Kemkomdigi to add 1,000 Internet Village sites by 2026

Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Ministry of Communication and Digital (Kemkomdigi) is targeting the addition of 1,000 fixed broadband access points as part of the Internet Village programme to promote equitable connectivity down to the village level.

The Head of the Fixed Broadband Infrastructure Acceleration Team at Kemkomdigi, Singgih Yuniawan, explained that this development will add to the 1,282 sites already built in 2025, resulting in a total of 2,282 sites.

“Yes, there is another programme (to add Internet Village sites) of 1,000 points. So, plus continuing the current ones, the total will be 2,282 sites,” said Singgih when met in Setanggor Village, Central Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara, on Wednesday.

Singgih added that the new Internet Village sites are planned to be built in West Sumatra, North Sumatra, Kupang Regency, North Maluku, and Gorontalo. Kemkomdigi also plans to build in West Kalimantan, which is currently in the initial exploration stage.

Kemkomdigi has village-level data to map areas without fibre optic access. Incoming proposals are then matched against this data before further surveys are conducted.

“We match (the proposals) with digital data to check if the proposed location truly lacks fibre optic. If it indeed does not have it, we conduct a survey from our side first. Initially an on-desk survey, then a field survey,” said Singgih.

If deemed feasible, Kemkomdigi then coordinates with industry associations such as the Association of Telecommunications Network Providers (Apjatel) and the Indonesian Internet Service Providers Association (APJII) to find internet service providers willing to provide networks in the area.

From this process, Kemkomdigi will partner with interested internet service providers to enter the target areas through an incentive scheme.

Singgih stated that the Internet Village programme is stimulatory in nature, with the government providing internet service incentives for the first year to attract operators to launch their services in beneficiary areas before operating independently.

“Operators won’t enter without certainty of customers. This is our task to lure them in,” he said.