Internet blackout fails to materialize

Internet blackout fails to materialize

Rendi A. Witular, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The Association of Indonesian Internet Service Providers (APJII)
canceled at the last minute a planned three-day Internet blackout
because of objections from its members.

The chairman of APJII, Heru Nugroho, said he regretted that
APJII's members were not united enough to make the decision on
the blackout.

"The decision to shut down the Indonesian Internet Exchange
(IIX) was canceled last night because of severe differences of
opinions among us," he said on Wednesday.

On Tuesday, Heru said the members of APJII had agreed to
launch the blackout starting on Wednesday morning, in protest of
government inaction in regulating the industry.

APJII currently has 60 active members throughout Indonesia.
Several members, including four prominent Internet Service
Providers (ISPs) -- PT Telkom, PT Indosat, PT M-Web Indonesia and
PT Bolehmail -- would not consent to the planned blackout.

Telecommunications expert Roy Suryo said the cancellation of
the blackout proved there was friction inside the association.

"The solidity of the association is now in question. It was
odd that on May. 7, they hastily and definitely insisted on
shutting shut down the IIX, but later they canceled. I think they
were just bluffing to get the government's attention," said Roy.

If it had gone ahead, the blackout would have shutdown the
Indonesian Internet Exchange -- the local backbone for all ISPs
in Indonesia -- making local websites, portals and Internet
banking services inaccessible.

The association is upset about the recent raids by the police
and city officials on Voice over the Internet Protocol (VoIP)
operators and 2.4 GHz frequency band operators. Although the
government has banned these operators, they are allowed to
continue doing business until the end of this month, according to
a government decree. So the raids were seen as too hasty.

The ISPs are also angry about the government's failure to
issue in a timely manner the necessary license to operate the 2.4
GHz frequency band, although a special regulation for the
operation of this frequency band is in place.

The Directorate General of Post and Telecommunications plans
to issue a temporary permit for the use of the 2.4 GHz frequency
in response to protests by the ISPs.

A source said the ISPs met with officials of the Directorate
General on Wednesday.