Sari P. Setiogi
\nThe Jakarta Post
\nJakarta<\/p>\n
The government unveiled on Friday its new strategy to boost
\nInternet use in the country, but admitted that it would be
\nimpossible for Indonesia to meet the targets set at the recent
\nWorld Summit on the Information Society (WSIS).<\/p>\n
The WSIS, the first global conference on the Internet, which
\nwas held in Geneva in December, set targets that include ensuring
\nthat over 50 percent of the citizens in each country should have
\naccess to the Internet by 2015.<\/p>\n
"At the moment, only about 1 percent of Indonesia's population
\nhas access to the Internet. It will be impossible to increase
\nthis figure by fifty-fold in a little over 10 years," State
\nMinister for Communications and Information Syamsul Mu'arif told
\nreporters on Friday.<\/p>\n
Internet kiosks could play a pivotal role in promoting the use
\nof the Internet among Indonesians, many of whom are still
\nstruggling to supply their basic needs, such as food and housing.<\/p>\n
But, Syamsul said he did not have any great expectations that
\nInternet cafes would appear all over the country as "as it is not
\nyet a profitable business."<\/p>\n
One of the government's strategies is to introduce information
\ntechnology at the early stages of education through the "One
\nschool, one computer laboratory (OSOL)" program, which is
\ncurrently in gestation.<\/p>\n
"We are now approaching the private sector to provide cheap
\ncomputers for between Rp 1.5 million (about US$180) and Rp 2
\nmillion per unit for schools across the country," said Syamsul.<\/p>\n
"Microsoft has agreed to provide software at $2.5 per unit, as
\nagainst the normal price of about US$200," said the minister.<\/p>\n
He also hoped that cheap software could be provided to
\nInternet kiosks so as to promote Internet use.<\/p>\n
Other targets set during the Geneva summit were that all
\ncitizens should have access to television and radio, and all
\ngovernments have an online system of administration (e-
\ngovernment) by 2015.<\/p>\n
"Without a good strategy, it will be difficult for us to reach
\nthe targets. For that, the government, together with the private
\nsector and civil society, should formulate an e-strategy at the
\nnational level," said Syamsul.<\/p>\n
He also said that Indonesia needed to have a law on the
\nstatute books governing all aspects related to information
\ntechnology, including cybercrime, as part of the effort to
\npromote the wider use of the Internet among the public.<\/p>\n
The WSIS is a world forum organized by the United Nations
\ntogether with the International Telecommunications Union (ITU).
\nThe forum is committed to narrowing the gap between developing
\nand developed countries, and between rich countries and poor
\ncountries in the use of Internet.<\/p>\n
The next Internet summit will be held in Tunis next year.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/sari-p-setiogi-1447899208", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }