The Ministry of Communication and Digital is targeting 2,500 unconnected villages to enjoy internet access by 2026.Minister of Communication and Digital Meutya Hafid stated that equitable connectivity enables villagers to gain equal access to education and public services, as well as economic opportunities.
"We recognize that there are still disparities in access across various regions, and therefore, development in these regions will be a priority in 2026," he said at the Indonesia Digital Direction Declaration event in South Jakarta on Wednesday.
Meutya stated that the government is prioritizing equitable connectivity after carrying out massive infrastructure development during 2023-2024.
He said that digital infrastructure development in the past two years has shown a significant impact in Eastern Indonesia, such as Papua, South Papua, Gorontalo, East Kalimantan, West Nusa Tenggara, and South Sulawesi.
"Hopefully, this will encourage stronger affirmative action and better governance in various regions across Indonesia, including eastern Indonesia," he said.
He emphasized that the utilization of the infrastructure that has been built must be optimized so that it can have a greater economic impact.
"We haven't maximized its utilization to the fullest capacity we could achieve from infrastructure development. Technology is advancing, but the economic impact is already being felt, but we can increase it even further," he explained.
