Jakarta, June 9 -- Affordable internet access is essential to unlocking a new wave of national digital economic growth, Deputy Minister of Communication and Digital Affairs Nezar Patria said on Monday.

Currently, internet costs in Indonesia fail to meet the affordability benchmarks set by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).

The United Nations agency stipulates that an entry-level broadband or mobile internet basket should not exceed 2 percent of a nation's monthly gross domestic product (GDP) per capita.

"If internet costs can be made affordable and achieve deep penetration across all sectors of society, the impact on our digital economy will be even more powerful," Nezar said in a statement.

To drive down prices and impr...