By: Otjih S )*
Recognized or not, because of the vast geographical area of Indonesia, many regions still experience “blank spot areas” of communication networks, so that social life, nationality, nationality and even economic wheels are less fast than regions that do not have blank spot areas. Therefore, in accordance with the mandate of the constitution, the Indonesian government under Joko Widodo-Ma’ruf Amin will continue to expand the construction of Base Transceiver Station or BTS.
In North Kalimantan, for example, the plan to build Long Telenjau BTS and Muara Bulungan will be active in 2020 through the Telecommunications and Information Acceleration Agency (BAKTI) program of the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology (Kemenkominfo), namely Merdeka Signal 2020. The improvement of Sekatak BTS tower services from 2G to 4G is in accordance with the North Kalimantan Provincial Government program. In the Palapa Ring program, North Kalimantan Province, internet services will increase for regions with 2G or 3G signal services to be upgraded to 4G.
According to a source at the North Kalimantan Communication and Information Commission, currently there are 6 BTS towers built using the 2019 APBD with 4 BTS towers in Bulungan Regency and 2 BTS in Nunukan Regency with details of Tahu Lumbis Village, Lumbis Ogong and Binuang District, Krayan Tengah District . For 2 BTS in Nunukan Regency included in the Disadvantaged, Frontier and Outermost (3T) areas, so it was handed over to BAKTI in 2018.
Based on information from Telkomsel, that 4 BTS have been built in Bulungan Regency in 2016 with locations including Binai Village, Tanjung Palas Timur District, Tanjung Buka Village, Tanjung Palas Tengah District, Muara Bulungan, Tanjung Palas Tengah District and Long Telenjau, Peso Hilir District .
The BTS in Binai Village, Tanjung Palas Timur District were active in June 2019 and BTS in Tanjung Buka Village, Tanjung Palas Tengah District were active in September 2019 with services provided by 2G and 4G with a radius of 5 Km.
The Ministry of Communication and Information targets telecommunications accessibility evenly throughout Indonesia in 2020. Therefore, Bakti Ministry of Communication and Information has launched the Merdeka Signal program where currently there are still around 11 percent of regions in Indonesia that have not been touched by signals or blank spots. To realize the Mardeka Signal target in 2020, Bakti is currently continuing to build 5,000 BTS in the foremost, outermost and backward (3T) areas which have not been looked at by telecommunications operators for business reasons.
It is expected that with the number of BTS built even on the forefront of islands and border areas, it will facilitate communication networks including the internet, and with the increasingly massive digital literacy movement, the public will certainly be more sane in response to the shock of digital culture.
In addition, communication networks and the internet are currently needed to support a variety of public activities ranging from buying and selling, teaching-learning, medical services between doctors, hospitals, and patients, journalists’ work, to the public who wish to express their opinions on the current situation. there also requires communication channels and the internet. Happy Independence Signal in 2020.
)* Observer of the problem of mass communication