Govt Begins Recovery Efforts for 200 Disrupted BTS Sites After NTT Quake

RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta – The Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs reported that 200 Base Transceiver Stations (BTS) were experiencing disruptions across 10 regencies and cities in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT). The disruptions occurred after a 7.7‑magnitude earthquake struck the region on Saturday, August 15, 2026.

“A total of 16.35 percent of the BTS in the identified affected areas are experiencing disruptions. The Ministry continues to monitor network conditions and is coordinating directly with mobile operators to ensure the disruptions can be addressed promptly,” said Director General of Digital Infrastructure, Wayan Toni Supriyanto, in a written statement in Jakarta, as quoted on Sunday, August 16.

Wayan said the Ministry continues to monitor the situation through the Telecommunications Monitoring Center (PMT), in collaboration with the Radio Frequency Spectrum Monitoring Agency (Balmon SFR), local administrations, and telecommunications providers.

He added that the recovery process must take into account on‑site conditions, including the safety of personnel conducting inspections and repairs.

“The safety of personnel and public access to telecommunications are the top priorities, especially during on‑site inspections and restoration efforts,” Wayan said.

He noted that network conditions can change rapidly after a disaster, so data on affected BTS sites is continuously updated based on operator reports and field monitoring. “Network conditions are highly dynamic after a disaster,” he said.

Wayan stated that the Ministry’s data will continue to be updated based on operator reports and on‑site monitoring. “As soon as conditions permit, technical repairs will be carried out at sites experiencing disruptions,” he said.

The BTS disruptions were recorded in the regencies of Sikka, Ende, East Flores, Manggarai, West Manggarai, East Manggarai, Ngada, Nagekeo, Lembata, and North Central Timor.

Sikka Regency recorded the highest number of disruptions, with 51 BTS affected, followed by Ende Regency with 31 BTS. Meanwhile, East Flores Regency recorded 26 BTS disruptions.

In Sikka Regency, 51 out of 192 BTS were affected (26.56 percent). Ende Regency recorded disruptions at 31 of 118 BTS (26.27 percent).

East Flores Regency experienced disruptions at 26 out of 161 BTS (16.15 percent). Manggarai Regency recorded 22 out of 150 BTS affected (14.67 percent), while West Manggarai Regency recorded 17 out of 141 BTS affected (12.06 percent).

East Manggarai Regency recorded 16 out of 80 BTS affected (20 percent). Ngada Regency recorded 13 out of 101 BTS affected (12.87 percent), and Nagekeo Regency recorded 11 out of 73 BTS affected (15.07 percent).

In Lembata Regency, 10 out of 73 BTS were affected (13.70 percent), while North Central Timor Regency recorded three out of 134 BTS affected (2.24 percent).

Based on preliminary monitoring, three mobile operators -- Telkomsel, XLsmart, and Indosat -- experienced network disruptions in several affected areas.

On the Telkomsel network, disruptions were partly caused by power outages in affected locations. XLsmart also reported service disruptions, particularly in areas near the epicenter.

Meanwhile, Indosat continues intensive monitoring through its technical team. Coordination with the operator found that, in addition to power outages, the earthquake also disrupted transmission networks.

The Ministry urged residents in affected areas to prioritize safety and follow official information and instructions from the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), local administrations, and disaster management agencies.

Monitoring of network conditions and the restoration of telecommunications services will continue regularly based on developments on the ground. (Gusti Panji)