0 Banyuwangi to become hottest spot for hotspots

Banyuwangi in East Java is set to become the first Internet-friendly regency in Indonesia with 10,000 Wi-Fi hotspots. Currently, Banyuwangi has 1,100 Wi-Fi hotspots in schools, open spaces and other public places, making it the regency with the most hotspots in Indonesia. Banyuwangi Regent Abdullah Azwar Anas said recently that the program would educate the people of Banyuwangi who would no longer be left behind in information, communication and technology (ICT). 

Working together with state telecommunications firm PT Telekomunikasi Indonesia (Telkom) as the provider, Banyuwangi administration launched Banyuwangi Digital Society (Banyuwangi DiSo) to help civil servants serve Banyuwangi’s 1.5 million population in an area of 5,700 square kilometers. “The Banyuwangi DiSo program is anticipating the expected rapid growth of Banyuwangi as a new economic center and favorite investment area in East Java. Everyone will be able to access everything they need on the Internet,” said Abdullah at the program’s soft launch. 

“We are preparing Banyuwangi for the future when everything is digitalized.” Various support applications have been launched for residents to carry out their day-to-day activities, such as e-Hospital, e-Office, e-Education, Smart Zakat, e-Tourism Ecosystem and Indipreneur (online help for small and medium enterprises). The e-Education app, for instance, is a local communication portal for the entire education community. It provides transparency in data management between schools and parents and allows colleagues and parents access to the professional records of teachers and the educational records of students. 

A student in Banyuwangi only pays Rp 1,000 (10 US cents) for high-speed Internet around the clock to study materials for various assignments. Parents are also directly connected with schools online. “For only a small fee, students do not have to rely on Internet cafes, making control of negative aspects of the Internet, such as pornography, easier,” said Telkom’s wholesale and enterprise director M. Awaluddin. For tourists, Banyuwangi will make use of the Smart Tourism Ecosystem, which has been running in nearby Bali since the end of last year. 

Awaluddin said the hi-speed Internet access points would be improved, upgraded and their numbers increased in line with demand. For Banyuwangi alone, at the eastern end of Java, PT Telkom is ready to install up to 10,000 hotspots by the end of the year. Banyuwangi was picked for the Internet-friendly pilot project because of its abundant industrial activity, its excellent tourism potential, fine culinary reputation and adequate transportation infrastructure. The program is part of the Indonesia Digital Network main program spearheaded by PT Telkom until 2014 to accomplish the Master Plan for the Acceleration and Expansion of Indonesia’s Economic Development (MP3EI).

source : the jakarta post