Facebook Launches Wifi Program in Aceh's Remote Areas

TheIndonesia.id - Facebook Connectivity initiated the village wifi program to create an internet network in remote areas through a partnership with PT Acehlink Media in a number of villages in Aceh Besar and North Aceh districts.

"This internet network is very necessary, especially in supporting community activities, such as social activities, education, employment, and the economy," said Manager of Connectivity Technology and Ecosystem for the Asia Pacific region at the Singaporean Meta (Facebook) company, Aulia Velmy, in Banda Aceh, Thursday, February 3, 2022.

The village wifi program has been introduced to five villages in Lampanah Leungah Kemukiman, Aceh Besar District, and 14 villages in North Aceh District. Aulia said that currently, the internet network infrastructure and capable digital literacy are still experiencing limitations in rural areas in Indonesia, including Aceh.

Moreover, said Aulia, amid the COVID-19 pandemic that has hit the world, it has taught us how important internet network infrastructure and good digital literacy are. Aulia said, with the spirit of partnership and mutual synergy to develop the region, the distribution of digitalization can be done better.

"This will open up as well as create wider opportunities and opportunities to accelerate economic growth and improve the welfare of the Acehnese people," he said.

CEO of PT Acehlink Media M Rusdi Aziz said the village wifi network development program like in these two districts would expand to a number of other remote villages in Aceh. "Nowadays, the internet network has become a community need to remote villages to support the lives of residents, and his party is also fully committed to continuing to bring positive internet usage in Aceh," said Rusdi.

This Aceh village wifi partnership program was also initiated by one of the village assistants in the Lampanah Leungah settlement, Ferry Fadjmuhar. He said the village government was committed to maintaining the infrastructure and sustainability of the program through the Village Fund Allocation (ADD).

Ferry said, based on the Regulation of the Minister of Villages for Development of Disadvantaged Regions and Transmigration (Permendes PDTT), regarding the priority of using village funds in 2022, it allows the use of village funds to be used to build internet infrastructure.

“The Ministerial Regulation aims to create a digital village. This program is in line with the government's expectation that villages be independent. We thank Facebook Connectivity, Acehlink, and the Village Apparatus at Kemukiman Lampanah Leungah who collaborated to make this happen," said Ferry.

Head of the Seulimeum Sub-district, Hasanuddin, said that the village wifi program really supports the work of the government in the village because, without the internet, many activities cannot run well. Therefore, he fully supports the presence of the program because it is very useful, especially for village government activities, all of which have internet facilities.

"This facility is very useful, so it must be really maintained. So let's maintain it," said Hasanuddin.

On this occasion, Hasanuddin also reminded the public not to use the internet facility to access negative things, such as playing online gambling and other similar activities.