Expand Independent Towers, South Solok Regency Government Hopes Internet Networks Enter To Remote Areas

South Solok Regent Khairunas/Photo: Antara

PADANG - The government of South Solok Regency, West Sumatra, plans to increase internet independent villages and provide independent towers to accelerate the completion of areas that have not been covered by the network or blank spots.

"In order to solve the problem of telecommunication networks, especially the internet, we still hope to get assistance from the Ministry of Communication and Informatics Bhakti program as well as other plans, such as providing independent towers by the district government or increasing internet independent villages as has been done by Nagari Talunan Maju and Pakan Rabaa Timur," said the Regent of Solok. South of Khairunas in Padang Aro, Wednesday 11 May.

To get assistance from the Ministry of Communication and Information's Bhakti program, he said, the sub-district head and the wali nagari were asked to provide an area of ​​10 x 10 square meters in the form of a land grant for the construction of a tower.

He said public facilities, such as the wali nagari's office, schools, and health centers, would be a priority for the installation of the internet network.

The Deputy Regent of South Solok Yulian Efi encourages and supports the alleviation of blank spots in the area in order to facilitate public access in terms of communication and information.

"With the liberation of one area from internet blank spots, it will be easier for the public to get information and opportunities to improve the economy," he said, quoted by Antara.

Head of the South Solok Communication and Information Office, Firdaus Firman, said that it is now easier to provide an internet network than a cellular telephone network in the blank spot area.

This problem, he said, does not only occur in South Solok, but also in most areas in Indonesia. In addition, the difference in bandwidth prices on the island of Java is different from other regions, with low prices, the construction of infrastructure can be free of charge.

In South Solok, he said, service providers will review the construction of towers in the blank spot area, because it is related to the profit orientation of telecommunication service providers.

"Development of an internet independent village is very potential, because there are already two pilots in Nagari Talunan Maju and Pakan Rabaa Timur," he said.

In addition, the construction of independent towers and proposals for assistance from the Ministry of Communication and Informatics Bhakti program also require seriousness and support from all parties.

The South Solok Regency Government has made an inventory of problems related to the blank spot area with the South Solok Regent and the Kominfo Service and the wali nagari and the sub-district head.

According to the data from the South Solok Kominfo Service, there are 39 blank spots that actually do not receive a signal at all, spread over 15 nagari (villages/kelurahan) in six sub-districts.