Jakarta, 8 July 2021 – As a manifestation of its interest to digitalize the lives of Indonesian people, including in rural areas, PT Telkom Indonesia (Persero) Tbk (Telkom) is providing a satellite-based internet service, Mangoesky for a year as an assistance 33 villages in West Java, namely in Bandung, West Bandung, Karawang, Sukabumi, Cirebon, and Tasikmalaya regions. Telkom  Director of Enterprise & Business Service Edi Witjara handed over the assistance symbolically via video conference to representatives of village heads Sukamulya (Bandung), Sukamulya (Sukabumi), Karangsari (Karawang), Argalingga (Cirebon), and Bojongsari (Tasikmalaya). Head of the Economic Bureau of the West Java Provincial Government Benny Bachtiar and Executive Vice President of Telkom Regional III West Java Sujito also attended the event on video conference,.

In his speech, Edi Witjara said that the CSR assistance is expected to help villages in the blank spot and frontier, remote and less developed (3T) areas, and to support the villagers in their economic, education and other sectors activities. "Hopefully this internet access service can also help villages in developing and introducing their villages’ potential, so that the economic sector, education, and other sectors in these villages could carry on especially during this pandemic," he said.

Benny Bachtiar, representing the West Java Provincial Government, said that 90% of the target to convert 5,000 digital villages in West Java has been realized. Meanwhile, there are still 500 villages that do not have access to internet service, therefore, the West Java Provincial Government expects Telkom's support to facilitate 23% of Indonesia's population or the equivalent of 50 million people, who need these digital services. Digitalization is a development priority for the West Java Provincial Government, since it is in line with the Smart Village program that the Governor of West Java launched.

On the same occasion, Telkom also participated in forging the SME Space Collaboration for MSMEs in West Java. Edi Witjara said Telkom as a digital company also supports government programs to improve the micro, small and medium businesses or MSMEs as one of the important industrial sectors in the Indonesian economy. Telkom has several digital products that can help SMEs to develop their business. "Sakoo, Bonum, Padi UMKM, are some of the products focusing on the MSME sector that Telkom developed," he said.

Telkom also cooperates with coworking space management company Union Space, to support MSMEs to develop digitally through Telkom products, to facilitate the MSMEs in exposing their products, and to support them with training and business development with BUMN House and CDC.

"We hope this collaboration could improve MSME’s business welfare in Indonesia, especially in West Java, so that they could advance and go digital," he said. 

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