The world is currently preparing for the arrival of sixth-generation telecommunications technology, or 6G. Amidst this massive global movement, a major challenge looms over Indonesia regarding infrastructure readiness and frequency spectrum policy to avoid delayed adoption, as was experienced during the 5G era.
General Chairman of the Indonesian Telematics Society (Mastel), Sarwoto Atmosutarno, emphasized the importance of careful planning from an early stage. He highlighted the sub-optimal experience during 5G implementation, where Indonesia lagged far behind many other countries whose penetration had reached 70 percent, while penetration in the country remained below 10 percent. According to him, failing to plan for the future will turn Indonesia into a follower once again rather than a market leader.
Nevertheless, Sarwoto believes that leapfrogging directly to 6G is not impossible. The key lies in mapping market needs, both from economic and non-economic sectors, which will serve as the main driver for the successful implementation of the network in the future.
Echoing this sentiment, the Ministry of Communication and Digital (Komdigi) acknowledged that current spectrum capacity is insufficient to support 6G technology workloads. Director of Radio Frequency Spectrum Management, Satellite Orbit, and Digital Infrastructure Standardization at Komdigi, Adis Alifiawan, explained that each operator needs at least around 200 MHz to operate optimally, whereas current auction capacity remains limited.
To date, the government is conducting an in-depth study regarding the availability of new spectrums, including the potential utilization of mid-band to upper 6 GHz frequency bands. This step is part of national preparations leading up to the World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC) in 2027, aiming to ensure Indonesia has adequate frequency space for the future digital ecosystem.
