Telkomsel, XLSmart, and Indosat are fighting for the 700 MHz and 2.6 GHz frequency to strengthen 5G

Indonesian cellular operators pass the administrative stage in the selection of the 700 MHz and 2.6 GHz frequency bands

PT Telekomunikasi Selular (Telkomsel), PT Indosat Tbk, and PT XLSmart Telecom Sejahtera Tbk officially advanced to the next stage in the selection of 700 MHz and 2.6 GHz radio frequency band users held by the Ministry of Communication and Digital (Komdigi). The three operators were declared to have passed the administrative evaluation based on the official announcement of the Komdigi selection team regarding the selection of 700 MHz radio frequency band users and 2.6 GHz for the 2026 mobile network implementation.

It was hereby announced that the selection participants who passed the administrative evaluation for the 700 MHz radio frequency band and the 2.6 GHz radio frequency band were PT Indosat Tbk, PT Telkomsel, and PT XLSmart Telecom Sejahtera Tbk. The passage of the three largest operators in Indonesia marks the start of competition for a spectrum which is considered crucial for the development of mobile broadband and 5G services in the next few years.

The frequency selection is part of the government’s efforts to increase the availability of a spectrum for cellular operators in order to accelerate the distribution of quality internet access while supporting national digital transformation.

Advantages of 700 MHz and 2.6 GHz frequency

The 700 MHz frequency band is one of the most strategic spectrum because it has broad coverage characteristics. According to Komdigi, this frequency is expected to expand the reach of high-speed internet services, improve the quality of mobile networks, and support the distribution of internet access to remote areas.

Low frequency characteristics make the 700 MHz signal able to reach a wider area and penetrate the building better than the higher frequencies. Therefore, this ribbon is considered important to expand 4G and 5G services outside big cities.

In the selection document, Komdigi offers a frequency band of 700 MHz in the range of 703–738 MHz (uplink) which is paired with 758–793 MHz (downlink), with a total bandwidth of 70 MHz or 2×35 Mhz.

In addition to 700 MHz, cellular operators are fighting over the 2.6 GHz frequency band which has different characteristics. If 700 MHz is superior in terms of coverage, then 2.6 GHz is more instrumental in increasing network capacity to handle the surge in data traffic.

Komdigi said the 2.6 GHz frequency is needed to support high-speed broadband services and the development of the fifth generation or 5G network. This band has a total bandwidth of 190 MHz in the range of 2500–2690 MHz, so that it is able to provide greater capacity for operators to serve users in dense areas such as urban and business centers.

Obligations of the Selection Winner

After passing the administrative stage, the three operators will continue the selection process to determine the winner who is entitled to an additional spectrum to strengthen the national cellular network.

In addition to obtaining the right to use the spectrum, the operator who is designated as the winner of the selection must fulfill a number of network building commitments and financial obligations set by the government. This provision is part of Komdigi’s efforts to ensure that additional spectrums are actually used to expand internet access and improve the quality of national telecommunications services.

Some of the obligations that must be fulfilled by the selection winners include:

• Provision of 4G/LTE services
  
  The selection winner is required to provide mobile broadband internet access services with a minimum technology standard of long term evolution (4G) in villages and sub-districts that have been determined by the government. This obligation is aimed at expanding the distribution of internet access in areas that still have limited telecommunications services.

• 5G technology implementation
  
  Operators are also required to provide internet services with the International Mobile Telecommunications-2020 (5G) technology standard in cities and districts as determined by a Decree of the Minister of Communication and Digital. This step is expected to accelerate the development of the national 5G ecosystem.

• PNBP obligations
  
  The selection winner must pay the initial permit fee (up-front fee), pay the use of the right to use the radio frequency spectrum every year, and submit a guarantee of commitment to pay the radio frequency use permit fee for the validity period of the permit.

Komdigi also requires the selection winner to take mitigation steps against potential harmful interference so as not to interfere with other services that have been operating.

In the 700 MHz frequency band, the cellular operator must mitigate the disturbance that has the potential to appear on the digital television broadcast receiver that uses a signal amplifier (amplifier).

Meanwhile, in the 2.6 GHz frequency band, the operator is required to mitigate the radio station of the meteorological radiolocation service in the range of 2700–2900 MHz and the radio station of the radiolocation service for special telecommunications on the S-band band.

This provision is part of the technical requirements that must be met so that the use of the new spectrum can run optimally without disturbing the existing services that have been operating previously.