Jakarta, Indonesia Sentinel — Indonesia’s Minister of Communication and Digital Affairs (Komdigi) Meutya Hafid said thousands of villages across the country still lack internet access and 4G coverage, calling it a shared challenge that requires collective action.
“There are 2,333 villages in Indonesia without internet connectivity, including 2,017 villages with no 4G service. Another 316 villages, mostly farmland without permanent settlements, also need to be connected,” Meutya said during a ceremony marking the 80th anniversary of Postal Service Day at the Indonesian Postal Museum in Bandung on Saturday (Sept. 27).
She stressed that the numbers remain within reach if stakeholders work together. “We believe these targets are achievable if we all join hands to solve this,” she added.
According to the minister, Indonesia’s telecommunications coverage currently stands at about 80 percent. She also highlighted the country’s low household fixed broadband penetration rate, which remains at 27.4 percent.
“Every tower built, every fiber optic cable laid, and every village connected to the internet is a real foundation for achieving the government’s target of 8 percent economic growth,” Meutya said, emphasizing the role of digital infrastructure in supporting national development.
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While some villages remain entirely unconnected, she noted that thousands more suffer from poor-quality connections. In August, she said at least 15,000 villages lacked reliable internet access, with connectivity challenges particularly acute in Maluku and Papua, where penetration stands at just 59 percent. By comparison, urban areas enjoy 83 percent penetration, while rural areas stand at 77 percent.
On a provincial level, internet access has technically reached 100 percent, she explained, but connectivity weakens at the district and village levels. “At the provincial level, coverage is complete. But when you look at districts, the numbers drop, and at the village level, it falls further to 77 percent. Data shows that about 15,000 villages still do not have good internet connectivity,” she said.
(Raidi/Agung)
