Bridging the Gap: SingTel to Provide Communications Access to Over 6,700 Islands in Indonesia

In our interconnected world today, we often take Internet access and even our access to computing and telecommunication devices for granted. Yet, the vast urban-rural divide is a grim reality – whether we choose to recognise it or not.

A sprawling archipelago of 17,500 islands, Indonesia is the fourth most populous country in the world. While its major cities have a 10 to 40 percent telecommunications penetration rate, this dwindles to an alarming 0.2% in the rural areas. This means, an estimated 40,000 villages have no telephone access at all.
Infrastructural limitations in delivering communications to these isolated areas include the lack of a comprehensive fiber-optic network to serve as the backbone for such services. As a pure terrestrial network would be ineffective for the country’s sprawling geography, satellite communications is the way to go

At SingTel, we believe in playing a key role in connecting and empowering communities using our technologies. In our strive to close the digital divide, SingTel is a member of the consortium that contributes to the Universal Service Obligation (USO) Fund.

For a start, our Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) solutions will be implemented in rural and border areas across Sulawesi, Irian Jaya and Papua, and other parts of Indonesia. By extending satellite-powered connectivity to the rural population, we aim to provide communications access to over 6,700 villages. SingTel is committed to pay our part in inducting these rural and isolated communities into the digital community and connect them with the rest of the world.