Budi Arie Setiadi: Kominfo Completes 4G BTS Mangkrak Project, Inaugurated December 28

Photo: Minister of Communication and Information Budi Arie Setiadi (photo: Dinda Buana/VOI)

JAKARTA - Minister of Communication and Information Budi Arie Setiadi confirmed that President Jokowi will inaugurate the operation of 4,988 4G Base Transceiver Station (BTS) carried out by the Telecommunication and Information Accessibility Agency (BAKTI) of the Ministry of Communication and Information on December 28.

"So basically the president operates the inauguration of BTS 4G BAKTI Kominfo on December 28, 2023 in Talaud, North Sulawesi," Budi told the media on Friday, December 22 at the Kominfo office, Jakarta.

Budi Arie Setiadi also added, "Later it will be officially declared, but what is certain is that all BTS projects are around 6,025 that have.."

The infrastructure development program, which was built in underdeveloped, frontier, and outermost (3T) areas, which had stalled, was also scheduled to be able to start operating by the end of 2023.

Although it will be inaugurated at the end of December, the Minister of Communication and Information emphasized that Kominfo through BAKTI will continue to build 4G BTS infrastructure in areas that have not been reached.

"Indonesia is still too wide, later there will still be something missing in Papua, there is that much to build again. The important thing is that yesterday we were constrained by legal problems," said Budi.

In addition to BTS 4G, Kominfo has also launched the Republic of Indonesia Satellite (SATRIA-1) to provide internet services in areas that are not affordable by 4G BTS.

On December 7, BAKTI Kominfo also succeeded in testing the integration and activation of the Republic of Indonesia Satellite (SATRIA-1) in six locations, namely Manokwari, Jayapura, Ambon, Batam, Kupang, and Banjarbaru.

However, Budi Arie Setiadi said that the inauguration of SATRIA-1 had not been determined. "Yes, the same (with the inauguration of 4G BTS), it can't be one day, it can be another day, we'll just have to wait," he added.