Indonesia Plans to Add 1,000 Internet Access Points to Rural Areas

RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - The Indonesian Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs is targeting the installation of 1,000 additional fixed broadband internet access points, including through the Kampung Internet (Internet Village) program, as part of efforts to expand connectivity in rural areas.

Head of the ministry’s Fixed Broadband Infrastructure Acceleration Team, Singgih Yuniawan, said the new installations will build on the 1,282 access points already constructed by 2025. “This means a total of 2,282 access points,” he said during a visit to Setanggor Village in Central Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara, on Wednesday, April 22, 2026.

The expansion of Internet Village access points will focus on regions with limited fiber-optic coverage, including West Sumatra, North Sumatra, Kupang Regency, North Maluku, and Gorontalo.

Plans for West Kalimantan remain in the exploratory stage. Singgih explained that locations are chosen through mapping areas without fiber-optic networks, while also considering proposals from local administrations and relevant ministries.

To ensure accuracy, the ministry cross-references proposals with its village-level database to verify whether fiber-optic access is truly unavailable. “If it isn’t available, we conduct surveys first, ranging from desk-based to in-field surveys,” Singgih said.

If an area is deemed eligible, the ministry coordinates with industry associations such as the Association of Telecommunications Network Operators (Apjatel) and the Indonesian Internet Service Providers Association (APJII) to identify providers willing to enter the target regions. The government is preparing an incentive scheme to encourage participation.

Under the program, internet service providers will receive incentives in the first year to help them establish networks before eventually operating independently. “Operators won’t be interested in entering an area without customer certainty. It’s our job to attract them,” Singgih said.

The Internet Village program is expected to accelerate the equitable distribution of digital connectivity while opening up economic opportunities and expanding internet-based public services in previously underserved areas. (Gusti Panji/Lasti Martina)