Why Indonesia’s 100 Mbps Internet Dream is Still Facing Roadblocks, According to Komdigi

Indonesia has a bold vision for its digital future: achieving a national fixed broadband speed of 100 Mbps. However, the path to lightning-fast connectivity is littered with more than just technical hurdles. The Ministry of Communication and Digital (Komdigi) recently shed light on the complex web of issues—ranging from market saturation to messy urban aesthetics—that continue to stall progress.

The Paradox of Market Saturation

While many parts of Indonesia are still struggling to get reliable access, some areas are facing the exact opposite problem. Edwin Hidayat Abdullah, Director General of Digital Ecosystem at Komdigi, pointed out a surprising statistic from the Association of Indonesian Internet Service Providers (APJII). Currently, 24 districts and cities in Indonesia are experiencing extreme market saturation.

In these specific regions, fixed broadband coverage has already hit the 90% mark. You might think this is good news, but it has created a counterproductive environment. Instead of fostering healthy competition or driving down prices through efficiency, this saturation has led to massive infrastructure overlap. Providers are tripping over each other, leading to inefficient network utilization and a chaotic urban landscape that compromises city aesthetics.

The "Spaghetti" Cable Crisis

One of the most visible symptoms of this uncoordinated growth is the tangled mess of fiber optic cables hanging over Indonesian streets. This "spaghetti cabling" isn't just an eyesore; it's a significant logistical challenge. Komdigi acknowledges that relocating these aerial cables into underground systems—a process known as undergrounding—is a massive piece of "homework" that remains unfinished. This transition is essential not only for the beauty of the cities but also for the long-term reliability and safety of the infrastructure.

A Fragmented Provider Landscape

Another layer of complexity comes from the sheer volume of players in the market. According to APJII data, there are now more than 1,300 Internet Service Providers (ISPs) operating across the archipelago. While competition is generally healthy, such high fragmentation without proper oversight can lead to a race to the bottom in terms of quality.

Edwin expressed concern that without proper regulation and restructuring, the growth the industry is seeing today might actually create new problems for urban planning and business efficiency. More importantly, it could degrade the quality of service that the average citizen experiences, as resources are spread too thin across too many small, uncoordinated entities.

Komdigi’s Four-Pillar Strategy for Reform

To navigate these challenges, Komdigi has outlined a strategic roadmap designed to stabilize the industry and ensure that the 100 Mbps goal is met equitably across the nation. The plan focuses on four critical areas:

First, there is a push for quality optimization. In those 24 highly saturated areas, the government is encouraging providers to optimize their existing infrastructure and adopt better service standards rather than just adding more redundant lines.

Second, the ministry is advocating for more orderly urban planning. This involves implementing "shared ducting" and infrastructure sharing schemes. By moving toward an open access model, multiple providers can use the same physical underground conduits, reducing the need for constant excavation and the proliferation of overhead wires.

Third, there is a crackdown on illegal business practices. This includes targeting unlicensed ISPs that fail to meet national standards, ensuring that only legitimate, high-quality providers remain in the ecosystem.

Finally, all these efforts funnel into the ultimate objective: achieving a national internet speed of 100 Mbps. The goal is not just to make the internet faster in Jakarta, but to ensure that this high-speed connectivity is distributed evenly throughout the entire country, bridging the digital divide once and for all.