4G network being deployed in Indonesia’s future capital city

There are already 30 4G sites installed in Nusantara

Amidst plans to relocate Indonesia’s capital from Jakarta to Nusantara, a 4G LTE network is currently being developed to connect the country’s future capital city.

Indonesian telco provider Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison said it is already actively building its 4G network in Nusantara which is located on the island of Borneo — some 800 miles away from the current capital Jakarta on the island of Java.

Indosat President and CEO Vikram Sinha revealed in an interview with Nikkei Asia that they already have 30 4G sites installed in the new capital, and $10m has so far been invested to deploy additional 30 to 40 base transceiver stations to boost the network. 

"[In Nusantara] we will be working very closely with the authorities to ensure that there is world-class digital infrastructure,” Sinha said.

Indosat is one of Indonesia’s largest mobile operators with an estimated 100 million subscribers. It has also launched its 5G network in at least eight cities in the countries so far.

"In rural areas, 4G device penetration is still much higher than for 5G, and so we are focusing on expanding and strengthening our 4G network," he explained as to why only 4G network is being deployed in Nusantara rather than 5G.

Indonesia’s Parliament passed last 2018 the Capital City Bill into law which signals the start of the construction of the country’s new capital, ahead of the planned relocation from Jakarta starting in early 2024.

The new capital city was named Nusantara, meaning “archipelago,” and is estimated to cost over $35b to construct, according to the government.