Brunei Internet
Brunei lags behind much of Southeast Asia on its Internet capabilities, both for coverage and speed, although the government is in the process of getting the country wired.
Internet connectivity throughout the country to homes and businesses is certainly not ubiquitous, but there are numerous internet cafés throughout towns and cities where locals meet up to socialize and surf. Tourists will often find speeds slow and charges quite steep.
Availability
Broadband internet access is available in all main towns throughout Brunei as well as in most tourist hotels. There are also numerous internet cafés in towns and cities, with the internet being one of the main forms of socializing among young Bruneians. Although speeds are lagging behind the likes of Singapore and South Korea, connectivity is generally 24/7.
Costs
Being monopolized by company TelBru, internet connectivity in the home is relatively expensive. Speeds are constantly in a state of flux. Prices in internet cafés are relatively expensive.
Internet Cafés
In a country where there are no bars or nightclubs as such, internet cafés are the main source of fun for many Bruneians. They are everywhere in the main towns and cities and people come out to socialize in them, as well as to surf the net and check email. There are more internet cafés in the capital Bandar Seri Begawan than anywhere else in the country, both in the malls and out on the street.
WiFi
There are no WiFi hotspots on the streets in Brunei like you would find in Singapore, although many of the larger hotels have networks set up so that you can sign on via a laptop in your room. These are the top hotels in Bandar Seri Begawan which have a pay-per-hour system where you login online.
GPRS / EDGE
Brunei is supplied by GPRS Mobile Phone Service for GSM mobile phones initially at 2.5G, although more people are now subscribing to 3G Mobile services. Brunei is constantly evolving in the cyber world and likely to embrace future upgrades and systems, such as the New Generation Network.
Precautions
There is supposedly no restriction in place on the internet in Brunei, although getting involved in negative discussions on politics, religion, and the sultanate on blogs and forums while in the country is not advised. Criticizing the sultan in any way is against the law in Brunei and carries with it jail time.
