In the era of information technology that continues to grow rapidly, the local government is striving to evenly distribute access to information, including knowledge, to their people.
“Information for the community has become an important need, as a means of connectivity and communication; access to information, knowledge, and education; addresses and mappings; ease of business; as well as entertainment," head of the Communication and Informatics Service in Jayapura District, Gustaf Griapon, remarked.
In order to meet the need for access to information, the local government has partnered with related parties to install Base Transceiver Station (BTS) towers.
The BTS will transmit and receive radio signals to communication devices, such as cell phones, landline phones, and other devices.
The radio signal will then be converted into a digital signal that is then sent to the other terminal as a message or data.
In Jayapura, telecommunication networks are growing day by day, and long-distance communication has now become smoother and can reach more distant areas.
One of the reasons behind this occurring is the increasing number of telecommunication towers spread throughout the district.
BTS towers are generally found in city centers, so the signal quality in urban areas is better than that in suburban areas.
To this end, the regional government is striving to cooperate with related parties to evenly distribute the construction of BTS towers to remote areas.
Project Director of prosperous business infrastructure (IBS) from the Communication and Informatics Ministry’s Telecommunications and Information Accessibility Agency (BAKTI), Harry Wibowo, stated that the government is highly concerned about the citizens' needs to access information, especially in Jayapura District.
This is proven by the letter from the Jayapura District head on January 17, 2022, which was submitted to install more BTS towers at several prospective locations.
In the earlier proposal, several locations were not included as candidate locations, but based on the district head's letter, several candidate locations emerged after the proposal was reviewed, based on the location and potential. A synchronization map from telecommunication companies, Telkomsel and Indosat, has been agreed upon to build approximately 46 BTS towers in Jayapura District.
So far, construction work has started at 39 locations, and construction materials have been received, while 19 BTS towers are already operational.
The construction of BTS towers is expected to bolster enthusiasm and development, in terms of economy, culture, and education for Jayapura's future generation in facing competition in this globalization era.
Access for everyone
Griapon stated that access to telecommunications has been evenly distributed in all villages in the area with the help of an increasing number of BTS towers in several areas.
With the addition of nine locations for building BTS towers from BAKTI through IBS, he ensured that all villages can have access to telecommunication.
"The nine BTS towers are spread across Airu, Kemtuk Gresi, South Gresi, Nimbokrang, and Yokari sub-districts,” he stated.
In 2022, the regional government had inaugurated 99 points, but only seven sites are functioning properly in January 2023.
Out of the nine additional sites, the construction of BTS towers has been completed in Berap Village, Nimbokrang Sub-district, and in Buseryo Village, Yokari Sub-district.
Meanwhile, other sites have received materials to build the tower and complete the construction.
He noted that total assistance is provided by the Ministry of Communication and Informatics through BAKTI for the construction of BTS towers at 44 sites in frontier, outermost, and disadvantaged (3T) regions, while Telkomsel will provide at 11 points, followed by Indosat, with nine points.
The Jayapura District Communication and Information Service along with Telkomsel in Sentani Branch continue to provide an opportunity for indigenous people whose land was donated for the construction of telecommunications towers to sell phone credit.
Griapon said that his side also facilitated training on selling Telkomsel phone credit for residents from five villages in the area.
"The five villages whose people have been trained to sell credit by Telkomsel are Skuaim, Beneif, Guriap, Muaif, and Kamdera," he stated.
His side and Telkomsel have agreed to empower indigenous people whose land was granted for the construction of BTS towers.
Thus, indigenous people, who gave their land for BTS development, are empowered to receive training on selling phone credit and would thereby stand to gain from the economic benefits derived from the construction of BTS towers.
The government is optimistic that with the existence of telecommunication towers, the public would also experience economic benefits and gain wider access to information.
Awards
As a result of the hard work, in 2022, the Jayapura District Government won the 2022 TOP Digital Awards at the national level that was held by It Works magazine in collaboration with several Information Technology (IT) Associations and Indonesian Telcos.
Griapon stated that the TOP Digital Awards were in line with the government's vision of an advanced, sovereign, and independent Indonesia. The awards had been handed out in mid-December of 2022.
In an effort to build integrated information technology in Jayapura District, the local government involves the work of academics, businesspersons, and the community. This is one of the local government’s strategies to realize the vision and mission in the medium-term development plan (RPJMD).
In addition, the local government continues to improve the region with a strategy of building harmonization, synergy, and mutually beneficial cooperation with all local groups with activities conducted down to the sub-district level.
"We carry out activities with various communities in the field of tourism; micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs); and creative economy actors at the sub-district level," he remarked.
His side then also formed a tourism awareness group (pokdarwis) that conducted various activities and mapped out various superior tourism potentials in the district.
The Jayapura District Communication and Informatics Service also encourages MSMEs with superior products to expand their market at the national and global markets.
In an effort to advance the district that has 19 sub-districts by utilizing information technology, the local government has provided centralized service in each sub-district in the form of the Department of Population and Civil Registration (Dukcapil) office to handle taxation and electronic identity cards for the community.
In addition, the district government has built a regional information center in the form of a Jayapura District portal and a regional apparatus organization (OPD) information portal.
In the end, when all citizens have access to information, they have the same opportunity to grow and develop together.
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Translator: Agustina Estevani J, Resinta S
Editor: Sri Haryati
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