Indonesia To Improve Internet Speeds Making Bali A World-Class Digital Nomad Hub 

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Indonesia has just committed to improving internet access across the country.

While Indonesia has pretty good internet coverage, there are still blank zones, and upload and download speeds are not as quick as they could be.

The Indonesian Minister for Communication and Information, Budi Arie Setiadi, has outlined the Indonesia Digital 2045 Vision.

This vision outlines the plan to improve Indonesia’s internet speeds by more than 30 times what they are now.

Speaking at a press conference, Minister Setiadi explained, “Indonesia’s internet speed is still low. We are only at 24.9 Mbps. We are targeting the Digital Indonesian Vision to be 765 Mbps by 2045 so that in the next 21 years, we have to jump 30 times.”

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This is great news not only for Indonesian citizens but also for digital nomads, tourists, and those with businesses in the country.

With this 21-year plan ahead of them, the Indonesian government is looking forward to taking a cooperative approach to ensure that the dream is realized. 

Minister Setiadi told reporters, “A common understanding and [a series of] measurable and harmonious implementation steps are needed between the government, private and community institutions. And it hoped that real support and follow-up action from each government entity [is realized]. Each plays a role, and the synergy with the private and public sector must be realized too.”

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While some OG digital nomads in Bali are starting to look elsewhere to use as a base as the island becomes more of a hub for remote workers, Bali is set to be a creative hub for innovators and entrepreneurs for many years to come. 

The island has been given the name ‘Silicon Bali,’ a play on Silicon Valley, for the sheer volume of start-ups, tech entrepreneurs, and digital nomads that are using the province as a base.

For many people, the work-life balance is a big lure, in addition to the like-minded community and access to both a vibrant social scene and the opportunity to completely disconnect with the online world and get lost in nature. 

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Indonesia is taking strikes to ensure that this remains the case for a long while to come. Not only will internet speeds improve 30-fold, but access will be rolled out in areas that are currently blank zones.

Nusa Penida is notably one of the areas of Bali province that is lagging behind when it comes to internet access and even mobile phone signal.

The Regent of Klungkung has committed to holding the Ministry for Communication and Information and the private telecom companies to account.

While there is decent interest access in Nusa Penida, Nusa Ceningan, and Nusa Lembongan, the blank spots are proving a problem for businesses, locals, tourists, and digital nomads.

One of the biggest ways Indonesia is working to make it easier for digital nomads to use his like Bali as a base is through the immigration system.

For over a decade, digital nomads have rested in something of a grey area when it comes to Indonesia’s immigration system.

Some digital nomads have used pre-investment visas while they explore business opportunities and work remotely in Indonesia; others have used socio-cultural visas. 

The Directorate General of Immigration has introduced the Golden Visa policy exclusively for high-value individuals and businesses.

The visa is targeted at those in the tech space, though it is open to everyone who has the funds available.

The new Golden Visa policy allows for highly qualified and high-wealth individuals to stay for up to 5-10 years in a residency-by-investment style program.

Applicants applying as foreign individual investors must invest USD 2.5 million (IDR 38 billion) or USD 5 million (IDR 76 billion) for a 10-year visa. 

This is a really exclusive visa category, so Indonesia’s Immigration will be introducing another new category in the coming months.

The Remote Worker Visa, E33G, is available for digital nomads who want to stay in the country for up to a year and can prove they have a salary of USD 60,000 p/a.