Indonesia to romp into the information age

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia is set to storm the information age by establishing a telecommunications system dubbed "Nusantara 21" to give cities access to the national information network.

Nusantara 21 will link information superhighway networks between Java, Sumatra, Kalimantan and Sulawesi, Jonathan Parapak, Secretary General of the Ministry of Tourism, Post and Telecommunications, said yesterday.

Major cities and district capitals should be hooked-up by the year 2001, Parapak said.

"By that time, it is hoped that educational, health, trade, science, tourism, public service and government applications will have been developed," Parapak said.

Such a network of services could enhance educational, trade and development activities, he added.

The formulation of the Nusantara 21 network is in the works at the ministry, said Parapak at a seminar at the Indonesian Institute of Science.

A number of obstacles still need to be overcome in the telecommunications field, which currently still has low telephone penetration and limited access, he said.

There is only an estimated two telephones for every 100 people in the country, and the question of low quality and dependency on imported technology needs to be addressed, he said.

To remedy the situation, Indonesia has no choice but to leap- frog problems in the utilization of technology, he said.

The private sector should be included in the development and servicing of telecommunications, a field still very much government controlled.

Other efforts should include accelerating human resources development, gearing the national industry toward independence, and engaging in strategic cooperation with world class operators, he said.

Continued deregulation is needed along with the adoption of "Indonesian style" competition to optimize quality and efficiency, he said.

While Parapak was buoyant about the prospects of a national information highway, there remain questions concerning the social effects of rapid information flow to be discussed.

Retired general Soemitro voiced concerns about possible psychological impacts, questioning the readiness of rural Indonesians to grasp, and place in proper context, the glut of information.

"Psychologically, it could aggravate social disparities further if villagers see how people in the cities live," said Soemitro who is known for his insightful political commentaries.

He stressed the importance of education in grappling with the information age.

Other concerns noted were the likely political effects of bureaucratic transparency, as accelerated access to information would allow people in far off corners of the country to gain immediate knowledge of the business of government.

Parapak said the information age was unstoppable and that various parameters would change because of it.

"Transparency is a given, and that also means a new kind of (political) leadership," he remarked. (mds)