DPR Member Requests Expansion and Equitable Distribution of Internet Village Programme
Digital transformation in villages must be ensured not to stop at access alone, but also to drive improvements in community economic capacity.
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Member of Commission I of the Indonesian House of Representatives Yudha Novanza Utama has requested that the Internet Village programme, organised by the Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs (Komdigi), be continuously expanded while still paying attention to aspects of equity, service quality, and digital literacy among the public.
According to him, the programme represents a concrete step in accelerating national digital transformation, particularly in bridging the internet access gap between urban and rural areas.
“I appreciate the Internet Village initiative, which not only provides connectivity but also delivers real impacts for the community, especially in supporting economic activities, education, and public services in the regions,” said Yudha in Jakarta on Monday.
In addition, according to him, the presence of fibre optic-based networks in rural areas can significantly improve connectivity quality, thereby providing opportunities for MSME actors to expand markets through digital platforms and drive efficiency in local economic activities.
“Digital transformation in villages must be ensured not to stop at access alone, but also to drive improvements in community economic capacity. In this regard, the Internet Village programme has demonstrated tangible positive impacts,” he said.
He also appreciated the Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs’ efforts in promoting human resource capacity building through technical training and youth empowerment, including the involvement of vocational high school students in network management through schemes such as Telcohub.
According to him, such steps are important to ensure the sustainability of the digital ecosystem at the local level while creating community independence in managing technology infrastructure.
Previously, the Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs (Kemkomdigi) had built 1,282 fixed broadband internet access points as part of the Internet Village programme to promote equitable connectivity up to the village level.
“In 2024, we successfully created 1,282 access points (internet) in 22 villages, 10 districts, 15 sub-districts, and 6 provinces,” said Special Staff to the Minister of Communication and Digital Affairs for Youth and Start-up Affairs Alfreno Kautsar Ramadhan during a press conference in Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara, on Tuesday (21/4).
Alfreno explained that the Internet Village programme is focused on providing internet networks in villages to support household activities; micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs); and public facilities.