The South Tangerang City Government (Pemkot Tangsel) is accelerating\ndigital inclusion to support regional economic transformation. Through\nthe Communication and Informatics Office (Diskominfo), the city has\nlaunched a network expansion programme that now covers more than 5,000\nfree internet (Wi-Fi) service points across various areas, including\nhundreds of houses of worship.<\/p>\n
This tactical move aims to narrow the digital divide while boosting\ncommunity-based productivity by transforming mosques and prayer rooms\ninto centres for public economic literacy.<\/p>\n
Head of the South Tangerang City Diskominfo, Tb. Asep Nurdin,\nstressed that expanding internet access in public areas is not merely\nabout providing basic facilities, but is a strategic pillar for\ndeveloping human resources ready to face the digital economy\nlandscape.<\/p>\n
\u201cMosques must become centres for community activities and youth\ndevelopment. They should not only host religious activities but also\nprogrammes that provide concrete benefits to the community, including\nthe use of digital technology for economic empowerment and education,\u201d\nAsep said on Tuesday (23\/6\/2026).<\/p>\n
Asep explained that providing internet quota and networks without\naccompanying digital skills risks triggering negative impacts from\ntechnology misuse. Therefore, Diskominfo Tangsel is not only focusing on\nphysical infrastructure (hardware) but also on strengthening human\ncapacity.<\/p>\n
Through the \u201cDigital Mosque\u201d ecosystem, the city government has\ndesigned structured digital training programmes targeting various\nsegments, from students and mosque youth groups to mosque administrators\n(takmir). Training materials cover basic digital skills, cybersecurity,\nand the use of digital platforms for developing micro, small, and medium\nenterprises (UMKM) within the congregation.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe want to ensure that reliable connectivity directly correlates\nwith productive activities. The younger generation must be directed to\nbecome digital creators and innovators, not just content consumers,\u201d\nAsep added.<\/p>\n
As of the second quarter of 2026, the free internet expansion\nprogramme has reached various clusters of public facilities. Of the\ntotal 5,000 service points available, 397 are Wi-Fi points in government\nareas and 4,603 are in public areas.<\/p>\n
Specifically for religious facility clusters, free internet services\nhave been installed in 379 mosques and 376 prayer rooms spread across\nseven sub-districts. Pondok Aren Sub-district has the highest\ndistribution with 197 points, followed by East Ciputat (150 points),\nPamulang (129 points), Ciputat (106 points), Serpong (91 points), North\nSerpong (54 points), and Setu (36 points).<\/p>\n
Beyond houses of worship, facilitated public spaces include 1,198\npoints at community halls or security posts, 245 points at educational\norganisations such as private schools and Islamic boarding schools, and\n148 points at integrated health posts (posyandu) or non-communicable\ndisease service posts (posbindu).<\/p>\n
The city government has also launched a free web hosting service for\nreligious organisations and mosque-assisted UMKM. This step aims to\nreduce digital operational costs while supporting community digital\nindependence.<\/p>\n
The resilience of this regional digitalisation programme is fully\nsupported by the city\u2019s capable Data Centre, which boasts 616 CPU cores,\n1,840 GB of RAM, and a massive storage capacity of 328.17 Terabytes\n(TB).<\/p>\n
Asep is optimistic that the strategy of optimising houses of worship\nas digital literacy hubs can reach grassroots communities that have\ntraditionally been difficult to access through formal banking or\ntechnology corporation outreach.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis massive network expansion also serves as a positive signal for\nthe investment climate in the technology sector within the capital\u2019s\nbuffer zone, proving that South Tangerang is ready to fully transition\ntowards electronic-based government systems (SPBE) and an inclusive\ndigital economy,\u201d he concluded.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/south-tangerang-city-expands-free-internet-access-to-boost-public-productivity-1782233468", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }