Unequal Internet Access for Students Across Indonesian Provinces

Internet is a vital tool in today's digital age. This is especially true for students who need it to find information, use social media, and explore the world beyond their homes.

According to the Central Statistics Agency (BPS), in 2021, only 39.71% of students in Papua had accessed the internet in the previous three months. This means that less than half of the students in this province had internet access.

The province with the lowest percentage of students accessing the internet was North Maluku, at 57.16% in 2021. This was followed by Aceh at 59.85% and East Nusa Tenggara at 61.47%.

In contrast, Yogyakarta Special Region had the highest percentage of students who had accessed the internet in the previous three months, at 98.49% in 2021. This means that only 1.51% of students in this "Student City" lacked internet access.

The next provinces with the highest percentages of students accessing the internet were South Kalimantan at 96.36%, followed by Jakarta at 94.62% and Bali at 94.54%.

As the graph shows, there is a significant disparity in internet access among students between Papua and Yogyakarta. Uneven distribution of information and communication infrastructure, as well as students' ability to access the internet, has resulted in Papua lagging far behind other provinces, particularly those in Java.

Although still low, the percentage of students accessing the internet in Papua has increased over the past four years. While internet access among students in Papua only reached 23.59% previously, it nearly reached 40% in 2021.