BATIC 2026 Solidifies Indonesia's Position as Asia Pacific Digital Collaboration Hub

The Bali Annual Telkom International Conference (BATIC) 2026, organised by PT Telekomunikasi Indonesia International (Telin)—an operating company of PT Telkom Indonesia (Persero) Tbk (Telkom)—once again brought together global digital industry leaders to discuss the developmental direction of the Asia Pacific digital ecosystem.

Held from 24–28 August 2026 in Bali, the BATIC 2026 conference series and side events addressed various strategic issues, ranging from strengthening connectivity infrastructure and cloud computing to the utilisation of AI, while simultaneously encouraging cross-ecosystem collaboration to create sustainable digital growth.

Carrying the major theme “Uniting Ecosystem to Drive Connected Progress,” BATIC 2026 successfully attracted more than 2,700 delegates from over 760 companies representing 67 countries, alongside 72 sponsors and exhibitors. The event facilitated over 4,500 scheduled meetings through the BATIC application.

The conference and discussion series were divided into two main days. The first day of BATIC 2026 was opened by Senior Managing Director Teneo Sam Evans, who reviewed the role of next-generation networks in supporting economic and societal growth.

In her keynote, “Empowering the Digital Future: Connectivity, Innovation, and Growth,” Telkom President Director Dian Siswarini emphasised the importance of advanced networks, AI-based automation, and digital infrastructure in unlocking new growth opportunities.

“Building the digital future requires us to strengthen foundations, adopt intelligence, and collaborate across the ecosystem. Through these efforts, we can transform connectivity into greater innovation, economic opportunities, and sustainable digital growth,” stated Dian, as quoted in a written statement on Tuesday (1/9/2026).

Furthermore, Dian noted that as the telecommunications industry landscape evolves, TelkomGroup continues to strive for relevance and resilience through its TLKM 30 transformation strategy. There are four main pillars of the TLKM 30 strategy implemented simultaneously: operational and service excellence, streamlining, unlocking value, and modus-operandi shift.

“Ultimately, TLKM 30 has one ambition: to transition TelkomGroup from connectivity towards infrastructure and intelligence, becoming a world-class digital telco company, while creating various digital possibilities for the future. This transformation must be accompanied by Telkom’s ability to continuously adapt to the rapid evolution of the industry, including through the development of an increasingly agile organisational structure,” concluded Dian.

Discussions then expanded to the investment needs and collaboration required to build robust terrestrial and submarine fibre infrastructure. Aligned with the BATIC 20 Rand theme, the enterprise-scale adoption of AI, including how such technology can be translated into measurable business value, was also a major topic of interest.

Additionally, the future of communications and the evolution of optical networks towards increasingly intelligent infrastructure were discussed to meet the demands of the AI era.

Outside the main conference series, Telin, as the organiser of BATIC 2026, alongside GLF, also brought together C-level executives in a closed Leadership Summit to discuss investment, supply chains, ecosystem collaboration, and the energy requirements for AI-based infrastructure development.

On the second day, discussions focused on the role of cloud and AI in driving the growth of the Asia Pacific digital economy.

During the Ministerial Keynote session, the Director General of the Digital Ecosystem at the Ministry of Communication and Digital, Edwin Hidayat Abdullah, highlighted the strengthening of Indonesia’s digital transformation amidst the advancement of cloud and AI.

“As cloud and AI continue to reshape our economy and society, Indonesia’s digital future must be built not only on innovation and infrastructure but also on trust. This requires a strong, secure, and inclusive digital ecosystem, supported by close collaboration between the government, industry, and the wider community. Through collaboration, we can ensure that technological progress brings sustainable growth and benefits all Indonesian people,” explained Edwin.

Subsequent discussions explored developments in data centres, connectivity, and cloud computing in the AI era, which are driving increased demand for services in the region. The development of Bring Your Own IP Address (BYOIP) as a strategic value for cloud, connectivity, and data centre providers was also a key strategic review for industry players.

These various discussions reflect the dynamic needs of the industry and reinforce BATIC 2026’s role as a space for exchanging perspectives, opening partnership opportunities, and driving innovation in the region.

BATIC 2026 also expanded its collaborative scope through various side events, including the Mplify’s APAC Member Workshop, Future Tech Leaders Summit, Closed-door Leadership Summit, MNV Session, i3Forum’s Industry Perspectives, TM Forum Workshop, and Mplify’s Southeast Asia Council Meeting. These sessions addressed strategic issues ranging from Composable IT, Trustworthy AI, and Autonomous Networks to AI-based data centres and the evolution of mobile ecosystems and intelligent engagement.

The presence of Expert Spotlights further enriched the discussions with perspectives from industry experts.

Collaborations established throughout BATIC 2026 were also realised through several strategic partnerships. Telin signed a Letter of Intent (LoI) with PEACE for connectivity expansion, the Manifesto Open API & Open Digital Architecture with TM Forum, and a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for a Strategic Partnership with SM+.