Jakartan Students & People Working From Home Can Now Use Free Wi-Fi Spots In The City

Free Wi-Fi spots are available in Jakarta

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Internet access is still uneven in this country of over 17,000 islands. Even in Indonesia’s biggest cities, including Jakarta, not all residents have access to an Internet connection.

The COVID-19 pandemic has shown that in this day and age, an Internet connection is a necessity rather than an optional tool. With e-learning and working from home becoming the norm in 2020, most people need the Internet. 

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JAKWIFI is the Jakarta local government’s effort to address this problem by providing residents with free Wi-Fi spots within the city. 

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JAKWIFI will be available in several spots across Jakarta

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Image credit: Kumparan

As reported by Kumparan, Governor Anies Baswedan has announced that JAKWIFI, Jakarta’s network of free Wi-Fi hotspots, will now be available to the city’s residents.

While specific details on the hotspots’ locations have not been announced at the time of writing, he noted that the city administration will push for setting up 9,000 Wi-Fi hotspots in the near future.

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At the time being, child-friendly areas are prioritized

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Image credit: @the_albanian_blur

For the time-being, child-friendly public spaces are being prioritized. This is because the lack of equal access to an Internet connection and gadgets has been a problem for many families with children doing e-schooling.

Each Wi-Fi spot will be marked by a signpost, and Governor Anies also noted that Jakartans should still remember to practice physical distancing while using the newly installed public facilities. 

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Hope for the future of Jakarta, and hopefully the rest of Indonesia

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Currently, people without unstable Internet connections in Jakarta have to fork out money to get a monthly plan or go to cafes and restaurants with Wi-Fi to try their luck at finding a seat and a free socket – not to mention having a laptop in the first place.

The former is challenging for many because Internet packages can get pricey and as for the latter, well, sitting in indoor public places for too long is generally not a good idea during the COVID-19 outbreak. This is why the free Wi-Fi spots are sure to be popular among local residents.

There are still many improvements to be made in Jakarta, as well as the rest of Indonesia when it comes to Internet access. But let’s hope JAKWIFI is one step in the right direction to infrastructural improvements for everyone across the country.

Also read:

• Jakarta students struggle to pay for Internet access and gadgets
• TVRI airs 6 Netflix documentaries
• Jakarta’s Kota Tua museums are open

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Cover image adapted from: Rahmatharman/Wikimedia Commons

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