The Telecommunications and Information Accessibility Agency (BAKTI) of the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCI or KemKominfo) has designated domestic mobile operators PT XL Axiata Tbk and PT Telekomunikasi Selular (Telkomsel) as Operational Cooperation Partners (KSO) for 4G Cellular Services in the 3T region (underdeveloped, outermost, and leading).
President Director of BAKTI KemKominfo, Anang Latif, confirmed that the two mobile providers would manage the provision of 4G base transceiver stations (BTS) built by BAKTI KemKominfo in 7,904 villages in 3T zones.
“The selected operator will manage the network that BAKTI built-in 7,904. We are only preparing the infrastructure, because the frequency issue is, of course, the operator’s property. So that’s our collaboration with operators,” he said.
BAKTI KemKominfo has the mandate to build 4G BTS, including support for electricity resources. However, operational services used by the community will be provided by KSO Partners, he added. BAKTI is responsible to procure the necessary 4G infrastructure, as the operators run the services.
“When operational, the signal will appear Telkomsel or XL (as the chosen partner), and BAKTI will use funds from the financing mix,” he explained.
The budget for the construction of 4G BTS is a financing mix sourced from Universal Service Obligation (USO) funds, Pure Rupiah APBN, and Non-Tax State Revenues for communications and information technology sector.
