Indonesia

Excellencies, distinguished delegates, ladies, and gentlemen,

As the world encounters the new future beyond the post- COVID19 pandemic recovery, in which a surge in internet usage is taking place, it is of paramount importance that we seize this momentum to accelerate our efforts in bringing about the digitally connected world.

Right at this moment, a full one-third of world’s population still lives in digital blackout, in which we are risking to inherit a new face of digital inequality to our next generations if we fail to act immediately and accordingly.

It is in within our best intentions and interests that we strive together to achieve a meaningful, and universal connectivity where all people can benefit from the productive usage of the internet. Today, working towards such goal weigh the same meaning as contributing to the attainment of ITU Strategic Goals and the Connect 2030 Agenda.

Excellencies, distinguished delegates

In the context of the G20 Forum, Indonesia as this year Presidency strive attentively for those unserved and undeserved in the digital world. Through the completion of the G20 Digital Economy Ministers’ Meeting early this month, the forum has reached broad agreement in accordance with Digital Economy Working Group (DEWG) priority issues, namely digital connectivity, digital skills and literacy, and data free flow with trust and cross border data flow on the basis of lawfulness, fairness, and transparency. In this regard, Indonesia highly appreciates the support of ITU on Smart Village and Smart Island initiative as one of the DEWG concrete deliverables.

As a nation of vast islands, Indonesia is ever-committed to providing an inclusive, affordable, and secure digital connectivity all throughout the archipelago. Currently, we are in the midst of deploying fiber optic cables in land and subsea to connect the unconnected backbone points of Indonesia, in which we have deployed 460,000 KM length of fiber optic cables.

We are also procuring 4G Base Transceiver Stations to cover the needs of thousands of villages in non-commercial areas, 65 percent of which are located in the frontier and outermost areas.

In the second quarter of 2023 next year, we will launch 2 units of 150 GBPS High Throughput Satellites Geo Earth Orbit, to support the dedicated internet access for more than 150,000 Indonesian public facilities, to communities in underdeveloped areas, outermost areas, and frontier areas of Indonesia. With such initiatives, Indonesia hopes to meaningfully contribute to the reduction of the 2.7 billion unconnected, both in Indonesia and also around the world.

Prior to concluding my statement, I wish to also present Indonesia’s candidatures for the membership of ITU Council and the candidature of Dr. Meiditomo Sutyarjoko, as a member of the Radio Regulations Board, for Region E. Herewith I welcome all member countries’ invaluable support to the above-mentioned candidatures. I count on your valuable support. Thank you.