No, not pollution: Jakarta abuzz with Wifi waves

No, not pollution: Jakarta abuzz with Wifi waves

Tantri Yuliandini, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

There is something in air in Jakarta these days and it is more
than the usual pollution. The buzz is about Wireless Fidelity
(WiFi), the latest in technological trends that has recently made
its entrance in the capital's lounges and trendy cafes.

WiFi liberates Internet users from wire constraints, allowing
them to surf the net from cafes, restaurants, and airport
lounges.

After touring the world over, WiFi has decided to stop over in
Jakarta. U.S. coffee chain Starbucks recently launched it's WiFi
"menu" in Indonesia, using provider Biznet's pre-paid service or
its subscription based fee.

For a pre-paid voucher of 30 minutes, 60 minutes, and 300
minutes worth of connection, users pay Rp 25,000 (about US$3), Rp
45,000, and Rp 150,000 respectively, for Internet connection of
up to 22 mega bytes per second (Mbps). The vouchers are available
in all hotspots.

Just open up an Internet browser on your WiFi-enabled laptop
or personal digital assistant (PDA) near a wireless network,
called a hotspot, and it should connect to the network
automatically.

In this case, Biznet's login page should appear on your
browser. Just login with the name and password that comes with
your pre-paid voucher and you are ready to surf.

In Jakarta, Biznet's hotspots can be found at the
InterContinental MidPlaza and in 10 Starbucks outlets.

"We plan to provide this service in all of our outlets in
Jakarta, Surabaya, and Bali," Anthony Cottan, general manager PT
Sari Coffee, holder of the Starbucks license in Indonesia, said
during the launch recently.

He added however that Starbucks does not intend to turn its
establishment into an Internet cafe, but to provide the service
for those who needs it. "We'd like to see executives move their
meetings from their offices to here," Cottan said.

Besides Biznet, CBN and Surfzone -- a collaboration between
Telkom and its cellular subsidiary Telkomsel -- also claims to
have set up hotspots in several public places in the capital.

WiFi, also known as Wireless LAN (WLAN), is a radio frequency
standard of the U.S.-based Institute of Electrical and
Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11b. It operates at the public
2,4 Giga Hertz band of spectrum also shared by microwave ovens
and cordless phones.

It's popularity these days are partly attributed to
Microsoft's decision to adopt the standard and build it into
Windows XP, enabling Windows users to effortlessly connect to the
network.

Another reason is that because WiFi's open specification
allows manufacturers to use the technology without having to
worry about developing the core technology or making royalty
payments, the price of WiFi equipment are continually going down.

A WiFi access point, or base station, was sold for around
US$1,900 in 1997, according to H. Asher Bolande in an article
published in the February 2003 edition of the Far Eastern
Economics Review. In 2000 it sold for $900 and in 2003 for as
little as $70.

Meanwhile, the IEEE 802.11b or IEEE 802.11b+ PCMCIA card
needed for laptops and PDAs to connect to a WiFi access point
costs between $100 to $150 in Indonesia, although newer PDA and
laptop models such as Acer's n20w and Toshiba's e740 now come
WiFi ready.

WiFi's major drawback is that you cannot use the network while
on the move, you have to be sitting down and within 100 to 300
meters to the nearest access point. Which makes it difficult to
compete with cellular companies' GPRS (general packet radio
service) offering the same service for the mobile phone.
Particularly since in Indonesia GPRS is more widespread than the
little-known WiFi.

"After Satelindo Matrix introduced its cheap GPRS access, and
in addition to Mobile-8 Fren's free internet access promotion,
hotspots is no longer attractive. Why go to cafes when we can
access the Internet at all places of Jabotabek (Greater
Jakarta)!" Sentot Adiprasena, a businessman in Jakarta, said.
Sentot has used WiFi since early 2003 when there was still very
few places with the service in the capital.

Other WiFi users and technology enthusiasts, such as Leo
Indrawan and Raditya Mahendra, complain that there were not
enough technical support available at hotspots for such a new,
and little known service.

"When I tried (the service) the waiter at the cafe didn't
understand anything about how to set up the system," Raditya
said.

Ibox:

WiFi Hotspots in Jakarta

Location Provider

InterContinental MidPlaza Biznet
Starbucks Plaza Indonesia Biznet
Starbucks Setiabudi Building Biznet
Starbucks Taman Anggrek Mall Biznet
Starbucks Cilandak Town Square Biznet
Starbucks Wisma 46 Kota BNI Biznet
Starbucks Pondok Indah Mall Biznet
Starbucks Kemang Square Biznet
Starbucks Skyline Building 24 Hour Store Biznet
Starbucks Jakarta Stock Exchange Biznet
Starbucks Soekarno-Hatta Airport Biznet
Coffee Club Plaza Senayan CBN
Mister Bean Coffee Cilandak Town Square CBN
Lamoda Cafe Plaza Indonesia CBN
Hotel Mulia Senayan CBN
California Pizza Kitchen Plaza Indonesia CBN
Lobby Graha Surya Internusa (Telkomsel) Surfzone
Lobby Graha Citra Caraka (Telkom) Surfzone
Starbucks Cafe Plaza Senayan Surfzone
Executive Lounge Soekarno-Hatta Airport Surfzone
Marche Restaurant, Graha Surya Internusa Surfzone
Lobby and meeting room Hotel Grand Melia Surfzone
State Palace Press Room Surfzone
Fashion Cafe, Java Bay,
Food Court, Bakmi Keriting,
Wisma 46 Kota BNI Surfzone
Lobby Taman Anggrek Mall Surfzone