Jakarta, Indonesia, May 17, 2009 - The World Bank, acting as administrator for the Global Partnership on Output-Based Aid (GPOBA), signed a grant agreement for US$1.9 million with the Republic of Indonesia to facilitate access to the Internet and associated telecommunications services for people living in disadvantaged rural areas of Java and Sumatra.

The Project Implementing Agency is the Department of Applications and Telematics in the Ministry of Communications and Information.

The GPOBA-financed project, Extending Telecommunications in Rural Indonesia, is a pilot program. It will support a private-public-partnership approach to the establishment and operation of “Community Access Points”.

These CAPs will provide Internet access, telecommunication, computer facilities, and internet-based training program for communities in 222 sub-districts, 110 of which are in Lampug, and 112 are in West Java and Banten. Together, these project areas have a population of approximately 10 million.

The CAPs are expected to benefit a range of users, from students, to groups of rural women in developing their business or illiteracy eradication, farmers seeking price information, health workers, teachers, and villagers wanting to receive messages from relatives working overseas.

Press Release issued by the Ministry of Communications and Information of Indonesia (English translation)

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