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The objective of the survey is to identify public perception on the expected level of service for USO implementation. There are 6 service quality offered to the public i.e efficiency, network, no boundaries, ease, personal and affordability. Field visit conducted some interview with respondents (mostly also head of village) about various aspect of USO program. Respondents stated that there are some expectations from people about how the USO program managed. The expectations are about some aspect at the implementation process and at the impact they expected.
Some findings are stated below.
Priority of Service Qualities
Perception about service quality is asked to know what is more important for people when a telephone installed.
The analysis showed that no boundaries and efficiency are two most wanted factors from telecommunication service compare to other services. Telecommunication creates “no boundary” situation, the condition when distance and time can be reduced. In locations that geographically remote, no boundaries issue is very important, because it can reduce travel cost significantly and therefore can achieve better time/cost efficiency. Remote area like Merasa, Merapun, or Eka Mulya, the advantage gained by people is travel cost and time reduction hence more cost and time efficient. In an agriculture area like Eka Mulya, telecommunication is a support for business transaction.
People in rural and remote area are considered not well-educated and having less knowledge, therefore the ease of telecommunication facility is the next important aspect. The ease consists of easy to operate, easy to maintenance and easy to fix if there is any damage. Some technology like portable fixed satellite and radio terrestrial need special technician to repair if some problems occur. A problem in Merapun and Merasa telephone means there will be no telecommunication service for at least 2 weeks because the equipment has to be sent to Makassar (capital of South Sulawesi), the nearest place to repair. The same problem in Sumatera requires at least 1 week for doing some repair.
Affordability is the next aspect that people think important. The differences between technologies installed in USO program lead to different tariffs. People in East Kalimantan expect for a lower tariff although they can’t complain with the current rate because still cheaper then traditional face-to-face telecommunication. Satellite technology used in East Kalimantan require transponder cost, a flat cost that operator must pay even there is no call connection. Meanwhile in North Sumatera dan Lampung, the tariff is met the people expectation and not the important aspect.
Implementation Aspect
Implementation aspect can be observed on the communities’ expectation in the followings issues: service coverage, type of service, management system and financial support.
Coverage
The analysis showed that the community want the service can cover all village area without disrupted by geographical condition. Communities do not agree if telephone service only enjoyed by some groups in the community. The analysis also showed the decreasing of tendency on geographical aspect, groups in the community and individual, but on the other hand tendency is increasing on the expectation for telephone can be enjoyed by all villages.
Service Characteristics
Although the national policy stated that the need of information is not limited only for voice call, the communities feel that voice call is adequate for them. This is realistic considering their current level of education which the knowledge of non voice communication requirement is not that high.
But this condition cannot be generalized. In several survey locations such as in Sumber Baru, Lampung, the administrator feels that the need of internet has been growing in the village. They need internet for educational process.
Management System
The communities in the surveyed areas in general wish that in the future the community can manage the USO. Nevertheless support from local and central government as well as private sectors are still required.
Financial Support
Even funding is expected coming from other party such as local government or central government, most of operators said if there is sustainability in the management they won’t need funding from government. This is good to reduce dependency on other parties. The community realized equipment provision is important for the service and this should be provided by other parties such as local and central government (showed by increasing of expectancy), but they also understand that sustainability is more important. Therefore it is expected financial support can be more on equipment provision and the sustainability of the equipment can be adjusted with the condition of the community.
Impact Aspect
Impact aspects basically are seen from the impact of USO fastel toward community economy level. Other important impact is impact toward community’s social cultural life, and the improvement of partnership between community members. Impact toward the decreasing of discrimination level and accessibility improvement for all level of community and the improvement of public participatory level in decision making process are also important.
Economic Impact
Most of the surveyed area, the community relying their life as farmers. This is showed by the high impact toward agriculture which at the end can improve income level. In expectation issue, in the future, the community considered that income improvement as an important factor to be supported by USO fastel.
Social Benefits
Community with thick traditional character considered that the benefit of telephone for social relationships is more important than other aspect. This is showed by the increased of expectation level on social relation. Nevertheless, access to education and health facility are also important to be supported by USO fastel.
Mutual Partnership
Today, the community view that partnership based on certain ethnic group is an important aspect. This is logical considering living in an isolated village, interaction among ethnic groups is rarely to happen. But the community realized that this condition should be changed, marked by the decreased of expectation level on ethnic based partnership and the increased of expectation level on geographical based partnership.
Decreasing Discrimination
Two major issues that considered important by the community in discrimination issues are: (1) this program opens the opportunity for them who live in remote and isolated area and (2) for poor community. These are accessibility and tariff issues that expected can be overcome by USO fastel. It is interesting to be noted that the community at surveyed locations considered no gender issues in using the fastel and therefore this issue has never been a problem.
Participation in Decision Making
The survey showed that even now the existence of fastel can improve public participation in decision making process at local government level (for example, organizing meeting between the community and local government staffs is now much easier), in the future it is expected that decision making process can be more carried out at community level and local development organization. In this case, support from telecommunication is highly expected.
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