Kominfo Aligns National Interests following WRC 2023 Outcomes

Jakarta, INTI - The Ministry of Communication and Information Technology is following up on the outcomes of the World Radiocommunication Conferences (WRC) 2023 to discuss the use of spectrum for non-terrestrial networks (NTN), the development plans for 6G, and the implementation of cellular technology on WiFi 6 and 7.

Director-General of Resources and Equipment of Post and Informatics of the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology, Ismail, stated that during the 10th Asia Pacific Spectrum Management Conference (APSMC) 2024, efforts are being made to align these discussions with Indonesia's national interests.

"We combine all international agenda with national interest. What does Indonesia want? We don't follow everything, we must choose and strategize what's best for Indonesia," he emphasized during the APSMC 2024 Discussion in Central Jakarta, Tuesday (23/04/2024).

Director-General Ismail explained the differences between Indonesia and other countries in managing radio frequency spectrum (RFS). He cited that Indonesia uses the 2.6 GHz and 3.5 GHz frequency bands for satellites, while currently, these frequency bands in most countries have shifted to cellular telecommunication technology.

"Our country is unique. Few other countries use the 3.5 and 2.6 GHz frequencies for satellites," he said.

The Director-General of SDPPI at the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology stated that the transition of frequency band usage from satellites to cellular technology is quite challenging because some satellites have been in operation for a long time.

"It's quite challenging. These satellites have been in operation for a long time, and suddenly, the frequency bands are now used for mobile communication. We can't immediately change it to frequencies for mobile use because the investment has been made long ago, and they are currently operational," he explained.

According to Director-General Ismail, the usage of the 2.6 GHz frequency band for satellites will soon come to an end. Therefore, the government is discussing plans for utilizing the RFS. Regarding the sustainability of the 3.5 GHz frequency band, he mentioned that the usage period for satellites in Indonesia is still quite long.

"We are discussing co-existence, so it can be utilized together. If we want to utilize it together for satellites and mobile, we need advanced technical support, such as using filters to minimize interference between the two systems," he said.

The Director-General of SDPPI at the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology hopes that the outcomes of discussions and knowledge sharing at APSMC 2024 will provide inputs for future policy strategies in Indonesia.

"The conference is about sharing, so the target is not a decision but input that we will receive from experts to regulators in the Asia Pacific about each country's strategy and regional strategy. In the IT forum, there are regional Asia Pacific, ASEAN, America, and we need to harmonize them," he concluded.