Indonesia to implement Wimax broadband in 2009

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Sun, 12/28/2008 6:59 PM  

Indonesia will implement Wimax (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access) broadband technology next year to improve access to the Internet across the country, an official said Sunday. 

Engkos Koswara, an expert adviser to the state minister for research and technology, told Antara news agency the government was still testing the 2.3 GHz frequency for the Wimax technology. 

"We hope that by next year, Wimax technology will be implemented," he said in Medan, North Sumatra, adding the government would encourage the use of domestic products to support the technology. 

Indonesia ranks very low in the region in the use of broadband for Internet access. 

Engkos was in Medan to attend the promotion of IGOS (Indonesia Goes Open Source) and the launching of IGOS for North Sumatra (IGOS Sumut).

IGOS, launched in 2004, was launched to promote the use of open source software throughout the country.