Indonesian operator Telkomsel says it has completed the first validation of Wi-Fi 7 in Indonesia together with the Ministry of Communication and Information (Kominfo) as it makes plans to adopt the technology for its fixed broadband services.
Telkomsel said on Thursday that it has carried out trials of Wi-Fi 7 with Kominfo and several unnamed global technology partners, which it says opens up opportunities for internet speeds of up to 10 Gbps, as well as more user capacity, lower latency, and better energy savings.
“In trials along with Low Power Indoor (LPI) device specifications, the functionality and capabilities of Wi-Fi 7 have demonstrated performance and stability that can significantly improve the network experience and exceed expectations,” Telkomsel said.
Wi-Fi 7 (a.k.a. 802.11be) promises theoretical peak download speeds of over 40 Gbps. Like its predecessor, Wi-Fi 6E, Wi-Fi 7 uses the 2.4-GHz, 5-GHz and 6-GHz bands. Unlike Wi-Fi 6E, Wi-Fi 7 allows wider bands for 5 GHz and 6 GHz, as well as multi-link operation that enables channels to be combined for faster speeds and more efficient performance. However, while Wi-Fi 7 is backwards compatible with Wi-Fi 6E, users need WiFi 7 routers and devices to get the full benefits of the latest version.
Telkomsel VP of Technology Strategy and Consumer Product Innovation Ronald Limoa said Wi-Fi 7 was a core technology that can complement home internet network solutions by increasing smoothness and efficiency to provide a better network experience in homes or offices.
While Telkomsel says it’s completed the first validation of Wi-Fi 7 in Indonesia, it’s not the first service provider in the country to announce it will adopt it. On May 30, multinational ISP MyRepublic teamed with Chinese vendor ZTE to launch what they said was the first Wi-Fi 7 product in Indonesia. ZTE and MyRepublic said they would collaborate to promote commercial implementation of Wi-Fi 7.
MyRepublic Indonesia, which is owned by Indonesian conglomerate Sinar Mas, first launched services in the country in 2015 and currently offers ISP services in 45 cities and 61 regencies.
