Jakarta, INTI – Indonesia has set another global record this time in terms of mobile internet usage. According to the Digital 2025 Global Overview Report released by We Are Social, 98.7% of the 223 million internet users in Indonesia access the internet via mobile devices. This makes Indonesia the number one country in the world for mobile internet usage.
This figure even outperforms the Philippines (98.4%), South Africa (98.3%), Brazil (98.1%), and Thailand (98%). Malaysia is next with 97.7%. This proves that mobile phones have become the 'main gate' for Indonesians to access information, entertainment and interact digitally.
Rapid Growth of Indonesian Internet Users
The surge in internet usage in Indonesia is not only striking in terms of devices, but also in terms of the number of users. In the first three months of 2025 alone, internet users in Indonesia grew by 11 million people from 212 million in January to 223 million in April.
Of Indonesia's total population estimated at 285 million, internet penetration now stands at 78.3%, up from 74.6% at the start of the year. This places Indonesia as the fourth most internet-using country in the world.
Positive Impact of the Internet
Technology is made to make human life easier. There are many positive things that can be obtained on the internet. Here are some of them:
1. Increase Insight and Knowledge:
For students, this is very useful because it makes it easier for them to find information related to the lessons they are taking.
2. Become a Communication Media:
Examples are chat applications and social media such as Twitter, Line, Facebook, Telegram, and WhatsApp.
3. Easy to Find Job Vacancies:
In addition to the ease of getting information, you can also search for job vacancies on the internet. The internet has become a place for humans to get jobs easily.
Recruiters, or recruiters of new prospective employees, generally also do research first to find out about you on the internet. Therefore, always try to display a good image on the internet. Of course you've heard the phrase, "digital footprints are cruel", right?
4. Easy to Make Transactions and Do Business:
The internet can also generate profits for you by selling online. For example, by opening your own online shop website using a cheap VPS.
Why Indonesian Do People Love the Internet?
The Digital 2025 Global Overview Report also displays information data related to the reasons why someone (internet user) likes to surf the internet:
- 60.9% to search for information
- 58.6% to stay connected with friends & family
- 54% for entertainment such as videos & movies
- 53.2% to keep up with the latest news
- 49.5% to learn and find tutorials
The reasons vary slightly by age. For example, 16-24 year olds use the internet more for social activities (60.7%), while 35-44 year olds predominantly for information seeking (59.2%).
Challenges to the Development of the Internet of Things
- Data Protection and Privacy: IoT technology relies on the collection and exchange of sensitive information, including users’ personal data. However, these devices are vulnerable to cyberattacks and potential data leaks. The lack of uniform security standards also makes IoT a potential loophole in network systems that can be exploited by unauthorized parties.
- Interoperability: With so many different manufacturers and platforms in the IoT ecosystem, getting devices to connect and work together seamlessly is a major challenge. The inability of devices to communicate with each other can slow down the widespread adoption of the technology and reduce the overall efficiency of the system.
- Scalability: The rapid growth in the number of IoT devices requires a network that is capable of handling large volumes of data. A reliable infrastructure is needed so that data can be transferred and managed properly without compromising system performance.
- Data Management: IoT devices generate massive amounts of data. To benefit from this data, an efficient system is needed to store, process, and analyze information accurately and in real-time.
- Battery Life and Durability: Most IoT devices rely on battery power. Limited battery life can be a constraint, so innovation in energy-efficient technologies is essential to keep devices running for longer periods of time without interruption.
- Regulation and Policy: Since IoT is closely related to personal data and has a broad impact on people’s lives, comprehensive and consistent regulation is essential. Differences in policies between countries or regions can be a barrier to its global implementation.
- Availability of Network Infrastructure: Reliability and speed of connectivity are key factors in running an IoT system. However, limited network infrastructure in remote areas is still a major challenge that needs to be overcome.
- Technology Suitability: Not all problems require IoT-based solutions. It is important to conduct an analysis first to ensure that the implementation of IoT provides real benefits and is in line with needs.
- Implementation Cost: The development and implementation of IoT technology can be expensive, especially if you need to replace old devices with new, more sophisticated and connected technology.
- Ethical and Moral Aspects: Ethical issues arise along with the practice of collecting and using data without the knowledge or permission of the user. Therefore, industry players need to consider ethical principles in designing and implementing IoT solutions so as not to violate the privacy and rights of users.
Conclusion
This data confirms one important thing: mobile phones are now the 'center of digital life' for Indonesians and the world. With a high penetration rate and preference for mobile devices, the potential for digital growth in terms of business, education, and social is still very wide open in Indonesia.
For digital industry players, application developers, educators, and content providers, this is a strategic momentum to get closer to users through mobile platforms.