Accelerating Development Through Internet Connectivity in Papua's Highlands

The presence of a Community Gateway Medium Earth Station (SBS) in the Papua Highlands region is raising hopes for accelerating development through telecommunications networks. The Community Gateway SBS Wamena, located in Jayawijaya Regency, is a satellite gateway infrastructure that serves as the main distribution point for connectivity in the Papua Highlands. The infrastructure was built to address the limitations of terrestrial networks while increasing the capacity and quality of communication services in the area. The Papua Highlands region, which consists of eight regencies, is classified as a disadvantaged, frontier, and outermost area, or 3T, making government attention essential. The eight regencies are Jayawijaya, Pegunungan Bintang, Yakuhimo, Tolikara, Mamberamo Tengah, Yalimo, Lanny Jaya, and Nduga. Internet access in the Papua Highlands is very limited, disrupting education, health, office administration, micro, small, and medium enterprises, and other interests requiring connectivity. The Community Gateway SBS built in Wamena offers a glimmer of hope for improving internet connectivity in the region. Initially, network capacity in this area was only 7 Gigabits per second, but following the construction of the Community Gateway SBS, capacity has increased and can now reach up to 40 Gbps. The development of the Community Gateway SBS Wamena is a major breakthrough carried out by the Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs involving government partner Telkom Group. Community Gateway SBS facilities have been built in two locations in Tanah Papua, namely Merauke Regency in South Papua and Jayawijaya Regency in the Papua Highlands. In Merauke, the Community Gateway SBS functions as a backup link, while in Wamena it is built as the main connectivity route for the Papua Highlands. With improved internet access, it is hoped that education, health, government, and MSME services will improve and the community will become more prosperous. “Connectivity is the main prerequisite for progress. This is where the Wamena Community Gateway plays an important role, turning geographical challenges into strategic opportunities, preparing the region to grow and take part in the national digital economy,” said Deputy Minister of Communication and Digital Affairs Angga Raka Prabowo. Telkom President Director Dian Siswarini said Wamena has a strategic role as a centre of economic and social activity in the Papua Highlands, but still faces connectivity challenges due to geographical conditions and limited terrestrial networks. “Connectivity is the right of all Indonesian people, without exception. From the centre to the highlands of Papua, we want to ensure that no child of the nation is left behind from the flow of digital transformation,” she said.