Indonesia Placed Fourth in ASEAN Information Technology
23 November 2016 13:38 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Morotai - Minister of Communications and Information Technology Rudiantara stated that Indonesia acquired fourth position in the context of ASEAN’s communication and information technology. He said that Indonesia must improve itself to catch up with other countries.
“Because other countries, such as Vietnam, continues to develop,” Rudiantara said on Tuesday, November 22, 2016.
Rudiantara reveals that Indonesia is positioned behind Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand. One of the reasons why Indonesia is left behind is because of the lack of telecommunication infrastructure developments connecting rural regions.
That is why the government established the Palapa Ring project. Palapa Ring’s central package has at least a number of regions that doesn’t have connections to anywhere, such as Morotai and Tidore Islands.
Currently there are 514 districts/cities that doesn’t have internet access. By the end of 2019, telecommunication providers could only manage to connect 57 districts/cities. While another 57 district/cities will be developed through Palapa Ring, added with 28 districts/cities that will have its access strengthened.
For that matter, Rudiantara acknowledges that it isn’t the operator’s responsibility to develop each and every regions in Indonesia. Especially since building communication infrastructures in places outside of their desired districts/cities would not be a feasible business.
DIKO OKTARA