“The provincial government of Jakarta, through the Communication, Information, and Statistics Office, is ensuring that the free Internet service through JakWifi continues to run,” acting head of the office, Raides Aryanto, said in a statement released here on Tuesday.
The reduction in the number of free WiFi access points from 3,500 to 1,263 was carried out based on a survey and evaluation to ensure that the service remains optimal and as part of an effort to adjust to the current COVID-19 transition phase.
Aryanto said that the step was in accordance with the Instruction of Home Affairs Minister Number 50 and 51 of 2022 regarding the revocation of public activity restrictions (PPKM), which states that there are no more restrictions on public activities, thus, schools and offices can open at 100 percent capacity.
Based on a survey carried out by the office, in general, during the pandemic transition phase, people’s activities have gradually returned to normalcy. Thus, there has been a change in the use of JakWifi by the community.
According to him, the main reason for the provision of JakWifi was to ensure equal access, especially for low-income people in Jakarta, and support remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic.
He informed that the survey’s results showed that in December 2021, the usage of JakWifi for remote learning reached 56 percent, and in March 2022, it stood at 60.9 percent.
“However, in the survey carried out during the COVID-19 pandemic transition period, namely in November 2022, it was recorded that only 27.5 percent used it for remote learning, while 50.7 percent used it for entertainment,” he explained.
He affirmed that the office will continue to optimize the JakWifi service by improving the connection stability at existing points.
With the evaluation and corresponding adjustment in the service, it is expected that the free Internet service provided through JakWifi can be made more effective and right on target to support people in carrying out productive activities.
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Translator: Ricky Prayoga, Raka Adji
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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