Indonesia Nears Nationwide 4G Coverage, Expands Digital Access in 3T Areas

RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - Minister of Communication and Digital Affairs, Meutya Hafid, reiterated the government’s commitment to accelerating equitable digital access. It is to ensure no region is left behind in the country’s digital transformation, including the frontier, outermost, and underdeveloped regions, known as 3T areas. 

During a working meeting with Commission I of House of Representatives (DPR RI) in Jakarta, Monday, 26 January  2026, the Minister explained that by the end of 2025, 4G services had reached nearly the entire Indonesian population. The government has also begun expanding 5G networks, although coverage remains limited to certain residential areas.

“By 2025, 4G coverage has reached 98.95 percent of Indonesia’s population, and in 2026 we will increase it to 99.05 percent. Hopefully this can be achieved. We are quite confident, as we plan to conduct a 5G auction, which is also expected to support 4G services,” she said.

According to her, beyond network expansion, strengthening digital access in 3T regions is also supported by the operation of mobile network infrastructure, including Base Transceiver Stations (BTS). Throughout 2025, thousands of BTS have been operating in remote areas, with Papua identified as one of the government’s priority regions.

“Operations and maintenance in 2025 covered 6,747 BTS locations in frontier, outermost, and underdeveloped regions, including 3,262 BTS sites in Papua. This is one of the highlights of 2025, showing that Papua is now far more connected,” she conveyed.

In addition to mobile networks, the government has also expanded fixed broadband infrastructure through the national fibre optic network. According to the ministry’s official website, this initiative is expected to accelerate and broaden the provision of high-speed internet access across the country.

As of 2025, fibre optic infrastructure has reached 5,253 sub-districts, or 72.12 percent of all sub-districts nationwide, strengthening basic connectivity for public services and economic activities in the regions. The ministry is targeting further expansion in 2026 to cover 82 percent of sub-districts across Indonesia.

“For national fixed broadband coverage, fibre optic networks currently reach 72.12 percent, or 5,253 sub-districts. We aim to expand this to 5,973 sub-districts, or 82 percent of the total, in 2026,” she conveyed.