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

TRIBUNKALTIM.CO - Kalimantan Timur (Kaltim) termasuk salah satu provinsi di Indonesia yang masih menghadapi tantangan penyediaan internet di daerah 3T yakni Tertinggal, Terluar dan Terdepan.

Luas daratan provinsi Kaltim yang mencapai  127.267,52 km2 dan topografi yang kemiringannya antara landai hingga curam menjadi tantangan tersendiri dalam penyediaan layanan internet.

Dari sisi penetrasi internet, Kaltim cukup baik karena cakupannya mencapai 80,63 persen berdasarkan survei Penetrasi Internet 2024 dari Asosiasi Penyelenggara Jasa Internet Indonesia (APJI).

Dilansir TribunKaltim.co dari laman resmi Dinas Komunikasi dan Informatika (Diskominfo) Kaltim, tingkat penetrasi internet Kaltim melampaui rata-rata nasional yang tercatat 79,50 persen.

Baca juga: Diskominfo Kaltim: Percepatan Transformasi dan Literasi Digital Kaltim–IKN Harus Seimbang

Sayangnya penetrasi internet yang cukup baik di Kaltim ini belum dirasakan merata oleh seluruh wilayah di Kaltim. 

Di kawasan perkotaan khususnya di Balikpapan dan  Samarinda, masyarakat tidak kesulitan dengan akses internet bahkan sinyal 5G dari sejumlah provider sudah bisa dinikmati.

Sementara di sejumlah wilayah yang jauh dari ibu kota Kabupaten di Kaltim yang termasuk daerah 3T (Tertinggal Terdepan Terluar), internet masih jadi tantangan tersendiri.

“Internet di sini susah, “ kata Juanita ketika ditanya tentang penggunaan internet di  Desa Kaliorang, Kecamatan Kaliorang, Kabupaten Kutai Timur (Kutim).

Dari Samarinda, ibu kota provinsi Kaltim lewat  jalur darat ke Sangatta, ibu kota Kutim jaraknya sekitar 4-5 jam.

Lanjut dari Sangatta ke Kaliorang masih sekitar 2-3 jam. 

Satu tahun terakhir, wanita yang biasa disapa Nita warga Balikpapan ini bekerja di Kaliorang.

Perusahaan jasa boga tempat Nita bekerja menjadi kontraktor di perusahaan tambang yang beroperasi di Kaliorang.

Ketika pertama kali tiba di Kaliorang, Maret 2023 lalu Nita cukup kaget dengan kondisi internet yang berbeda dengan Balikpapan.

“Paling sering pesan terpending,” katanya ketika dihubungi melalui pesan WhatsApp.

Menurut Nita, dirinya agak terbantu jika berada di kantor. “Kalau di kantor masih tersupport WiFi,” katanya.

Baca juga: Percepat Pemerataan Akses Internet, Diskominfo PPU dan Kemenkominfo RI Survei Daerah Blank Spot

Dari pengalamannya, ia pernah satu hari tidak mendapatkan sinyal. 

Namun diakui Nita, kondisi sekarang sudah lebih baik dibandingkan satu tahun lalu ketika ia tiba di Kaliorang.

“Sekarang sudah lebih stabil, sudah ada penambahan tower,” kata Nita.

Selain Nita, pengalaman Christine dan Kristiani Tandi Rani yang tinggal di Kabupaten Kutai Barat (Kubar) dan Mahakam Ulu (Mahulu) juga serupa.

Dari Samarinda, ibu kota Kaltim perjalanan ke Kubar saja memerlukan waktu paling cepat 6 jam dengan menggunakan speedboat, dengan kapal bisa memakan waktu sekitar 10 jam paling cepat. 

Sementara jalur darat bisa antara 10-14 jam tergantung kondisi jalan.

Untuk ke Mahulu, masih harus melanjutkan lagi perjalanan ke Tering yang merupakan penghubung dari Kubar ke Mahakam Ulu.

Kondisi inilah yang kemudian membuat internet juga menjadi tantangan tersendiri. 

Christine, warga asli Kampung Linggang Melapeh, Kubar masih merasakan tantangan tersendiri terkait internet.

“Kalau 5 tahun yang lalu rasanya memang beda banget kondisi internet di Kubar dengan di Pulau Jawa,” kata lulusan Universitas Sanata Dharma, Yogyakarta.

“Di Yogya ya di mana bisa lancar gak pakai usaha lah. Beda bangetlah sama di Kubar,” katanya.

Menurutnya, kondisi sekarang sudah lebih baik. “Apalagi kalau di daerah perkotaanya seperti di Barong Tongkok, cukuplah pakai kartu data saja,” katanya.

Di kampungnya, lantaran masih belum ada tower Base Transceiver Station (BTS) kadang di beberapa tempat bagus, di tempat lainnya parah.

“Towernya masih ngikut di kampung sebelah,” katanya lagi.

Christine melihat di daerah pelosok sudah mulai dibangun tower. Selain itu tersedianya layanan internet rumahan juga memudahkan pekerjaannya.

Sebagai Staf NGO, Christine tidak hanya melakukan pendampingan masyarakat tetapi juga harus membuat laporan dan berhubungan dengan kantor pusat di Jakarta, sehingga internet menjadi kebutuhan.

Di kantor dan rumah-rumah pusat pendampingan masyarakat baik di Kubar maupun Mahulu sudah tersedia layanan internet yang cukup baik.

Untuk di Kubar, kondisinya jarang lost sinyal. “Sempat 1 hari ilang, itu karena ada proyek galian, kabel optiknya putus.”

Baca juga: 26 Desa di Paser Kaltim Dilengkapi Jaringan Internet Gratis

Internet juga menjadi tantangan bagi Kristiani Tandi Rani yang biasa disapa Tini ini yang satu tahun tinggal ini di Mahulu.

Pekerjaannya sebagai jurnalis membawanya ke Ujoh Bilang, Ibu kota Kabupaten Mahulu. Sebenarnya, Tini juga tidak berasal dari wilayah perkotaan. 

Sangalla, tempat asal Tini adalah sebuah kecamatan di Kabupaten Tana Toraja, Provinsi Sulawesi Selatan.

Namun menurut Tini, kondisinya sangat berbeda terutama dalam hal internet.  Pengalamannya di Sangalla, blank spot hanya ia temui di daerah yang memang pelosok. Sementara di kota tidak ada blank spot.

Kondisi ini yang menurut Tini berbeda, lantaran selama ia tinggal di Mahulu, internet adalah salah satu tantangan yang harus dihadapi dalam keseharian.

Di Ujoh Bilang, yang notabene ibu kota kabupaten, koneksi internet juga tidak selalu lancar. 

Sinyal internet dirasa semakin buruk ketika hujan.

"Di sini kalau hujan, gerimis saja, udah nggak ada sinyal. Apalagi waktu banjir, itu cukup menguras kesabaran," kata Tini.

Bahkan perempuan yang biasa disapa Tini ini di Long Pahangai sama sekali nggak ada sinyal. Apalagi, ia hanya mengandalkan kartu data internetnya.

Christine menambahkan tantangan lain di Mahulu terkait internet. Sebagai staf NGO yang mendampingi masyarakat di Kubar dan Mahulu, Christine juga punya pengalaman tersendiri di Mahulu.

“Masalahnya beda lagi kalau di sini (Mahulu). Bisa satu minggu hilang sinyal,” katanya.

“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

(*)

Ikuti berita populer lainnya di Google News, Channel WA, dan Telegram

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. 

(*)