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Internet bills rise for 71 percent of Indonesians: Survey
A vast increase in internet bills is making many parents restless about continued learning from home for their children.
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Two children watch digital learning videos from home in Bandung, West Java, in March 2020. (Antara/M Agung Rajasa)
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other and household assistant Hartini, 33, saw her home’s internet spending swell severalfold last year to support her two sons’ distance learning as public schools closed down amid the pandemic.
The 33-year old is among tens of thousands of Indonesian parents for whom higher internet bills have come as a big financial shock during the large-scale social restrictions (PSBB) that compelled classrooms and workspaces to move online.
Prior to the pandemic, Hartini usually spent around Rp 50,000 (US$3.46) per month on mobile data for her eldest son, a sophomore-year student at a vocational high school in Depok, West Java.
That spending swelled to Rp 50,000 every three to four days during the early days of Depok’s school closures that began in July last year. The elder son did a lot of video conferences. She also spent Rp 80,000 a month on mobile data for her eight-year-old son’s learning from home.
“It really took a toll [on our finances], especially for the older son’s schooling. The younger one uses it only for WhatsApp and Google Classroom, which is still affordable,” Hartini told The Jakarta Post in a phone interview on Wednesday.
Read also: Poor internet connection, lack of devices hinder online learning: Ministry
Around 71 percent of Indonesians raised their budget for internet, mobile data and phone credits during the pandemic, according to a recent online survey involving 2,491 respondents between Feb. 26 and March 1 by Katadata Insight Center and Cashpop.
