Wamenkomdigi invites the community to provide education on the use of technology during emergencies.

Wamenkomdigi Nezar Patria (Photo: Antara)

JAKARTA - Deputy Minister of Communication and Digital Nezar Patria invites community internet activists to take an active role in educating the public about the use of technology in emergency situations.

"We need to educate the public, maybe there is a technological breakthrough in the midst of an emergency. Even though we are using Starlink, if there is no energy, we may be able to use solar panels to be able to connect," explained Wamen Nezar, quoting Antara.

When visiting the School of Community Networks Indonesia in Yogyakarta, Thursday (15/1), Nezar said the community needed to be educated on how to stay connected when connectivity and electricity infrastructure are paralyzed.

One of them is the introduction of breakthrough alternative technologies that do not rely entirely on conventional electricity networks.

According to Wamen Nezar, the presence of the internet is now like air, often not realized but very vital for life.

The importance of this connectivity is only really felt when access is cut off, as has just happened in the flood disaster in the Sumatra region.

"In disaster areas, it turns out that besides water, food, and electricity, telecommunications are an extraordinary need. Once the internet is cut off, we realize that we are in a critical state," said Wamen Nezar.

He recounted the post-flood disaster situation in Aceh Province, which posed a difficult challenge in the field, ranging from overflowing rivers due to silting to the breaking of bridge access that isolated the area, such as in Bener Meriah and Bireuen.

This condition makes it difficult to access to repair damaged electrical infrastructure and BTS towers so that community participation becomes an important factor in post-disaster recovery efforts.

Wamen Nezar emphasized that the government opened the door to collaboration with all parties to accelerate the development of digital infrastructure that can be utilized by all Indonesian people.

He said the strategy for restoring telecommunications networks in disaster conditions must involve all stakeholders, not only the government, but the participation of all parties is very strategic in emergencies.

"What your colleagues do is very important in order to strengthen the resilience of our telecommunications infrastructure. The government opens collaboration with all parties so that the national goal of no one left behind in digital transformation can be achieved," said Deputy Minister of Communications.