Jakarta, Gizmologi – For people in remote, outermost and underdeveloped areas (3T), the presence of an internet signal in their area is a luxury in itself. Behind the luxury, there is a lot of persistence that is far from the spotlight.
Let's call Mirwan, a 28 year old man who is one of the government's partner workers in the construction of the Base Transceiver Station (BTS) tower in Kampung Lut Jaya, Central Aceh Regency. He never thought that he would be placed in an area that was completely far from what he had expected.
“Never mind going into remote areas like this, I've never even been to Aceh. That's why I experienced quite a bit of culture shock, not only from the local community's life, but also from the terrain I passed through” said the man from Cimahi, West Java to Gizmologi.
Initially, Mirwan admitted that he felt burdened when he was involved in the BTS tower construction project in the area, but his conscience was moved when he saw the lives of the local people. The abundance of internet signals in their residence turned out to be something they couldn't have.
“There are things that we consider ordinary, but they are very meaningful to them. I even feel embarrassed to complain about the slow internet quality at my house. While our brothers and sisters in this region have not enjoyed the internet at all,” he said.
After seeing this inequality, Mirwan felt that he had gained energy that strengthened his soul to contribute to providing internet access for the local community. Without realizing it, he spent about 3 years in several places in the district.
“I believe the internet can make their lives better. At least this is the contribution I can make in life. Hopefully this will be my ongoing charity in the future,” he added.
While Mirwan admitted that his contribution to the construction of BTS was relatively smooth, this was not the case with Gunadi, who received “quota” development in the Eastern Indonesian region is not as smooth as expected. Apart from the challenging terrain, he also had to face the challenge of conflict involving local residents.
“I don't really understand how the conflict happened. What is certain is that my friends and I feel pressured and threatened, because there are members of society who are obstructing this work. Some of them even carry sharp weapons,” he recalled.
Fortunately, the dispute case could be resolved in the middle of BTS construction. In the end, the entire team involved in the project felt accepted by the local community.
“In the first months, I honestly felt scared. Because it's far from anywhere and I always question my safety. But in the end everything could be resolved well, the local people were even grateful for the construction of BTS in their area,” he said.
Challenges for BTS Tower Workers in 3T Areas
It cannot be denied that BTS construction projects do not only rely on workers who understand the technical ins and outs, but must also have great guts. This job requires high intelligence, dexterity and integrity, because apart from the location being very remote with dangerous terrain, there are conflicts that could occur in the area.
The deaths of 8 BTS workers who were killed by an armed criminal group (KKB) in Papua, in early March 2022, may be an illustration of how risky this job is. At that time, the victims, who were telecommunications network workers at PT Palapa Timur Telematika (PTT), were repairing Telkomsel's BTS 3 tower in Beoga District, Puncak Regency, Papua.
Considering that the location of the incident was in a remote area, the police admitted that they had difficulty evacuating the victims. Especially considering that the area can only be accessed by helicopter.
However, despite the risks involved, the success of building BTS in the 3T region has created a sense of pride for those involved. Mirwan considered this to be like a light in the darkness.
“I can see for myself how different people's lives are before and after the internet. Some people can use it for trading, some for education. It can be seen that the development of a village has clearly progressed compared to before the internet existed” he said.
Mirwan and Gunadi are examples of a handful of workers involved in the construction of BTS which is being accelerated by the government through Bakti Kominfo. They not only leave their comfort zone, but also risk their lives to realize internet access in an area. This is a major contribution that perhaps has escaped our attention so far.
Meanwhile, the Kominfo Bakti Program continues to strive to strengthen the digital ecosystem through Bakti Aksi (Internet Access), Bakti Sinyal (BTS), Satria-I (Republic of Indonesia Satellite), and Palapa Ring by providing internet access via VSAT, radio link, and fiber optic. The current realization has reached more than 14 thousand points throughout Indonesia.
For Bakti Sinyal, the construction of BTS towers has now reached a total of more than 6.000 transmitter station locations as senders and receivers of Bakti internet signals in the 3T areas. According to Yulis Widyo Marfiah, Plt. Director of IT Services for Community & Government Bakti Kominfo, the development of telecommunications infrastructure in the area is not an easy matter.
This is because there are many challenges that must be faced, starting from geographical locations that are not supportive, limited electricity availability, to cost factors that are not small. However, the construction of BTS towers in 3T areas must continue so that local people can utilize digital technology to improve their quality of life.
“Here the role of the state is very important, so that all people can feel the benefits of telecommunications according to the mandate of the law,” he said recently at the Digital Literacy Festival held by Bisnis Indonesia Group.
With such a high target for Bakti Kominfo, of course, there is a need for personnel to fill the construction of the BTS tower project. They are not just human resources (HR), but also heroes who continue to fight to provide internet access to remote areas.
Also read: PR Task Force BAKTI Kominfo Targeted to Complete 4G BTS in One Year
Maybe their services are not remembered, but as long as the internet signal continues to shine brightly, illuminating the lives of the Indonesian people, it will also be a reminder to all of us that in every bit there is a drop of their sweat. Yes, they are the heroes behind the erection of BTS towers in remote parts of this country.
