Deputy Minister of Communication and Digital Affairs Nezar Patria invited 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 about potential technological breakthroughs during emergencies. Even if we use Starlink, if there's no power, we might be able to use solar panels to connect," Deputy Minister Nezar explained in a press release received on Friday.
During a visit to the School of Community Networks Indonesia in Yogyakarta on Thursday (15/1), Nezar said the community needs to be educated on how to stay connected when connectivity and electricity infrastructure are paralyzed.
One of them is the introduction of alternative technological breakthroughs that do not depend entirely on conventional electricity networks.
According to Deputy Minister Nezar, the presence of the internet is now like air, often unnoticed but very vital for life.
The importance of this connectivity is only truly felt when access is cut off, as recently happened during the flood disaster in the Sumatra region.
"In disaster areas, it turns out that besides water, food, and electricity, telecommunications is an extraordinary necessity. Once the internet is cut off, we realize we're in a critical situation," said Deputy Minister Nezar.
