Komdigi Agrees With The XLSmart Merger, Requirements Must Build 8,000 BTS Throughout Indonesia

Komdigi press conference regarding the XLSmart merger (photo: Dinda Buana/VOI)

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs approved a merger between PT XL Axiata Tbk (EXCL) and PT Smartfren Telecom Tbk (FREN), which has now changed its name to PT XLSmart Telecom Sejahtera Tbk (XLSmart).

"So today we have also verified factual questions with direct questions, met directly, we called directly, so in principle we have given approval to PT XL Smart Telecom Sejahtera TBK," said Minister of Communication and Trade Meutya Hafid in a press conference on Thursday, April 17 in Jakarta.

Not only granting permits, the government also provides a number of obligations for XLSmart such as increasing download speed by 16 percent in 2029, and also adding 8,000 new Base Transceiver Stations (BTS) in various regions.

Not only that, Meutya also said that XLSmart must increase access to its digital services for schools, health facilities, and government offices throughout Indonesia.

"The increase in access to digital services is more than 175,000 schools, 8,000 health service facilities and 42,000 government offices throughout Indonesia," he said further.

Meanwhile, the President Commissioner of PT XL Smart Telecom Sejahtera, Arsjad Rasjid, also emphasized their commitment to carrying out all the requirements provided by the government.

"Until earlier, it was also said that there would be more than 8,000 sites that we would build, so that the coverage would be even bigger. So these things are how we want to support 8 percent economic growth," said Arsjad.

He hopes that the digitization that XLSmart will carry out can help improve the country's economy.

"Because for digitization with existing technology, the hope is that it can help be more efficient, more productive, whose name is for business, for government, for all. And the opposite is for society," he said.