The Telecommunication Accessibility Agency (BAKTI) has said it supports the inclusivity of Internet technology for all communities in Indonesia, including people with disabilities.
“Oftentimes, disabled people are missed from the program orientation target. This cannot happen in digital transformation,” BAKTI President Director Anang Latif said at the commemoration of the 2021 International Day of Persons with Disabilities themed “Accessibility for Disability”, here on Wednesday.
BAKTI, an agency under the supervision of the Ministry of Communication and Informatics, is currently building telecommunications infrastructure that is focused on serving the outermost, remote, and underdeveloped (3T) areas, he said.
According to Latif, telecommunications infrastructure development has been bolstered so it can be completed by 2022, faster than the expected completion year of 2032. The acceleration is part of the national digital transformation framework, he added.
The Indonesian Government is committed to not leaving anyone behind in the digitalization agenda, he said.
Therefore, by 2022, BAKTI plans to build base transceiver station towers (BTS) with 4G network technology at 7,904 points in 3T regions, Latif informed. At least 65 percent or 5,204 of the total station towers will be located in the provinces of Papua and West Papua, he added.
In 2015–2020, BAKTI completed building BTS towers in 1,682 locations, he said.
The Telecommunication Accessibility Agency has also unfurled the Palapa Ring backbone network stretching 12,283 km, both in the form of land and sea cables, he informed.
Other than the Palapa Ring, BAKTI has been working on SATRIA-1, a multifunction satellite that will provide Internet access in remote areas where fiber optic cables cannot reach, Latif said. SATRIA-1 is targeted to be sent into orbit in 2023, he said.
Furthermore, BAKTI is also providing free Internet at several public facilities such as health centers, schools, village offices, and villages, he said. Currently, there are 11,649 points that have been provided Internet access by BAKTI, he added.
Source: Antara News