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Surge in data traffic expected during Idul Fitri as more people stay home
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Smartphone use usually spikes during the Idul Fitri holiday period in Indonesia. (Shutterstock/File)
T
he Communications and Information Ministry is expecting national data traffic to rise by up to 40 percent during Idul Fitri, set to take place on May 24, as people may be staying at home to avoid contracting the novel coronavirus.
Since the government issued the stay-at-home order in March, the ministry has recorded a 5 percent to 10 percent increase in data traffic compared to normal levels.
“We are working with cellular operators to anticipate an increase ranging from 30 percent to 40 percent in data traffic during Ramadan and Idul Fitri,” Communications and Information Minister Johnny G. Plate said in a statement released on Wednesday.
The estimated increase this year was slightly higher than the 20 percent to 30 percent increase seen in the corresponding period last year because of large-scale social restrictions to curb the COVID-19 outbreak, with school and offices temporarily closed and many religious and public events banned.
The fast-spreading coronavirus has infected people in at least 32 provinces of the country. As of Wednesday, 240 patients have died of the disease while 222 people have recovered.
Read also: Telkomsel reports 16 percent jump in broadband traffic as people follow physical distancing rules
Even with more and more people expected to stay at home, the minister said, the bandwidth currently offered by cellular operators should be able to sustain the rising demand.
Between February 16 and March 29, Indonesians' length of stay at home increased by 15 percent, according to data released on April 1 by American multinational tech giant Google. Their movement to transit stations correspondingly declined by 54 percent, to parks by 52 percent, to retail and recreational places by 47 percent, to grocery and pharmaceutical stores by 27 percent as well as to offices by 15 percent.
“We are ensuring the availability of adequate bandwidth with the operators,” said Johnny, a NasDem Party politician. “We have yet to see any extraordinary increase. It is still under control and the capacity of existing bandwidth [is sufficient].”
Johnny added he was concerned about hoaxes related to the novel coronavirus circulating on the internet as people spend more time online.
