XL Axiata Network Reaches 5,102 Villages In Aceh Province

JAKARTA - As data traffic continues to increase in all areas of Aceh Province, PT XL Axiata Tbk (XL Axiata) also continues to strengthen its network in the region. In the province, which is located on the western tip of Sumatra Island, currently XL Axiata's network has reached 193 sub-districts or 68 percent of all sub-districts in 23 cities/districts, and reached a total of 5,102 villages or 73 percent of villages in the province.

XL Axiata West Region Group Head, Desy Sari Dewi said, network strengthening was carried out, both to improve service quality in existing areas, as well as expansion to new areas, including in the surrounding islands. Traffic using data services has continued to grow by around 138 percent in the last two years throughout Aceh.

"For this reason, we are also trying to expand the network in all areas, including in the interior, such as Central Aceh, Naga Raya, South Aceh, West Aceh, Southeast Aceh, and Bener Meriah, because the existence of data and telecommunications services there is very urgent to support the community's economy. In the last year, there have been additional BTS of approximately 73 4G BTS in all provinces," Desy said in a written statement, Monday, July 26.

Desy said that in the last two years, the highest traffic increase occurred mainly in Bireuen, Aceh Besar, and Banda Aceh City. In the three areas, traffic increased between 105 - 154 percent. Therefore, network strengthening is also carried out to improve service quality.

Specifically for the Pidie Regency area, 38 4G BTS have been added. According to him, the growth of data traffic cannot be separated from the increasing digital activities of the community which are increasingly becoming part of their daily lives. In addition, the number of customers throughout Aceh continues to grow, where currently there are more than 325 thousand subscribers.

To support services throughout Aceh Province, XL Axiata operates a total of more than 1,850 BTS, including around 825 4G BTS and 635 3G BTS. This number also includes BTS serving customers on remote islands such as Simeulue, Sabang, Breuh, and Nasi, all of which are located in the waters of the Indian Ocean.

"For us, Aceh Province is very challenging. The area is quite large with terrain that is not easy to be able to deploy a network. Many areas are quite remote, both in the islands and on the mainland. Some districts also have locations that we can classify as inland. We do not hesitate to continue to expand the network here, as a support for the government's vision to accelerate as well as distribute development evenly," said Desy.

In addition, Desy also did not hesitate to convince the people of Aceh to use XL Axiata services because efforts to strengthen the network will continue throughout the year, both to improve signal quality in areas already served, as well as expansion to new areas. In terms of products, XL Axiata provides data service packages through XL and AXIS cards that are tailored to the needs of various customer segments.