East Kalimantan Governor Urges Telkom To Expand Internet Access To Remote Areas

East Kalimantan Governor Rudy Mas'ud asked PT Telkom to immediately accelerate network development and open internet access in remote areas and border areas.

In his statement in Samarinda on Saturday, Rudy emphasized that digital connectivity is an important factor in reducing gaps and accelerating equitable development throughout East Kalimantan.

He also highlighted that until now there are still many residents in various districts who experience limited internet access, especially in the northern region of East Kutai and Berau, western areas such as Kutai Kartanegara, West Kutai, and Mahakam Ulu, as well as southern areas such as North Penajam Paser and Paser.

"The point is how digitalization activities can be connected to the people of East Kalimantan without exception," he emphasized, quoted from ANTARA, Saturday, July 19.

Technological advances, he said, are in line with Asta Cita Presiden Prabowo Subianto for the digitalization program throughout the country.

No exception, residents who are in the forest, gardens and mining areas should be well connected.

The governor hopes that Telkom will open a network so that people can use WhatsApp (WA), there is no need for GSM.

"Because GSM uses a large fee tower (BTS). Telkom only uses fiber optics (FO) through PLN," he said.

Using FO, Wi-Fi or internet residents in the interior or villages that do not have electricity and cellular telephone networks, but have been connected to digitalization.

"PLN has a network (wire) that can be used for Wi-Fi to be developed with PT Telkom so that remote areas can still be affected by the internet network and can use WA," he said.

Head of Telkom for Bontang and East Kutai Regions Ari Iryanto said 37 villages out of 140 villages in East Kutai Regency are blankspot villages or have not been reached by the internet network.

"Meanwhile, 103 villages have activated signals (networks)," he said.

Meanwhile, the Head of East Kalimantan Diskominfo Muhammad Faisal explained that the FO cable had reached all sub-districts, but not all villages. Several providers such as Telkom, Iconplus (a subsidiary of PLN), and Comtelindo helped with the expansion of the network.

Especially for East Kutai (Kutim), the Freepol village internet program has installed networks in 233 villages from the target of 600 villages by 2025. Currently, 64 villages in East Kutim are connected.

"Regions such as East Kutai, Berau, West Kutai and Mahakam Ulu are indeed slower due to distance constraints and heavy terrain," said Muhammad Faisal.