The country is working closely with and expecting that telecommunications providers who are committed to playing a key role in the 5G revolution to help Indonesia’s transformation programme would also engage in the development of telecommunication networks to promote tourism efforts.
Most recently, Minister of Communication and Information, Johnny G. Plate, lauded the launch of 5G telecommunication services as part of the G20 Indonesia Presidency series to support the realisation of the G20 Summit in Bali by November 2022.
Bali is the sixth city in Indonesia to launch 5G services, following Surakarta, Jakarta, Surabaya, Makassar, and Balikpapan.
The Minister believes that the introduction of 5G telecommunications services will aid the Indonesian G20 Presidency in meeting its objectives, which include post-COVID-19 recovery and connection, digital literacy and digital skills, and cross-border data flows.
“We believe that 5G technology can accelerate the realisation of all these priorities,” says Minister Johnny.
The introduction of 5G would not have been possible without the participation and support of numerous stakeholders, including the Ministries of Communication and Information and Tourism and Creative Economy.
In addition, various new ideas can be produced for micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) firms that can take advantage of the potential and ease of accessing a bigger market by using the internet.
The government will use its internet access to fuel the development of the country’s digital environment, with the goal of creating more chances for the country’s digital economy to grow.
Meanwhile, President Joko Widodo’s programme to discontinue analogue transmissions, also known as analogue switch-off (ASO), aids in the pace of digital transformation. As a result, the Ministry of Communication and Informatics works with a variety of stakeholders to ensure the success of the ASO programme.
Geryantika Kurnia, Director of Broadcasting of the Directorate General of Post and Information Administration at the Ministry of Communication and Information, stated that the government has planned to accelerate digital transformation if the migration of analogue to digital broadcasts is completed.
The execution of the ASO programme, according to Director Geryantika, will offer digital dividends. With the radio frequency spectrum savings, broadband internet, or high-speed internet services, such as the 5G network that has been tested in various places, are possible.
He added that depending on the size of the channel, each analogue broadcast channel frequency can be used for 6–12 digital broadcasts. The digital dividend can also be utilised to expand internet network coverage to locations that have not been accessible by analogue TV transmissions, particularly in frontier, outermost, and disadvantaged areas.
Director Geryantika further explained that the availability of additional networks and internet speed, as a positive impact of the ASO programme, will have a multiplier effect adding if the internet is evenly distributed, the economic potential could be all over Indonesia. It’s not just an analogue to digital migration.
Moreover, the Ministry of Communication and Information declared that digital TV broadcasts would reach areas with “blank spots,” or locations where TV transmissions have not yet been completed.
The blank area is caused by the difficulty of analogue TV broadcast technology to reach locations with diverse geographical conditions, such as the eastern part of Indonesia, particularly Papua, resulting in limited broadcast coverage.
As a result, after the ASO programme is implemented, the government has promised to create a digital TV broadcast network infrastructure in the leading, outermost, and underdeveloped areas, including the blank spots, through its broadcasting institution.
