In case you’ve been worried about going offline this coming Sunday, the provincial government has confirmed that the internet will stay on during Nyepi, or the Balinese Day of Silence, this year.
News reports published last week, which said that there was going to be a province-wide internet shutdown during Nyepi, caused some confusion among the public.
“This means that cellular data and IPTV (Internet Protocol television) will be off, but the internet will remain on. The internet at home, especially in hospitals and other vital objects will be on like normal,” Gede Pramana, Head of the Communication, Informatics and Statistics Agency in Bali, said in a statement.
“Only [cellular data] on phones will be off. You can still text and call, even your computer, laptop and mobile phones can connect to the Wi-Fi at home or office and be used like normal.”
The holy day falls on Sunday, March 14 this year. Everyone on the island is expected to respect the sacred practice and stay inside, where lights are not supposed to be seen from the outside. Tradition holds that people are not supposed to work or travel, as they are expected to use the day for self-reflection.
Cellular data services being turned off during Nyepi is not exactly new, and non-mobile internet service providers (ISPs) have also largely remained operational in previous years. In addition, transportation hubs, including the Ngurah Rai International Airport, will be closed for 24 hours from 6am on March 14 to 6am on March 15.
