TELKOM's history started in 1856, on October 23, with the operation of Indonesia's first electromagnetic telegraph by the Dutch Colonial Government connecting Batavia (Jakarta) and Buitenzorg (Bogor).
In 1884, the Dutch colonial government founded a private company to provide postal and domestic telegraph services and, later on, international telegraph services. Telephony had been introduced to Indonesia in 1882. Telephony services were provided by privately-owned companies under a 25-year government license until 1906, when all postal and telecommunications services in Indonesia were taken over by a government agency established by the Dutch colonial government. In 1961, most of these services were transferred to a newly- established state-owned company. Four years later, in 1965, the Government separated postal and telecommunications services into two state-owned companies, PN Pos and Giro and PN Telekomunikasi.
In 1974, PN Telekomunikasi was further divided into two state-owned companies. Perusahaan Umum Telekomunikasi ("Perumtel") provided domestic and international telecommunicat ions services, while PT Industri Telekomunikasi Indonesia ("PT INTI") manufactured telecommunications equipment. A further division in 1980 saw the international telecommunications business taken over by the newly established PT Indonesian Satellite Corporation ("Indosat").
The next milestone came in 1991, when Perumtel became a state-owned limited liability corporation and renamed Perusahaan Perseroan (Persero) PT Telekomunikasi Indonesia, or TELKOM. Up until 1995, TELKOM's operations were organized along twelve regional operating units known as "Witel". Each Witel had full responsibility for all aspects of business in their respective regions, from the provision of telephone services to property management and security.