Badung Regent Reveals Reason for Appealing BTS Tower Ruling

The Badung Regency Government (Pemkab Badung) has taken the legal step of filing an appeal against the Denpasar District Court (PN) ruling on a civil suit filed by PT Bali Towerindo Sentra Tbk (BTS). This course of action was taken because the first-instance ruling is deemed to carry major implications for telecommunications infrastructure governance policy in Badung.

“In principle, we have accepted all of that. We have already made the decision and instructed our legal team, including the State Attorney (JPN) as the state’s lawyer, to promptly prepare an appeal through the stages as provided under the applicable rules,” said the Regent of Badung, I Wayan Adi Arnawa, on Monday (13 July 2026).

The dispute stems from the Denpasar District Court ruling dated 24 June 2026, which partially granted the lawsuit filed by PT Bali Towerindo Sentra Tbk. In its verdict, the panel of judges declared that Pemkab Badung was proven to have committed a breach of contract, or default, in the implementation of the Integrated Telecommunications Tower Cooperation Agreement (PKS) numbers 555/2818/DISHUB-BD and 018/BADUNG/PKS/2007, which had been signed on 7 May 2007.

Adi Arnawa stressed that he respects the ruling. However, he said, Pemkab Badung has taken the position of preparing a memorandum of appeal together with the State Attorney in order to protect infrastructure governance and the public interest in the Badung area.

“So whatever the outcome of the eventual decision, once it has acquired final legal force (inkracht), that is certainly what we will follow up on. This relates to the cooperation between BTS and the Badung Regency Government in the joint management of towers,” Adi Arnawa concluded.

It is worth noting that the Denpasar District Court ruling granted a number of points in PT BTS’s lawsuit. In addition to requiring Pemkab Badung to extend the telecommunications tower partnership contract until 7 May 2037, the judges also ordered the demolition of towers belonging to other parties in Badung. Pemkab Badung was even prohibited from issuing operational permits for new towers to third parties for the duration of the ten-year contract extension.