Damaged Cellular Network Stability, Komdigi Destroys 75 Illegal Devices

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Communication and Digital has destroyed 75 illegal communication devices, ranging from homemade transmitters, GSM repeaters, to broadcast radio devices without permission belonging to individuals, companies and agencies.

Plh. Director General of Digital Infrastructure of the Ministry of Komkomdigi, Ervan Fathurokhman Adiwidjaja, emphasized that illegal telecommunications devices can interfere with flight communications, slow weather early warning, and damage cellular network stability.

"If this space is filled with illegal transmitters and unlicensed devices, the interference is not only signal quality, but public telecommunications safety and services, ranging from flight communications, weather early warning systems, cellular networks to community radio," Ervan said in his official broadcast.

Ervan emphasized that the destruction of these illegal devices was the last step, after previously Komdigi had carried out the process of coaching, reprimanding, clarification, and administrative sanctions.

"We always prioritize administrative coaching in stages. Only devices that are clearly not certified, do not meet the standards, and cannot be used to manage ISR, which is destroyed," Ervan said.

This action effort also succeeded in securing the potential of the state through the Non-Tax State Revenue (PNBP) sector of Rp406 million in Yogyakarta and Rp242 million in Central Java.

From the findings in the field, the Ministry of Communication and Digi continues to find patterns of repeated violations in this case, such as modified access points exceeding classroom permits, signal booster devices without certification, and broadcast radio broadcasts that air at illegal frequencies.

Ervan appealed to the public to be careful in buying cheap devices whose licenses were not clear.