account, it is possible to pay your phone bill online or via ATM in many cases, see BII and BCA services. Problems with telephonesDespite the great strides made in recent years in the development of the phone system, there are still problems in the system. Especially during the rainy season, clarity is affected when water seeps into telephone connection boxes and phone lines to distort transmissions. If this should occur, it is best to just hang up and dial again and you may get a clearer line.When problems occur with your phone, call the Service Point for your area. In Jakarta, dial 117 and they will give you the phone number for your Service Point. Note that number as you may need it again in the future! Some common problems include static on the line (often caused by a line that has been cut by kids flying kites) or outages in entire areas (which may take weeks to solve). While phone installations in homes used to include a free phone, Telkom is no longer replacing broken phones for free. If your phone unit is not working, ask your landlord to replace it. Making domestic long distance callsIn dialing a long distance number within Indonesia you preface the phone number with a city code. Before the city code you dial "0". For example, when calling a Bandung number from Jakarta you dial 0-22 and then the phone number. From outside Indonesia, calling into Indonesia, you don't need to dial the additional "0". For a list of city codes, see Wikipedia.International Direct Dialing (IDD)If your home is not already equipped with international direct dialing access, you will have to place all of your overseas calls through the operator at a much higher rate than direct dialing. Ask your landlord to install IDD access in your home before you move in. Once you have an IDD line, direct dialing a long distance phone is easy. First you dial International Access (001 for Indosat), then the country code, then your area code, then the phone number you are dialing. So to Central Washington State in the US, for example, that is 001-1-509-555-9999. For more information, see international telecommunications. Callback servicesFor substantial savings on long distance phone calls, many expatriates used to use utilize callback services. The caller in Indonesia calls a predetermined number overseas and promptly hangs up. This call triggers a return call to a designated number and you are then connected to an overseas line at a significantly cheaper rate. You must have IDD access for the callback service.Internet Telephony - the cheapest way to call home The popularity of Callback has waned as new technologies are becoming available in Jakarta which allow you to save up to 80% on your international phone calls and faxes. Known as VOIP, Internet telephony or Internet Phone, these services are easy to use and don't require the purchase of any new equipment. All you need is your phone and an internet connection to reach more than 100 countries any time from anywhere. Be cautious about signing up with Indonesian companies for this service, however, as there are only a few licensed operators for these services, and the others could be closed down at a moment's notice (and have been). One company, recommended by a visitor to the site is Skype. All parties have to download Skype software, which is free, and the calls are free, so all you need to buy is a headset with integrated microphone. The "SkypeOut" option for calling land lines and cell phones in other countries is available - you just open an account with a deposit, and use the funds up as you call. Much cheaper than the old options and you can call anybody, anywhere. The Skype interface is user-friendly and even a bit goofy (teen-style) and it works. You can see if somebody's online. As in an IM, you click on their name, and the other computer rings like a phone. They click to pick up, and you start talking. You can send instant messages at the same time, and huge files too (pictures). It works with and among Windows, Mac, Linux, Pocket PC. If you get a call and aren't there, but you computer is on, it leaves a "missed call" message. Special servicesInstallation of a parallel line in your home (second phone on the same number) as well as a fax or modem requires registration with Telkom for a minimal fee. If Telkom discovers that you have an unregistered modem or fax on your home phone, you can be fined. You can also install an ISDN line in your home which will vastly improve data transmission, though the cost is comparatively very high.Telephone DirectoriesOne of the frustrations with the phone system in Indonesia is the difficulty you will undoubtedly encounter in trying to locate phone numbers for various offices and individuals. The phone company lists the phone number according to the person who owns the property, who may not necessarily be the occupant. Therefore it is impossible to call Directory Assistance and ask for an expatriate friend's phone number, as all expatriates lease their homes from Indonesian owners so the phone listing is in the owners name. It can even be difficult to get the phone number for a well-known shop or office if they rent their facilities, or the phone is in the company name, not the shop's name.Because of this, the expatriate community puts out a plethora of phone directories, like the Jakarta Shopper's Guide. You will soon find yourself relying on the directories of international schools, women's organizations, business associations and special interest groups to find your the phone numbers you need. Modem connectionsIn your residence you will undoubtedly experience difficulties with the speed and quality of modem transmissions. While your modem may in theory be capable of transmitting over 56 kbps, you may find that your phone line may only be able to transmit at 19.2 kbps or 9.6 kbps. While your ISP may tell you to set your com port settings faster than this, you may soon find out that the modem cannot connect or transmit at this high baud rate. In this case, change your com port settings to a lower setting to enable transmission.Hand PhonesCellular phones are becoming ever more popular in Indonesia, where they are referred to as hand phones. A good variety of internationally known brands and models are available for purchase, though prices may be cheaper outside Indonesia. There are several operators that provide transmission services for hand phone calls. To help choose an operator, ask your friends which they use and if the service is good or not.Phone CardsThere are a variety of pre-paid phone cards available to insert into public phones. It is very convenient to carry a phone card for use when you are caught in public; no need to worry about having the right kind of change. Great to give one to your kids too in case they need to call you from school. Phone cards can be purchased in the post office, at Wartel, and in locations throughout town. Look for a sign saying "Dijual kartu telpon".Phone cards are often provided by employers for use during periods of business travel. Using the international alphabet to avoid bahasa bloopers Telephone ServicesOperator Assisted Calls within Indonesia 100, 106 Operator Assisted Calls Overseas 101, 104 Information on telephone numbers - Jakarta 108 Information on telephone numbers - Overseas 102 Telephone bill information 109, 147 Telephone complaints/repair 147 |
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