Indonesia Language & Communications

Language & Communications

Despite it’s diverse multicultural multilingual makeup, the only official language in Indonesia is Indonesian; a language influenced by Malay, Dutch and Javanese. Many educated Indonesians and those closely associated with tourism also speak and understand English, whilst some of the older population still remember Dutch..

The international dialling code for Indonesia is +62. To make an outgoing international call from Indonesia, use any of the following access codes: 017, 001, 007 or 008.

The local mobile phone networks are mainly GSM with roaming agreements in place for many of the major international providers. The market is very competitive, so prices are reasonable, with main operators Telkosel, Indosat,AXIS and Excelcomindo all offering prepaid SIM cards which can be purchased almost anywhere with some form of ID. The coverage is good in the main population centres, but be a little patchy to non existent in more remote areas.

Internet access is available in all of the main tourist and business areas via internet cafes, and free WiFi hotspots in some shopping malls. All of the more upscale hotels also offer room-based access, whilst some offer free WiFi access in the lobby. Many of the phone companies also offer prepaid GSM/WCDMA SIM packages for reasonably priced access from mobile phones.

The postal services in Indonesia have improved greatly in recent years although some of the smaller ones may not offer a complete service. Many people still prefer to send important packages via international courier companies which have offices throughout the country.