Indonesia's Telecom Infrastructure Trails, 2,000 Villages Remain Without Service

Indonesia's broadband quality is lagging behind its Southeast Asian neighbors, ranking ninth out of ten countries in the ASEAN region, surpassing only Myanmar. This digital divide is further exacerbated by the fact that over 2,000 villages still lack any telecommunications access, creating significant 'blank spots' across the archipelago.

This poor connectivity directly impacts Indonesia's global competitiveness. The development of telecommunications infrastructure faces numerous hurdles, including the suboptimal use of passive infrastructure leading to duplicated network construction, low utilization rates estimated at only 20-40 percent, and high investment costs for network expansion.

M. Hilman Fikrianto, an expert policy analyst at the Ministry of Communication and Digital (Komdigi), highlighted that achieving equitable digital connectivity remains a key challenge for national digital transformation. He emphasized that developing 'gigabit cities' is crucial, not just for high-speed internet, but for building a robust national digital ecosystem.

"Gigabit cities are a strategic pillar to support the adoption of the Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence (AI), cloud computing, big data, the acceleration of public service digitalization, and the development of integrated smart cities," Fikrianto stated in a press release. Addressing these infrastructure gaps is seen as essential for Indonesia to fully participate in and benefit from the global digital economy.

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Gigabit cities are a strategic pillar to support the adoption of the Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence (AI), cloud computing, big data, the acceleration of public service digitalization, and the development of integrated smart cities.