2 months ago during March 2018
There are some Batam telco prepaid sim card (data only) no need for registration. example : Three
Only those with voice call and data require registration.
Now or May 2018
All telco require registration be it data only or data+call.
Telcomsel prepaid sim have to go to nagoya hill Telkomsel to register, waiting time about 30-40mins during off peak hours. During peak hours/season may have to wait for more than one hour.
Therefore now, we only left with the following choice to be on-line if we do not buy an indonesian sim card:
1) Use singapore telco data roaming
2) Use hotel provided wi-fi in the room or lobby
3) Go to those restarants/cafe in Nagoya Hill Mall that offers free wifi e.g. Coffee town at level 1, Malaya Cafe at level 3, Baresto Cafe at level 3 , etc.
Long time ago few years back all these restaurants did provide free wifi before but later were discontinued. Recently they offer free wifi again because maybe they understand that foreigner now seldom buy prepaid sim because due to the long waiting time to register at the telco office. Therefore providing free wifi helps to boost up their business too.
Unlike in singapore and Malaysia,
prepaid sim card can be registered directly at the shop outlet be it local or foreigner as long as produce paspor or IC will do. However, in indonesia, if you want to register your newly bought perpaid sim at the shop outlet, you must have a Kartu Tanda Penduduk or KTP for short (pronounce as Car-Teh-Pay) or the local resident identity card. Even if a person is an indonesian (but not from Batam) also have to register at the Telco office because his KTP is not Batam KTP.
Therefore would you want to take the hassle to buy a sim card and wait at the telco office for an hour or more, just for the sake of 3D2N or 4D3N, after that the validity of the sim card became expired after 2 months if you dont return to Batam within that period?
