Internet in Indonesia

The Internet in Indonesia is a relatively new communication media in Indonesia, an archipelago that spans over more than 17,001 islands. Several Internet access services are available in Indonesia, ranging from ADSL to mobile Internet. Telephone line-based service was among the first Internet access services in Indonesia with PT Telkom as a main player who controls most fixed telephone line networks.

Usage

Based on Indonesia Internet Service Providers Association, in Q3 2013 there are 62 million Internet users in Indonesia or about 24.23 percent of Indonesia's population which the number is in line with world internet growth.^[1]

Based on Communication Ministry data, at end of June 2011, there are 45 million Internet users in Indonesia, which 64 percent or 28 million users on the age of 15 to 19.^[2]

July 2011: Based on Nielsen's survey, 48 percent of Internet users in Indonesia used a mobile phone to access the Internet, whereas another 13 percent used other handheld multimedia devices, the highest dependence on mobile Internet access in Southeast Asia, although Indonesia has the lowest level of overall Internet penetration in Southeast Asia by only 21 percent of Indonesians aged between 15 and 49 use the Internet.^[3]

May 2011: Based on TNS research, Indonesia is the world's second largest number of Facebook users and the third largest number of Twitter users. 87 percent of Indonesians who go online have social networking site accounts, but only 14 percent access the sites daily, far below the global average of 46 percent due to many of them access the internet from inconvenience internet cafes or still using old fashioned smartphones. Inline with increase of cheap Android smartphones recently, there are possibility Indonesian internet user activities will be increase too.^[4]

Based on Yahoo Net Index survey released in July 2011, Internet in Indonesia sat in the second row after television. 89 percent of users connected to social networking, 72 percent web browsing and 61 percent read the news.^[5]

Indonesian Internet Service Providers (ISPs) offer service on top of the PT Telkom's ADSL network. ADSL customers usually receive two separates bills, one for the ADSL line charges to PT Telkom and another for Internet service charges to the ISP.

Mobile phones

All of the GSM major cellular telecommunication providers offer the high-speed mobile Internet service 3G and even 3.5G HSDPA, but only in the big cities (greater Jakarta and Surabaya). They include Indosat, Telkomsel, Excelcomindo (XL) and 3. Also, the usage of EV-DO has been applied into service by Indonesian CDMA cellular provider, which includes Mobile8, Indosat, Esia, Smart, and Telkom Flexi.

Censorship

Internet filtering in Indonesia was listed as substantial in the social area, as selective in the political and Internet tools areas, and as no evidence of filtering in the conflict/security area by the OpenNet Initiative (ONI) in 2011 based on testing done during 2009 and 2010. Testing also showed that Internet filtering in Indonesia is unsystematic and inconsistent, illustrated by the differences found in the level of filtering between ISPs.^[6]

Indonesia was rated "partly free" in Freedom on the Net 2011 with a score of 46, midway between the end of the "free" range at 30 and the start of the "not free" range at 60.^[7]

Although the government of Indonesia holds a positive view about the Internet as a means for economic development, it has become increasingly concerned over the impact of access to information and has demonstrated an interest in increasing its control over offensive online content, particularly pornographic and anti-Islamic online content. The government regulates such content through legal and regulatory frameworks and through partnerships with ISPs and Internet cafés.^[6]

Media reported that selective blocking of some web sites for brief periods began in 2007–2008. Indonesia ordered ISPs to block YouTube in April 2008 after Google reportedly did not respond to the government’s request to remove the film “Fitna” by the Dutch parliamentarian Geert Wilders, which purportedly mocked the Prophet Muhammed.^[8] In May 2010, when an account on Facebook promoted a competition to draw the Prophet Muhammad, government officials took a more focused approach and sent a letter to Facebook urging closure of the account, asked all ISPs to limit access to the account’s link, and invited the Indonesian Association of Internet Cafe Entrepreneurs to restrict access to the group. Due to opposition from bloggers and civil society, however, ISPs disregarded the government’s requests, and the account remained accessible.^[7]

In March 2008, the government passed the Law on Information and Electronic Transactions (ITE Law), which broadened the authority of the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCI) to include supervision of the flow of information and possible censorship of online content. In early 2010, the ministry published a draft Regulation on Multimedia Content that, if implemented, would require ISPs to filter or otherwise remove certain material. The types of content listed include vaguely worded categories such as pornography, gambling, hate incitement, threats of violence, exposure of private information, intellectual property, false information, and content that degrades a person or group on the basis of a physical or nonphysical attribute, such as a disability. Following a public outcry, the government announced that it would take time to process suggestions from the public before proceeding with the draft regulation.^[7]

Under the ITE Law anyone convicted of committing defamation online faces up to six years in prison, and a fine of up to 1 billion rupiah (US$111,000). As of June 2010, there were at least eight cases in which citizens had been indicted on defamation charges under the ITE Law for comments on e-mail lists, blogs, or Facebook. Prosecutions under the ITE Law have contributed to an increased atmosphere of fear, caution, and self-censorship among online writers and average users.^[7]

In 2012, Moratel used Internet censorship policies to prevent users from accessing Google-related websites.^[9]

Cyber army

As of 29 May 2013, the Indonesian defense ministry has proposed plans for creating a cyber army in order to protect the state's portals and websites. Though no law has yet been created in order to maintain and establish the cyber army, the ministry is seeking talented Internet security specialists who, upon hiring, would be trained in information technology and use methods to defend against cyber attacks.^[10]

See also

• Indonesia Internet Exchange
• Telecommunications in Indonesia

References

Further reading

• Hill, David T. & Sen, Krishna (2005), The Internet in Indonesia's New Democracy, London: Routledge, ISBN 978-0-415-28564-3. 
• Stray, Jonathan (29 December 2009), "Slander and Unity: The Year Online in Indonesia", Jakarta Globe, retrieved 11 February 2010. 

External links

• First Media Official website.
• APJII Indonesian ISP Association
• Department of Transportation: Departemen Perhubungan - Wireless Frequency regulator.
• Department of Information Technology: Departemen Komunikasi dan Informasi.
• Internet Companies in Indonesia

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