Broadband Bill will Improve Internet Availability: Analyst

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta – IT observer Ruby Zukri Alamsyah said that a presidential regulation on broadband Internet network will encourage internet equity. According to Ruby, the development of broadband infrastructure will spread the availability of high-speed internet, allowing people in farther of Indonesia to access the interwebs faster and easier.

"If possible, Indonesia's eastern parts should have similar Internet access with the western parts," he told Tempo yesterday.

To date, Ruby said, Internet servers are concentrated in Java because there are still many shortcomings in the eastern regions' network.

Ruby said the government's decision to issue this the broadband bill is relatively late. Especially since the bill had been a discourse since Tifatul Sembiring was appointed Minister of Communications and Information Technology. "Better late that not at all, I suppose," Ruby added.

Samuel Abrijani Pangerapan, chairman of the Indonesian Internet Service Providers Association (APJII), said the development of broadband Internet service will benefit users, provided that it implements an open-access system. Therefore, all internet service providers (ISP) will be able to use the network with the same treatment.  

Samuel said Indonesia already has a competitive international networking system. But the problem is it is still very dependent on the Singaporean hub. "It is actually harming the national network resilience," he said.

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