Name: I Made Exis Wijaya

Reg. Number: 1601541005

FREE WI-FI IN THE VILLAGE MEETING HALL:

GOVERNMENT’S GOOD STEP OR NOT?

Since January 2019, The Department of Information and Communication Service of

Gianyar (Infocom) in collaboration with PT. Telkom Indonesia have started the installation of
free Wi-Fi network in several places in the regency. The official said that the installation will be
carried out in 347 places, most of which consisted of traditional village. One of the villages that
has got the installation of free Wi-Fi network is Tampaksiring.

As in other villages that have already been included in the program, the free Wi-Fi
network in Tampaksiring is also installed at a neutral site, namely the village meeting hall
located near the Balai Agung Temple and organized by seven banjars (the smallest form of local
government in Bali).
 The news about the installation of the Wi-Fi network was then spread by the government
and local villagers through word of mouth. Not long after the installation, many people come to
the village meeting hall to access the internet service. Most of the visitors are students who
happened to go to the school nearby. They use the internet access for various needs, such as
finding information related to their school subject or even just looking for entertainment like
watching videos on Youtube or playing online games.

Many people feel elated because of the free Wi-Fi network installation program in their
village. One of them is a second year high school student named Agus (19). He said that this
program made him easier to do his school assignment while saving his expenses.

The same thing was also stated by Giri (29), a government employee, whose house is
located near the village meeting hall.

"This Wi-Fi network does not only help me in doing my office tasks," he said, “but gives
me a chance to talk and get closer to the other young men and women who also access the
internet in here."

However, this program does not apparently bring a good thing. For Suprapta (39), one of
the parents who often receives bad reports about his son at school, this free Wi-Fi network
contrarily brings some disadvantages.

"The installation of free Wi-Fi network in the village meeting hall is quite detrimental,”
he stated. "Many students, including my son, were caught skipping the class to play online
games there.”

As a parent living far enough from the village meeting hall, Suprapta claims that he
himself cannot always supervise his son. For that, he hopes that the related official would set a
time limitation for accessing the network.

Supporting Suprapta's statement, Ketut Runtun (58), as the former administrator of the
village who lives right in front of the hall, also regretted the users of the free Wi-Fi network who
often littered and spent much time racketing until the dawn, disturbing the tranquility of the local
residents.
 In relation to that matter, Ketut Puanya (55), as the village administrator stated that the
installation of free Wi-Fi network is actually a very good step from the government in order to
build a smart-city. It is just, he asserted, that the involvement from the other parties such as
parents, teachers, or even the local residents is now compulsory to monitor the situation at the
meeting hall, so that the internet service can be used as it is expected.
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