Heaptalk, Jakarta — Over the past decade, Indonesia has significantly progressed in developing information and communication technology infrastructure to bridge the digital divide, called digital transformation. Budi Arie Setiadi, the Minister of Communication and Informatics, revealed that Indonesia’s internet speed has increased from around 2.5 Mbps in 2014 to 25 Mbps in 2024.
“This means a tenfold increase. We hope that in the next five years, we can reach the target of 100 Mbps internet speed,” he said during the Live Obrolan Newsroom program on Indonesia’s Digital Transformation at Menara Kompas, Central Jakarta, on Monday (10/07).
Budi Arie acknowledged that challenges remain regarding the uneven distribution of internet connectivity between urban and rural areas. He noted that this issue stems from stalled projects involving the construction of Base Transceiver Stations (BTS). “I received direct orders from President Jokowi to resolve the legal and technical issues surrounding the construction of 4G BTS. These are the two things we need to address. The legal process is ongoing, while the technical work must be completed. Hence, the 4G BTS project will continue since it’s the people’s right to access connectivity or signal,” he explained.
Since assuming the Minister of Communication and Informatics role on July 17, 2023, Budi Arie has taken multiple steps to accelerate the process, including forming a cross-sector Task Force within the Telecommunications and Information Accessibility Agency (Bakti). The task force involves the Ministry of Communication and Informatics, the Ministry of Finance, the Deputy Attorney General for Civil and Administrative Affairs (Jamdatun), the Financial and Development Supervisory Agency (BPKP), and the National Public Procurement Agency (LKPP).
Budi revealed, “We have also been coordinating intensively with regional government officials (Forkopimda), particularly the military and police (TNI-Polri) in Papua, where construction in some areas is still incomplete. Outside of Papua, all work has been completed. Only a few areas remain in Papua, with 91% of the work finished.”
Regarding the 4G BTS development in Papua, the Minister explained that the region faces unique challenges due to its geography, making the work more demanding. “For example, in 2022, eight Telecommunications Heroes were shot in Puncak Regency during maintenance work on the Palapa Ring tower project. Local police issued a warning to postpone the work. A year later, there was an attack involving machetes and the abduction of workers on the Bakti Kominfo BTS construction project,” he said.
Additionally, acts of vandalism have targeted the infrastructure that has been built. The Ministry of Communication and Informatics has issued warnings and conducted awareness campaigns to encourage the public to protect the telecommunications infrastructure provided by the government for the community’s benefit. Budi added, “After being built, it’s damaged again. We urge that this is people’s right to access connectivity or signals. Therefore, as a public facility everyone uses, it should be maintained together.”
As of June 2024, Bakti, under the Ministry of Communication and Informatics, has built 6,663 operational 4G BTS and established 18,697 internet access points for public services. These access points include 8,836 schools, 5,182 government offices, 2,606 healthcare facilities, 743 community centers, 674 places of worship, 322 defense and security services, 139 tourist destinations, 120 essential services, and 75 public transportation hubs.
