Pesan WhatsApp Pending, Sinyal Hilang hingga Blank Spot, Tantangan Internet di Daerah 3T di Kaltim

“Ternyata karena air surut atau air terlalu tinggi, sehingga kapal yang mengangkut BBM (Bahan Bakar Minyak) tidak bisa sampai. Jadi tidak ada pasokan untuk listrik di tower,” kata Christine. 

Untuk transportasi ke Mahulu, jalur sungai masih jadi andalan. 

“Kecuali untuk di Long Pahangai ya. Itu sih sudah 4G ya, tapi lemot. WA (WhatsApp) itu bisa satu jam baru sampai,” kata Christine.

Luas Wilayah dan Topografi Jadi Tantangan

Nanang Fatkhurrahman, Direktorat Layanan TI untuk Pemerintah BAKTI mengatakan program Kementerian Komunikasi dan Informatika (Kominfo) RI telah memberikan layanan internet di wilayah 3T melalui pembangunan tower BTS dan wilayah non3T dengan program 3435.

Dilansir dari laman resminya, Badan Aksesibilitas Komunikasi dan Telekomunikasi (BAKTI) adalah program penyediaan layanan Internet menggunakan teknologi fiber optic, radio link dan VSAT.

Nanang Fatkhurrahman menjelaskan penuntasan desa blankspot 4G di 3.435 desa atau kelurahan di wilayah non-3T menjadi fokus kegiatan Direktorat Telekomunikasi sebagai komitmen Pemerintah melalui Kominfo.

Sasarannya adalah untuk mendorong penyelenggara jaringan bergerak seluler melakukan usaha-usaha penuntasan desa blankspot 4G di 3435 desa atau kelurahan di wilayah Non-3T.

Saat ini, Pemerintah Provinsi Kalimantan Timur menghadapi tantangan besar dalam menangani blankspot dan sinyal lemah karena luasnya wilayah dan topografi yang sulit.

Dilansir dari Antara, ia berharap dengan melibatkan kerjasama antarpihak terkait, masalah tersebut dapat diselesaikan.

"Kami akan mengambil langkah-langkah untuk meningkatkan fungsi layanan telekomunikasi melalui tower yang sudah dibangun, dan kami berharap dapat berkelanjutan melalui PIC2 di daerah. 

Selain itu ada kerja sama dengan Pemprov Kaltim dalam membina BUMDES melalui program internet desa," kata Nanang. 

Baca juga: Masyarakat Mahulu Masih Terkendala Akses Internet, Ini Tanggapan Diskominfo Markus Wan

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English Translation

WhatsApp Message Pending, Signal Loss to Blank Spot, Internet Challenges in 3T Areas in East Kalimantan 

East Kalimantan (Kaltim) is one of the provinces in Indonesia that still faces the challenge of providing internet in the 3T areas: Disadvantaged, Outermost and Frontier.

East Kalimantan's land area of 127,267.52 km2 and its topography, which ranges from gentle to steep, make providing internet services challenging.

In terms of internet penetration, East Kalimantan is quite good because its coverage reaches 80.63 percent, according to the 2024 Internet Penetration survey from the Indonesian Internet Service Providers Association (APJI).

The official website of the East Kalimantan Communication and Information Agency (Diskominfo) reports that East Kalimantan's internet penetration rate exceeds the national average of 79.50 percent.

Unfortunately, this good internet penetration in East Kalimantan has not been felt evenly by all regions. 

In urban areas, especially in Balikpapan and Samarinda, people can easily access internet access; even 5G signals from several providers can be enjoyed.

Meanwhile, the internet is still a challenge in several areas far from the regency capitals in East Kalimantan, including the 3T (Disadvantaged Frontier Outermost) areas.

"The Internet is difficult here," Juanita said when asked about internet usage in Kaliorang Village, Kaliorang Subdistrict, East Kutai Regency (Kutim).

The distance by road from Samarinda, the capital of East Kalimantan province, to Sangatta, the capital of Kutim, is about 4-5 hours.

From Sangatta to Kaliorang, it takes another 2-3 hours. 

For the past year, the woman who is usually called Nita, a resident of Balikpapan, has been working in Kaliorang.

When she first arrived in Kaliorang in March 2023, Nita was quite surprised by the different internet conditions from Balikpapan.

'Most of the time, the message is pending,' she said when contacted via WhatsApp.

According to Nita, she is somewhat helped if she is in the office. 'The office is still supported by WiFi,' she said.

The catering company where Nita works is a contractor for a mining company operating in Kaliorang.

From her experience, she once did not get a signal for one day. 

However, Nita recognizes that conditions are now better than one year ago when she arrived in Kaliorang.

"Now it's more stable; there are more towers," said Nita.

In addition to Nita, Christine and Kristiani Tandi Rani, who live in West Kutai (Kubar) and Mahakam Ulu (Mahulu) districts, also had similar experiences.

From Samarinda, the capital of East Kalimantan, traveling to Kubar alone takes at least 6 hours by speedboat, while by boat, it can take around 10 hours at the fastest. 

Meanwhile, the land route can take between 10-14 hours, depending on road conditions.

To get to Mahulu, you still have to continue traveling to Tering, which is the link from Kubar to Mahakam Ulu.

This condition then makes the internet also a challenge. 

Christine, a native of Kampung Linggang Melapeh, Kubar, still faces challenges related to the internet.

'Five years ago, the internet condition in Kubar was very different from that in Java,' said Christine, a graduate of Sanata Dharma University, Yogyakarta.

'In Yogya, where you can get the internet effortless. It's very different from Kubar,' she said.

Now the conditions are better. 'Especially in urban areas like Barong Tongkok, it's enough just to use a data card,' he said.

In her village, because there is still no Base Transceiver Station (BTS) tower, it is sometimes good and sometimes not good.

'The tower still follows the neighbouring village,' she said again.

Christine sees that towers have begun to be built in remote areas. The availability of home internet services also facilitates her work.

As an NGO staff member, Christine not only provides community assistance but also has to make reports and liaise with the head office in Jakarta, so the internet is a necessity.

Internet service is quite good in the offices and homes of the community assistance centers in Kubar and Mahulu.

For Kubar, the condition rarely loses a signal. 'I lost it for one day, but that was because there was an excavation project, and the optical cable broke.'

Internet is also a challenge for Kristiani Tandi Rani, commonly called Tini, who has been living in Mahulu for a year.

Her work as a journalist brought her to Ujoh Bilang, the capital of Mahulu Regency. However, Tini also comes from outside the urban area. 

Sangalla, where Tini comes from, is a sub-district in Tana Toraja Regency, South Sulawesi Province.

Sangalla, where Tini comes from, is a sub-district in Tana Toraja Regency, South Sulawesi Province.

But according to Tini, the conditions are very different, especially regarding the internet. In her experience in Sangalla, she only encountered blank spots in remote areas. In the city, there are no blank spots.

According to Tini, this condition is different because while she lived in Mahulu, the internet was one of the challenges she had to face on a daily basis.

In Ujoh Bilang, which is the district capital, the internet connection can sometimes be smooth.

The internet signal gets worse when it rains. 'Here, if it rains, just drizzle, there is no signal. Especially when it floods, it's quite draining,' said Tini.

In fact, the woman who is usually called Tini in Long Pahangai has no signal at all. Moreover, she only relies on her internet data card.

Christine added another challenge related to the internet in Mahulu. As an NGO staff member who assists communities in Kubar and Mahulu, Christine also has experience in Mahulu.

'The problem is different here (Mahulu). You can lose signal for a week,' she said.

'Apparently, it's because of low tide or the water is too high, so the ship that transports the fuel can't get there. So there is no supply of electricity in the tower," she said. For transport to Mahulu, the river route is still the mainstay.

'Except for Long Pahangai. It's already 4G, but it's slow. WA (WhatsApp) can take an hour to arrive,' said Christine.

Large Areas and Topography are Challenges

Nanang Fatkhurrahman, Directorate of IT Services for the Government of BAKTI, said that the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology (Kominfo) had provided internet services in 3T areas through the construction of BTS towers and non3T areas with the 3435 program.

According to its official website, the Communication and Telecommunication Accessibility Agency (BAKTI) is a program that provides Internet services using fiber optic, radio link and VSAT technology.

Nanang Fatkhurrahman explained that the completion of 4G blank spot villages in 3,435 villages or sub-districts in non-3T areas is the focus of the Directorate of Telecommunications' activities as a government commitment through Kominfo.

The goal is to encourage cellular mobile network providers to work on completing 4 G blank spot villages in 3435 villages or sub-districts in Non-3T areas.

Due to its vast area and difficult topography, the East Kalimantan Provincial Government is currently facing great challenges in dealing with blank spots and weak signals.

Antara reported that he hopes that by involving cooperation between related parties, the problem can be resolved. 'We will take steps to improve the function of telecommunication services through towers that have already been built, and we hope it can be sustained through PIC2 in the regions. 

In addition, the East Kalimantan Provincial Government is cooperating in fostering BUMDES through the village internet programme,' Nanang said. 

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