Indonesia's Digital Divide. How Real Is It?

Will internet connectivity become a civil and human rights in Indonesia?

Digital divide refers to the gap between demographics and regions that have access to modern information and communications technology, and those that don't or have restricted access.

Two decades ago, many public officials, educators, and economic and workforce-development visionaries anticipated that the global growth of personal computing and the development of the internet, shall create another large societal divide based on their education and social backgrounds.

Now it's 2020, and yet the digital divide in Indonesia remains vast; as large portion of residents still lack fast (yet affordable) quality internet, due to the fact that the country has uneven mobile broadband penetration and is currently lagging behind considerably on fixed broadband penetration.

This is a concern happening in many regions of Indonesia, in particular the ones situated outside the big capital cities.

The World Bank Digital Connectivity Focus Group Discussion 2020 released a document exhibiting that Indonesia’s fixed broadband was less than 5% of the population and reached approximately 15% of household only.

In addition, according to both the 2020 Economist Intelligence Unit’s (EIU) Inclusive Internet Index and the 2019 Network Readiness Index, Indonesia trails behind most of its South East Asian neighbours in inclusive access.

Other research suggests that a part of the digital divide has been driven by language differences, with those with lower English ability have traditionally had less internet connectivity and usage. Others also refer to the lack of education, lack of technology skills, and lower performance computers. However one main component always surface in every research, which is accessibility to a reliable and affordable internet itself.

While broadband is not commonly found in urban and suburban neighbourhoods; many Indonesian home residents cannot afford the fixed broadband monthly fees that can range from $30 to $100.

Can Indonesia remain competitive when tens of millions of its residents are without access to home computers including affordable, high-speed broadband connectivity?

In a nation where in COVID-19 situation; many current employers now only accept online applications?

Where truck drivers and other blue-collar workers are expected by their employers to access work assignments digitally?

Where so many students of primary, secondary, and higher learning need to do their coursework online?

And where online/cashless payments cater only a fraction of the total daily transactions nationwide?

What good is job access if one cannot use the internet for self-empowering purposes like conducting a search to find a sustainable-wage job within a 50-kilometer radius of one's home or within walking distance of public transportation?

If a student in school cannot access course content from credible internet sources to complete assignments, how has that student benefited from technology?

When a reliable internet network that allows citizens to participate in public meetings from the convenience of their homes or offices, then the technology has not fulfilled the promise of digital democracy.

Indonesians who cannot afford digital technology is too much human capital to waste, and we need to have the decency of making broadband available across rural Indonesia, where commercial broadband providers are reluctant to go and where state and local governments and telecom cooperatives have not always acted aggressively, or responsibly, to meet the connectivity needs of all citizens.

We need to approach the build-out of a national broadband network in the same view as we did in terms of physical infrastructure acceleration in the past 5+ years for logistics and trade across Indonesia.

If we can accept the notion that having broadband is akin to a civil and human right, just like having access to water, electricity and sewers for everyone; then changes will start to happen whereby digital connectivity is not meant to be accessible for a group of people who can afford it only.

As much as cost and access to technology are barriers; the lack of focus on digital literacy is even more of a problem.

Toward the end of this article, the below are several ideas on initial steps that local and state governments could think of to help bridging the digital divide:

• Partner with telecom cooperatives to build out broadband networks in rural communities if commercial providers won't provide service.
• Use government facilities like libraries and community, cultural and recreation centers to offer free digital literacy courses.
• Use a portion of cable and telecommunication franchise fees to provide deeply discounted broadband services to seniors and low-income residents.
• Work closely in partnership with local school boards so students from underserved communities have year-around access to laptops and other smart devices.

Through targeted policy actions, I believe that governments can facilitate faster and more efficient digital connectivity for the majority of (if not all) Indonesians, as the great potential of digital transformation for the country’s economy and society will accelerate faster when we can address the existing digital divide.

I dream of seeing broadband digital literation in Indonesia even distribution to happen in the next half decade, ensuring all citizens are connected to it.

Together, we can create the urgency of bringing affordable quality broadband to everyone in Indonesia.

Jakarta, 29th November 2020