The Indonesian government is supporting a plan to roll-out 'cheap and meaningful' broadband to 20 percent of the Indonesian population by 2012. Investor Group Against Digital Divide (IGADD ), a not-for-profit think tank, is behind the plan which has strong support from the government and industry, the Jakarta Post reports. The IGADD aims to increase broadband penetration in the country twenty-fold by using innovative technology and a business plan that aims to bridge the 'digital divide'. According to the think tank, about 1 to 2 percent of the Indonesian population have access to broadband internet. Under the plan the current infrastructure would be enhanced with WiMAX and 3G technology with a goal to make telecommunications infrastructure profitable. Dozens of companies, universities and NGOs are working together on the plan, the paper reports. Two 'test-bed' villages have been established in West Java, funded by the Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands. Some IDR 10 million is needed to set-up a village with network use offered for free to the inhabitants. The Bandung Institute of Technology is currently developing software for teaching resources and this is funded by Microsoft. Furthermore, Qualcomm has set-up a laboratory at the Institute to develop applications for rural mobile phone users.
