The Ministry of Communication and Information held an Awards and Appreciation Night for the Implementation of Universal Service Obligations (KPU/USO), Tuesday (25/7), at the Dhanapala Building, Central Jakarta. This event aims to appreciate and evaluate the performance of KPU/USO implementing partners.
Head of the Telecommunication and Information Financing Provider and Management Agency (BP3TI) Anang Latif said that KPU/USO funds are collected at 1.25 percent of the gross income of telecommunications operators. This program has been running since 2005 to complement network development carried out by operators. Everything is returned to the community, especially in remote, outermost, and underdeveloped (3T) areas.
The awards cover 13 categories, from cellular operator partners who are required to pay contributions to local governments for the integrated broadband village program.
PT Telekomunikasi Selular (Telkomsel) was selected as the cellular telecommunications operator partner that is most disciplined in paying KPU/USO fund obligations. Every year the company pays IDR 100 billion.
PT Pasifik Satelit Nusantara (PSN) was selected as the best internet service provider partner. PSN successfully beat Telkom, Lintasarta, Iforte, Infokom, DTP and Patrakom. Currently, PSN has 262 locations that have been installed.
On the same occasion, one of PT.PSN’s sites successfully received an award as the Best Internet Access Management Partner, namely Matutuang Village, Marore Islands District.
In the forum, BPPPTI President Director Anang Latif said “through this Appreciation activity for partners, it is hoped that all entities involved in the KPU/USO program will increasingly synergize in improving the accountability, effectiveness and quality of the KPU/USO program, as well as optimizing income from the Non-Tax State Revenue (PNBP) sector to be used optimally for the benefit of the community”.
Minister of Communication and Information Rudiantara said that the percentage of KPU/USO fund levies will be increased to 3 percent. The goal is to increase the allocation of development funds in underdeveloped, frontier, and underdeveloped villages.
“The Palapa Ring program is only limited to building a backbone network. The access network has not reached households yet. So, there is still a lot of homework,” he said.
Rudiantara described that more than 10,000 sub-districts need an internet access network. More than 200,000 schools need an internet connection.
“KPU/USO will continue to be optimized. On the other hand, I propose a government satellite to address the need for an access network. The procurement process is targeted to be completed in 2021,” added Rudiantara.
