This article addresses the historical context, current development, and future challenges of distance education in Indonesia. Conditions related to the geography, demography, socio-economic and cultural situations, as well as the availability of technology have encouraged the use of distance education as a valid choice in providing access to quality education at different levels and in various kinds of educational endeavors. Distance education in Indonesia has been applied in a variety of contexts. Its development has been encouraged by advances in the use of information and communication technology in a society in which computer literacy and skills still need to be significantly improved. It should also be recognized that the delivery of distance education in Indonesia has to take into account the use of technology accessible to distance learners who live in various parts of the country with different conditions, different backgrounds, and different levels of access to technology.