Indonesia Targets Internet Access for 16,557 Schools in 2026

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta – President Prabowo Subianto's administration aims to expand internet access to more than 16,500 schools across Indonesia this year as part of its efforts to strengthen digital learning nationwide.Muhammad Qodari, Head of the Presidential Communications Office's Government Communication Bureau (Bakom), said the initiative is intended to ensure that students have equal access to technology-based education, including those in remote parts of the country."The digital transformation of education should not be limited to schools in urban areas. Schools in remote, frontier, and outermost regions must also have access to quality, modern, and technology-based education services," Qodari said in a statement on Friday, July 3.According to Qodari, 8,265 schools were connected to the internet in 2025. The government has nearly doubled that target this year, aiming to provide internet access to 16,557 educational institutions in 2026.Qodari said expanding internet connectivity is essential to ensuring that students across Indonesia have equal opportunities to benefit from digital learning.He noted that about 77 percent of educational institutions nationwide already have internet access, while the remaining 23 percent, most of them in underserved areas, still lack reliable connectivity."Nationally, 77 percent of educational units in Indonesia currently have internet access, while the remaining 23 percent are still unreached and will be the focus of future attention," he said.Alongside expanding internet access, the government is also promoting the use of digital education platforms through the Education Home Ecosystem application, an integrated platform that brings together a range of digital learning services.Qodari said one of its main features, the Student Room, provides digital learning materials, assessments, and character-building content for students. The feature currently has around 1.3 million monthly active users.He said the initiative forms part of the implementation of Presidential Instruction No. 7 of 2025, which seeks to accelerate the digitalization of learning and improve the quality of education services across Indonesia.Read: 7 Cooperation Agreements Signed by Indonesia and BelarusClick here to get the latest news updates from Tempo on Google News