According to the announcement
made by the Ministry of Communications and Informatics, Eastern Indonesia will
also be gaining access to the internet, just like the people from Western
Indonesia, as the government’s commitment to provide infrastructure and telecommunication
will soon be implemented in the region.
The commitment of the government to provide
infrastructure development including telecommunications will soon be realised for
Eastern Indonesia.
Minister of Communications and Informatics
Rudiantara explained the vision of the Government to connect all Indonesians to
the internet, "I promise that by 2019 everyone must be connected with this
highway.”
He also reassured the people of Eastern
Indonesia, during a working visit to Central Rote, Kab. Rote Ndao, East Nusa
Tenggara that they will also be able to take advantage of fast internet
connection the same way as the western part of Indonesia.
He added that the government has the policy
of alignment which will build internet access for all citizens of Indonesia. This
is to address also the non-commercial areas where the priority is education.
“There are 2,700 internet access points so
far, including schools. Of the total count of 226,000 junior high schools and
high schools, there are still 80,000 schools that are not yet connected,” he
explained.
In order to ensure that internet can be
accessed more quickly, Minister Rudiantara shared that telecommunications
satellites with new technology would be used.
He said, "Well, we are currently preparing
the latest satellite which is expected to be finished by the end of the 2018 or
early 2019. Once completed, it will be launched and operated with the hopes
that no later than 2022, all schools will be granted access having a speed five
times more than the current.”
Utilising high speed internet access to advance
education in Indonesia is essential in strengthening the human resources that
are currently studying in school. He envisions that everyone will be able to
access the internet and not just those who have the ability to do so.
Minister Rudiantara also targets the 20,000
villages that are currently without access to the internet to be connected by
2020.
He added, “So that later on, paper will no
longer be used in doing reports in the office. Instead, people will be using
the internet. Everyone across Indonesia should be connected.”
Aside from the satellite that will be
providing internet connection, Minister Rudiantara explained that the Palapa
Ring will also be assisting inter-village connections. The Palapa Ring is built
with 250 kilometres of cable network and over 1000 kilometres of landline
cables and microwaves.
He added, “The name of the Palapa ring in
itself came from the promise of Gajah Mada, his Palapa Oath. With the name
Palapa, we aim to take the spirit to unite Indonesia. The target is for it to
be completed and operational by 2019.”
Five BTS towers are also under construction
to for the Rote Ndao community. This is to ascertain that there will be
internet access even if the Palapa Ring project is not yet finished. The 2700
internet access points were made possible by BTS towers. He also promised that
developments will not stop and they will continue to find ways to provide
internet access.
