Starlink Internet in Bali, Indonesia

Starlink (satellite communication) has finally launched in Indonesia, offering an interesting alternative not only for remote areas of the country, but also for Bali.

Tariffs and ordering can be found here: https://www.starlink.com/id

The basic package currently costs around 9 million rupiah. Orders can be placed on the website, payment can be made by card, and delivery is done by courier to your home.

There are several tariffs available. The basic "resident" tariff for 750k/month does not allow the antenna to be moved to another location. The mobile tariff for 990k/month does allow movement within the continent.

Here are some more details about the tariffs and separate mounts for installation:

Connection and setup are straightforward. The main challenge is finding a suitable place to install the antenna.

Specification for the kit here: https://www.starlink.com/id/specifications?spec=1

The connection speed and stability depend greatly on the percentage of unobstructed sky visible to the antenna. Choose a high open point and use the Obstructions section in the app to monitor visibility. Fortunately, the antenna cable included in the kit is quite long. The antenna itself rotates and adjusts its tilt for optimal reception.

My tests are conducted in conditions with good visibility and stable reception. I have the Standard Actuated antenna model.

They have a very nice mobile app for controlling the antenna and router.

Indonesian website blocks are in effect (e.g., Vimeo, Reddit). It seems that these blocks are done via DNS, so they can be easily bypassed.

Now for the tests:

Based on the test results, it is likely that the traffic is being routed through Indonesia. Therefore, buying Starlink to reduce ping is not recommended.

If you consistently live in a developed area of Bali/Indonesia with multiple good providers to choose from (not IndiHome or Biznet) and have 4G as a backup, then it is not worth it. 

However, if you do not have access to good providers, frequently move, and have high internet quality requirements, then it is worth considering.

It is also possible to purchase Starlink as a backup channel that does not depend on the ground infrastructure in Bali.