When we talk about the history of the internet in Indonesia, it’s impossible to ignore the role played by amateur radio enthusiasts. Long before the internet became commercially available, a group of dedicated individuals used radios, computers, and ingenuity to connect Indonesians to a new digital world.

The Beginnings in the 1980s

The seeds of Indonesia’s internet history were planted in 1986, through the Amateur Radio Club (ARC) at the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB). Radio amateurs began experimenting with packet radio, a method of transmitting digital data over radio waves.

Key figures at the time included:

• Harya Sudirapratama (YC1HCE) – owner of a Kenwood TS430 Single Side Band (SSB) radio transceiver.
• Onno W. Purbo (YC1DAV) – who contributed computing power with his Apple II.
• J. Tjandra Pramudito (YB3NR) and Suryono Adisoemarta (N5SNN) – young ITB operators learning from senior hams.
• Mentors such as Robby Soebiakto (YB1BG), the late Achmad Zaini (YB1HIR), and Yos (YB2SV).

Using the 40-meter (7 MHz) amateur band, they exchanged data and ideas, laying the groundwork for future computer networks in Indonesia.

From Packet Radio to Early Networks

These early experiments went beyond hobby. They were, in effect, the first steps toward building an Indonesian internet infrastructure. The group explored how to integrate TCP/IP over radio, enabling email and data communication between computers.

By the early 1990s, their work caught the attention of professionals and institutions. One of the leading figures, Robby Soebiakto, who worked at PT. USI IBM Jakarta, helped advance packet radio technology and packet-switching communication in Indonesia.

The Rise of PaguyubanNet

Between 1992 and 1994, efforts by enthusiasts from BPPT (Agency for the Assessment and Application of Technology), LAPAN (Indonesian National Institute of Aeronautics and Space), UI (University of Indonesia), and ITB coalesced into what became known as PaguyubanNet.

PaguyubanNet wasn’t a commercial internet service provider—it was a community-driven network built by volunteers, students, academics, and radio amateurs who believed in open collaboration.

Legacy

By 1994, commercial internet providers began to emerge in Indonesia, but the pioneering work of the amateur radio community had already built the foundation. Figures such as Onno W. Purbo, Robby Soebiakto, and their peers are remembered as legends of Indonesia’s early internet era.

The story of the internet in Indonesia is not one of corporations first, but of grassroots innovation. It began with radios, computers, and the passion of amateur radio operators who saw the potential of digital networking and turned it into reality.