Jakarta, 25 January 2022. PT XL Axiata Tbk (XL Axiata) and the Telecommunications and Information Accessibility Agency (BAKTI) of the Ministry of Communications and Informatics (KEMKOMINFO) signed a partnership for the 4G Cellular Telecommunication Provision Program in Frontier, Outermost, Disadvantaged Regions (3T) to encourage the digital transformation of Indonesian society. Through this collaboration, XL Axiata is committed to carrying out its duties and responsibilities to provide telecommunication and 4G data services at 132 points in Sumatra. The signing of the collaboration was carried out by President Director & CEO of XL Axiata, Dian Siswarini and President Director of BAKTI, Anang Latif, and witnessed by the Minister of Communication and Informatics of the Republic of Indonesia, Johnny G Plate in Jakarta, Tuesday (25/1).
President Director & CEO of XL Axiata, Dian Siswarini said, “It is a trust from the government to work with BAKTI to provide telecommunication and 4G data services in these remote villages. Through this collaboration, we can actually contribute to national development and make government programs successful, according to our field of expertise. This pride will be even more meaningful if later the people in those villages can enjoy and make productive use of the services we have built there, as well as open easier access to the outside world which is now completely digital.”
Dian added, as a player in the telecommunications industry, XL Axiata is very aware of its duties and responsibilities to provide network and data services as the main infrastructure for digital transformation in all these fields. This is no exception, for people in 3T area, who are still not covered by telecommunication and data networks. With the availability of fast data/internet services, XL Axiata hopes that they will be able to build and improve digital literacy so that they are ready to enter the all-digital era, including reaping the benefits.
Cooperation in the 4G Cellular Telecommunication Provision Program in the 3T area, which covers 132 points in Area 1-Sumatra, which are in the Provinces of Aceh, North Sumatra, West Sumatra, Riau, Bengkulu, Lampung, and Riau Islands. With the addition of these 132 points, there will be more service location points in the 3T area that XL Axiata manages, including through the previous collaboration program with BAKTI, which is spread across 62 regencies and 17 provinces, including those located on a number of remote islands in Eastern Indonesia.
From the list of 4G network location points to be managed by XL Axiata in Sumatra, some of them are located in the Indian Ocean such as Mentawai (West Sumatra), Nias (North Sumatra), and Banyak Island and Aceh Island (Aceh). Then there are Natuna and Anambas (Riau Islands) far away in the South China Sea.
Furthermore, in the waters of Malacca Strait, there are Jemur Island, North Rupat District (which is located on Rupat Island), and Meranti Islands which are included in Riau Province. Other points are in remote villages scattered in Singkil Regency (Aceh), Pelalawan Regency (Riau), Rokan Hilir Regency (Riau), Bintan Regency (Riau Islands), Karimun Regency (Riau Islands), Seluma Regency (Bengkulu), and Pesisir Barat Regency (Lampung).
The selection of XL Axiata in the tender for the management of 4G network in Sumatra strengthens the company's commitment to participate in building 4G networks to remote areas. Apart from this program, XL Axiata has also confirmed its commitment to the government to build a 4G network to 861 remote villages. In addition, in the previous program, XL Axiata was also selected to manage hundreds of remote village points spread across various provinces in Sumatra, Kalimantan, Sulawesi, West Nusa Tenggara, East Nusa Tenggara, Maluku, North Maluku, to Papua and West Papua.
XL Axiata management hopes that the participation in providing 4G networks, either through this program or independent network expansion, will be able to help eliminate internet access gaps in remote areas in various regions. With the availability of this broadband data service, hopefully it will spur the economy of the local community. In addition, the existence of XL Axiata's 4G cellular service will be able to bridge the surrounding community in accessing information on a par with other regions.