Exclusive: Jakarta to set up smart city testbed

Jakarta is preparing two pockets of the city to test sensors and apps that can improve public services, GovInsider can reveal.

"The two areas, Pluit and Ancol in North Jakarta, will see technology being used to improve street lights, parking, electricity generation, and water treatment," Jakarta’s smart city chief, Setiaji, told GovInsider.

In Ancol, people will be able to use a single card to access parking, rent bikes, and visit public attractions. The city will install fiber optic cables to give citizens access to faster public WiFi. Becoming a smart city is an ambitious goal, Setiaji said, and Jakarta wants to show citizens what it could mean for them.

“The purpose is to show people what the meaning of ‘smart city’ is, and what are the benefits of using technology.” Pluit, a commercial hub, will be used to pilot the newer technologies, after which they may be implemented in Ancol, an integrated tourism area with beaches, resorts, and amusement parks.

"The pilot areas will be launched in the second half of the year," Setiaji said.

"In the future, they could see the use of cashless payments, new surveillance systems, and online retail," he added.