KESENJANGAN AKSES PENDIDIKAN DIGITAL ANTARA WILAYAH PERKOTAAN DAN PEDESAAN DI INDONESIA

Abstrak

Digital education transformation in Indonesia is progressing 
rapidly but remains plagued by disparities in access between 
urban and rural areas, particularly the 3T (United Territories) 
that face limitations in infrastructure, devices, and digital 
literacy. This study aims to analyze the general picture of digital 
education access, identify the factors causing the disparity, and 
assess its impact and strategies for addressing it on equitable 
distribution of national education quality. The approach used is 
descriptive qualitative through literature review and content 
analysis of official government reports, statistical data, and 
scientific articles from 2017–2025 relevant to the issues of 
educational digitalization, the urban-rural gap, and the Merdeka 
Belajar policy. The results show that the expansion of ICT 
infrastructure, the Digitalization of Learning program, and 
various public-private partnerships have increased access to and 
utilization of technology in many educational institutions. 
However, disparities in internet access, device ownership, and 
teacher-student digital competency remain high in 3T (United 
Territories) regions, impacting the quality of learning, the 
achievement of 21st-century competencies, and the socio
economic opportunities of students. Research emphasizes the 
importance of a systemic approach that integrates infrastructure 
strengthening, digital literacy enhancement, and multi
stakeholder governance and collaboration to ensure digital 
education transformation truly promotes equity in education in 
Indonesia.