Signing 4G BTS Construction Contract, Kominfo Want To Continue 5G Auction?

Menkominfo Johnny G Plate (doc. Antara)

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Communication and Information Technology (Kominfo) had canceled the 2.3 GHz frequency auction process for 5G services. Kominfo also plans to reopen the auction after signing the provision of 4G BTS throughout Indonesia.

In this case, the Telecommunication and Information Accessibility Agency (BAKTI) signed an umbrella contract with Fiberhome, Telkom Infra, and Multitrans Data for the provision of 4G Base Transceiver Station (BTS) infrastructure.

The Minister of Communication and Informatics (Kominfo), Johnny G Plate, said that the contract was carried out as a form of accelerated absorption of state spending.

"In the context of developing the middle-mile and last-mile telecommunications infrastructure in Indonesia by BAKTI Kominfo, the BAKTI Kominfo working team took the initiative earlier in the fourth quarter of 2020 to start the procurement process for the intended ICT infrastructure development," said Johnny G Plate in virtual press conference, Friday, January 29th.

Minister Johnny stated that currently there are still 12,548 villages / wards that have not been covered by the 4G network out of a total of 83,218 villages / wards throughout Indonesia, and it is hoped that these can be completed in the 2021-2022 fiscal year.

According to Minister Johnny, a strong digital infrastructure is a prerequisite for a more equitable and comprehensive digital transformation. A good internet connection and telecommunication network will increase public participation in the digital space as well as expand public access to the benefits of digitalization.

"In the long term, this is not only to accelerate the recovery of the Indonesian economy, but also to increase the capacity of the Indonesian economy," said the Minister of Communication and Information.

After the signing of this contract, the Fiberhome - Telkom Infra - Multitrans Data Partnership will immediately carry out the construction of 4G BTS in Package 1 and Package 2 for 2 years (2021 - 2022) and continue with operational and maintenance implementation of the 4G BTS network that has been built along with all devices and supporting infrastructure.

The total value of the two packages is equivalent to around IDR 7.5 trillion. The President Director of BAKTI Kominfo, Anang Latif, said that this consortium has gone through a strict selection from the procurement working group so that the work can be done on time.

"Hopefully, with the signing of this morning, we Kominfo can start a noble job to ensure this digital transformation process can begin immediately and can be enjoyed by all sectors, all people and the Indonesian nation," said Anang.

Package 1 covers 1,364 villages and wards consisting of 132 villages / wards in Sumatra (Area 1), 456 villages / wards in Nusa Tenggara (Area 2), and 776 villages / wards in Kalimantan (Area 3). Meanwhile Package 2 covers 1,336 villages and wards consisting of 536 villages / wards in Sulawesi (Area 4), and 800 villages / wards in Maluku (Area 5).

"We are very honored to participate in this project. PT Fiber Home Indonesia has been dedicated in Indonesia for more than 10 years, and our corporate mission is to connect Indonesia with everyone, everything and everywhere," said Huang Liang, service provider representative of the Fiberhome Partnership. , Telkom Infra, and Multitrans Data.