JAKARTA (IndoTelko) - Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (Kemenkominfo) will not hinder GSM-based operators to adopt the LTE Advanced technology which is similar with carrier aggregation (CA).
"We will not (hinder), who said that we have ever forbid CA for GSM? But the term is to conduct the 1,800 MHz refarming clean up first, then they can begin to operate the CA," said MCIT Rudiantara after the launch of Smartfren LTE Advance yesterday.
LTE-Advanced technology is to conduct an aggregation of channels in the frequency of mobile broadband. Signal carrier aggregation is the core technology used in LTE-Advanced.
This technology allows to combine the frequency owned by the operator, both of which are in the same band frequency or different.
XL Axiata have conducted a trial for the LTE Advanced technology by using the1,800 MHz and 2.1 GHz frequencies, which resulted to speed up the internet speed up to 295 Mbps. At that time, XL was waiting for the government's signal to allow CA implementation for GSM operators.
Director General of Resources and Equipment of Post and Information Muhammad Budi Setiawan added that the channel aggregation adoption is permitted by the government but they must use a frequency which is owned by the operator.
"It's okay to adopt the CA as long as they use their own frequency. Please do not conduct any CA with other operators. At that time, we did not forbid XL but if it is still in the same band then the technology is too expensive. It would be better if it can be contiguous. Currently the 1,800 MHz frequency is being maintained and it’s all sorted out then the CA can be done with other frequencies that have been neutralized," Rudiantara said.
Smartfren is the first operator in Indonesia to hold LTE Advanced technology by using the 2.3 GHz and 850 MHz frequencies. This Smartfren marketing actions is aimed to precede the GSM players who are still busy dealing with the 1,800 MHz frequency refarming.
Once the 1,800 MHz frequency refarming has been carried out by players such as Telkomsel, Indosat, XL, and Tri, and then the LTE Advanced technology has the opportunity to be operated because there are two frequencies that had been neutralized and allocated to GSM players in 900 MHz and 1,800 MHz, and 2.1 GHz in next year.(es)