According to Indonesian news outlet Tempo, the local government launched a nationwide high-speed internet access initiative yesterday. The goal of the program is to boost economic competitiveness throughout the archipelago. Titled the 2014-2019 Indonesia Broadband Plan, it will require Rp 278 trillion (US$23.2 billion) in financing.
Minister of the National Development Planning Agency Armida Salisah Alisjahbana claimed that the program will have a positive impact on locals by increasing work productivity and hopefully reducing economic gaps in the long run.
See: Indonesia’s internet speed gets an update, 100Mbps worth of it
In August, the Wall Street Journal referenced a study of 18 to 30-year-olds conducted by international communications company Ooredoo (the parent company of local telco Indosat), which examined the digital attitudes and aspirations of Indonesia’s youth, a group that makes up more than half the country’s population.
The study showed that young Indonesians crave greater and more advanced internet reach, with 91 percent of the 1,400 respondents saying they don’t spend as much time online as they would like due to problems with connectivity. In rural areas, where a third of the respondents reside, 60 percent claimed poor internet coverage and 82 percent said they were frustrated by slow connection speeds.
The broadband infrastructure is expected to cover 49 percent of households and six percent of the population. The plan would also provide mobile internet access to 52 percent of the population. The total budget allocated for the program is Rp 278 trillion (US$23.2 billion), with 10 percent of the total budget coming from the state.
Image via Flickr user 世書 名付.
Editing by J.T. Quigley
(And yes, we’re serious about ethics and transparency. More information here.)
Stay updated on the go with our mobile app.
Get latest insights with smoother, more personalized experience through TIA mobile app.
