Government and Society Synergy For Community-Based Internet Development

Abstract

The actors of development in a developing country are the government and society. To reach the goal of development, their synergy is needed. Desa Pinter (Punya Internet) or Smart Village (with the Internet) is a government initiative to improve community welfare in facing the industry 4.0 era, including to encourage the telecommunications operator to provide internet access for the villages. This study examines the synergy of the role of government and society in developing community-based internet using a qualitative approach with a single case study method. Data collection techniques were carried out by observation, documentation study, interviews, and focus group discussions. The object of the research is internet administrator in 12 districts in West Java. The results of the study show that the use of community-based internet still encounters obstacles in terms of infrastructure, budget, and the lack of human resources in the village. The government plays a role as mediator and program facilitator, particularly in terms of infrastructure procurement, training and development of human resources. Such role is mainly carried out by the district and village government, while the sub-district has less optimal role. On the side of the community, the participation was divided into two categories of responsive and unresponsive communities.