Surge Launches ‘People’s Internet’ as Hashim Calls Cheap Broadband Indonesia’s Next Economic Game Changer

JAKARTA, Investortrust.id — Indonesian telecom infrastructure firm PT Solusi Sinergi Digital Tbk, known by its ticker WIFI, is making an aggressive push into low-cost broadband with backing from businessman Hashim Djojohadikusumo, who called the initiative a potential “game changer” for Southeast Asia’s largest economy.

The company officially launched IRA, short for Internet Rakyat or “People’s Internet,” on Tuesday, offering fixed broadband speeds of up to 100 Mbps for Rp 100,000 ($6.29) per month.

Hashim, who sits on the company’s shareholder board, said the initiative could become one of the biggest drivers of Indonesia’s future economic expansion by widening digital access for small businesses, students and teachers.

“This could become a game changer and, in my view, one of the key drivers of Indonesia’s economic growth,” Hashim said during the launch event in Jakarta on Tuesday.

Indonesia remains one of the world’s largest underpenetrated broadband markets despite having more than 280 million people and one of the fastest-growing digital economies globally.

Fixed broadband penetration still lags regional peers, while internet quality and affordability remain uneven outside major urban centers. That gap has become a major bottleneck for e-commerce, AI adoption, online education and SME digitization.

Surge’s aggressive low-cost strategy signals how telecom infrastructure players are now positioning themselves as core enablers of Indonesia’s next economic growth cycle.

Hashim cited studies from consulting firm McKinsey showing that every 10% increase in affordable internet penetration could lift a country’s GDP growth by between 0.7% and 1.3% annually.

“It has been proven,” he said. “Every 10% of a country’s population gaining access to affordable and efficient internet can boost annual economic growth by 0.7% to 1.3%.”

The initiative also aligns closely with President Prabowo Subianto’s broader economic agenda focused on infrastructure expansion, digital inclusion and productivity growth.

Hashim said Surge is targeting 5 million subscribers this year and could eventually double that number.

“Surge is ready this year to install services for 5 million customers, and hopefully later 10 million,” he said.

He also highlighted the affordability angle of the service, saying a 100 Mbps connection with unlimited usage would cost roughly the equivalent of three packs of cigarettes in Indonesia.

“With speeds of 100 Mbps, it costs only about three packs of cigarettes,” he said.

The rollout is already substantial.

Surge said IRA’s Regional-1 deployment currently operates more than 550 active telecom sites and 3,189 installed radio units across more than 82 cities and regencies spanning Java, Maluku and Papua.

The company is deploying the service through its subsidiary PT Telemedia Komunikasi Pratama, combining fiber backbone infrastructure with fixed wireless access technology to lower deployment costs while expanding reach.

The expansion comes as Surge’s financial performance accelerates sharply.

The company posted net profit attributable to shareholders of Rp 408.6 billion ($25.7 million) in 2025, up 76.75% year-on-year, while revenue surged 147% to Rp 1.66 trillion ($104.4 million).

Its cash position also jumped dramatically to Rp 6.16 trillion ($387 million) by the end of 2025 from just Rp 18.5 billion a year earlier, reflecting aggressive infrastructure expansion and fresh capital inflows.

Surge has increasingly emerged as one of the market’s most closely watched digital infrastructure plays amid rising investor appetite for Indonesia’s broadband, data center and AI-linked growth themes.

The company said IRA forms part of a broader strategy to reduce Indonesia’s digital divide and improve access to online education, digital commerce, entertainment and public services.

“Internet access is no longer a luxury,” said PT Telemedia Komunikasi Pratama President Director Shannedy Ong during the launch event on Tuesday. “It is now a basic necessity that must be accessible to all."