Indonesia Urged to Start Laying Foundations for 6G Network Adoption

The Indonesian Telematics Society (Mastel) has stated that Indonesia needs to immediately lay the foundations for developing 6G network technology. This step is considered crucial given that the country’s adoption of 5G services is still relatively low compared to other nations. According to Mastel Chairman Sarwoto Atmosutarno, the current lack of mass 5G adoption actually presents a momentum for Indonesia to prepare to leap to the next generation. “If 5G is sluggish, there is no problem in running towards 6G. Just leap. It depends on future market needs and the economics,” Sarwoto said after a national seminar in Jakarta on Thursday. Sarwoto stressed that planning for 6G must begin now so that Indonesia has sufficient time to prepare the supporting ecosystem. He voiced concerns about the risk of national unpreparedness when the technology is implemented globally in the future. “If we do not plan it well, suddenly the international environment will be ready, while we are just starting to prepare,” he asserted. Despite pushing for 6G readiness, he clarified that this does not mean halting the ongoing development of 5G networks. The primary focus is on providing basic infrastructure, particularly the availability of a flexible frequency spectrum for various technologies. “If the highway is already there, it will later depend on what technology you want to use on it. It could be 5G, or it could directly develop into 6G,” he added. Mastel acknowledged that network development by telecommunications operators will still heavily depend on market demand and business feasibility. Currently, massive investment in 5G is not yet considered fully attractive for operators. By preparing the frequency spectrum early, the government is expected to provide certainty for industry players to design a more efficient technology transition strategy, both for optimising 5G-Advanced and for welcoming the 6G era.