Data Check: Uneven Student Internet Access, Which Province Has the Lowest Rate?

Presidential candidate number 3, Ganjar Pranowo, stated his intention to promote free internet access for students in various regions of Indonesia, so that they have equal opportunities with students in Java.

He made this statement during the first 2024 Presidential Debate, themed Governance, Law, Human Rights, Corruption Eradication, Strengthening Democracy, Improvement of Public Services, and Community Harmony, held at the KPU office, Central Jakarta, on Tuesday (December 12, 2023).

According to data from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS), the proportion of elementary school (SD) students who have ever accessed the internet nationally was only 24.84% in 2022.

Access also varies greatly across regions. Several provinces even have lower access rates than the national average.

The lowest internet access for elementary school students was in Maluku, at only 14.39%. This was followed by Papua at 15.01%, North Maluku at 15.25%, and Aceh at 15.96%.

The percentage of elementary school students accessing the internet in DKI Jakarta is also relatively low, at 16.04%.

Other provinces with relatively low access in this category are North Sulawesi at 16.86%, West Papua at 17.07%, Bali at 19.02%, and North Sumatra at 19.2%.