Open Internet in Indonesia - RT RW NET

I will share my experiences about Open Internet in Indonesia. Currently, if you live in Indonesia, there is a lot of Open Internet Services you can use such as Warnet, but currently RT RW Net is the newest method to implement. What is actually Open Internet? According to Technopedia.com, Open Internet is a fundamental network neutrality concept in which information across the World Wide Web is equally free and available without variables that depend on the financial motives of ISP. 

Figure 1. Internet for everyone by Internet Society

In the simple way to explain is, Open Internet allow us to build our own internet services in the limited area. We can also make it more cheaper, so everybody can enjoy fast internet connection without worry about paying high services again. Open Internet will boost economy in our own community in those limited area, because peoples can use internet access for communication, school, business, e-commerce and a lot of things.

In 2020, Indonesia receive John Postel Service Award through Mr. Onno W. Purbo, because in my country Open Internet is massively implementing, but it’s kinda funny because the government regulations doesn’t support Open Internet. For example in this cases, few Open Internet enthusiasm arrested and sentenced to prison, because they do not have a license as an ISP. 

Figure 2. Open Internet Operator Cases

I means, Indonesia is the leading country that implement of Open Internet, but the government regulations kinda strike down the Open Internet implementations it self. Even, the big telco company own by government doesn’t like people to build Open Internet using their’s network. Sure you can partnership with local ISP, but its price is too damn high to start with just few potential users. Even if you can pay those fees, there is more you need to fulfill such as license as an ISP. That's actually not an Open Internet in my perspective, that is internet access business run by ISP & Government.

Figure 3. Open Internet strike down by ISP policy

In Indonesia, there’s a lot of Open Internet Enthusiasm like I do, you can check in Facebook group page name “RT RW Net Indonesia”, there is more 60K peoples interesting in this topic. It means more people want to learn & implement Open Internet for the good of my country Indonesia. A lot of Open Internet operator in Indonesia doesn’t under company control, they doing it individually or in small groups. The lack of Open Internet regulations also make Open Internet operators doesn’t have protections agains the current telecommunication laws in my country.

Figure 4. Open Internet Enthusiasm through RT RW Net

Basically, it’s illegal to do Open Internet in Indonesia without an ISP license. But, in my perspective, a lot of area in Indonesia doesn’t covered by fiber optic or even cellular tower that run by ISP. So, the Open Internet Enthusiasm kinda help ISP and Government A LOT, by building internet network deeper to the remote area. So that, a lot of people in the remote area can also enjoy fast internet connections through fiber or wireless. That’s basically what happens in Indonesia right now, I hope the Open Internet implementations are more better and better in the future especially it’s regulations. 

What I know in Indonesia especially in the remote area like I do, a lot of peoples here can’t afford to pay internet services by an ISP. The problem is ISP charge the same price in both the city and the countryside, it’s cheaper by peoples who live in the city, but extremely expensive by peoples who live in country side. So that, I think ISP kinda lazy to flapping its fiber wings further into the countryside. Open Internet Enthusiasm come to fix that, they’re ready to build fiber network for a long distances even just for one client.

Figure 5. Open Internet operator installing fiber optic cable

You actually arrived at the end of my experience about Open Internet implementations in Indonesia. Perhaps in the future, I will show you a little tour to my Open Internet network, please comment about it if you interesting. I hope content like this make a lot of different especially around the regulations and governments to support Open Internet in the future. 

So many peoples in the remote area also more deserve enjoy fast internet with a cheaper price. If you enjoy this content, please share it to your friends, family or even your boyfriend wife. Any questions? please comment down below.