Indonesia will Release LTE-1.800 in February

Ilustrasi (dok)

JAKARTA (IndoTelko)- The signs of the 1,800 MHz frequency for 4G Frequency Division Duplexing Long Term Evolution (LTE-FDD) based services is likely to be available in February for Indonesia market.

The signs were seen after the meeting of the Indonesian Communication and Information Minister Rudiantara and Indonesian Telecommunications Regulatory Body (BRTI) with Indonesian cellular operator officials earlier this week.

"The meeting results is that operators are given 10 days to agree on the scenario of gradual migration from 2G to 4G and towards the frequency band adjacent placement," said a Member of the Regulatory Body Nonot Harsono to IndoTelko, Wednesday (21/1).

Nonot said that the scenario offered by the government to reaffirms the 1,800 MHz frequency to be used for 4G would be done gradually per regions by means of simultaneously frequencies swap.

"So, it is no gradually transiting the discharged band. It means that it would not be done simultaneously throughout Indonesia," Nonot said.

According to Nonot, the frequency swap should be taken if there are no base transmission stations (BTS) in an area that cannot conduct a direct swap, then the gradual step is only applies to that particular BTS. "We must not make small obstacle to bottleneck a great job," Nonot said.

The Indonesian Communication and Information Ministry will issue the 1800 MHz 4G policy. "We are still waiting for the details. But the regulation will discuss the position arrangement and when 4G at 1800 MHz can be implemented," Nonot said.

The most important thing in the regulation to be issued later is about when will the LTE-1800 may be implemented, now or later after the completion of the arrangement.

"If the appropriate is that to allow the LTE-1800 first, then the arrangement can be done it is implemented. If the LTE is allowed then there should be no reason to say the arrangement is very difficult. It will definitely turn around later," Nonot predicted.

Positive
Separately speaking, Deputy CEO of XL Axiata Dian Siswarini recognizes the result of the meeting with the government over the 1,800 MHz frequency has bright expectations for 4G technology.

"The result is good result. Anyway about the clarity on the existence of the Minister's Decree in mid-February on neutral technology and the 1,800 MHz frequency arrangement. Process and technical problems can be solved later," Dian told IndoTelko via short message services.

Indosat President Director & CEO Alexander Rusli admit that there is a convergence problem of the meeting. "The government has still given us time to discuss. There are two issues to be discussed namely to arrange then neutralized or just neutralized immediately while arranging. The certain thing is that the Ministerial Decree would be issued later in the mid of February," Rusli said.

Previously, The Indonesian Communication and Information Minister Rudiantara promised to open the 1,800 MHz frequency for 4G services in the first quarter of 2015. After that, in mid-year or second semester of 2015, 4G can run on 2,100 MHz spectrum that has been used for 3G.(es)