Jakarta, Indonesianpost.com – Retrieved from Antara, The Indonesian government is set to roll out fixed internet access with speeds of up to 100 Mbps, focusing on areas that lack fiber optic infrastructure, including schools, health centers, and village offices.
Minister of Communication and Digital Affairs, Meutya Hafid, announced that the initiative is part of a national effort to accelerate digital equality, in line with President Prabowo Subianto’s directives.
“Digital connectivity is a key foundation for fostering economic growth within communities,” Hafid said on Saturday. She added that President Prabowo had emphasized the critical role of digitalization in enhancing the economic well-being of the nation during his inauguration speech.
To support this effort, the government will allocate a new spectrum to be transparently distributed to fixed internet service providers. The program will adopt an open access network model, which will require permit holders to share infrastructure with other telecommunications providers.
The goal is to ensure high-speed fixed internet reaches areas without fiber optic networks, particularly public facilities such as schools, health centers, village offices, and households, Hafid explained.
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Data from the Directorate General of Digital Infrastructure reveals that 86 percent of schools (about 190,000 units) lack fixed internet access. In addition, 75 percent of Community Health Centers (around 7,800 units) are not fully connected, and 32,000 village offices remain in blank spot areas. Fixed broadband penetration currently reaches only 21.31 percent of households in Indonesia.
“We aim to ensure that every spectrum policy not only complies with regulations but also allows for industry participation and readiness,” Hafid noted.
She also mentioned that the draft Ministerial Regulation, which will serve as the legal framework for the affordable internet program, has been under consultation with industry stakeholders for over a month. The selection process for operators will begin this year, following a transparent and accountable scheme that prioritizes technological readiness and a commitment to providing affordable services. (BL)