Indonesia Still Grapples with Pricey Internet Rates

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Coordinating Maritime Affairs and Investment Minister Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan said presently the country’s Internet was only accessible to those who are financially secure due to its pricey rates.

“The Internet gap is also attributable to its costly rates, thus it can only be accessed by those who are financially capable,” Luhut said in his opening speech at the 2021 Indonesia Fintech Summit on Sunday, December 12, 2021.

Luhut added the unequal internet coverage was also among the challenges the nation must take on to spur the growth of its digital economy. Currently, some 12,000 villages in the archipelago still cannot yet access 4G Internet quality.  

The government aims at providing 4G Internet access via telecommunication operators to all villages in Indonesia next year.

“The sluggish speed of the Internet network is also a setback in advancing digital economy,” he said.

According to comparethemarket.com, Ethiopia tops the list of the countries with the highest internet rates with US$423.88 per month, followed by the UAE with 236 pounds. The US, meanwhile, ranks ninth on the list with a monthly average of US$66.13. Ukraine is presently the country with the lowest internet rates with US$6.08 on average per month. 

Read: Internet Broadband Penetration Remains Below 20 Percent, Says APJII

BISNIS.COM