Kemkomdigi monitors mobile service recovery in NTT after M 7.0 earthquake
The Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs (Kemkomdigi) has stated that it continues to periodically monitor the restoration of mobile services in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) following a magnitude 7.0 earthquake that shook the Flores Island region of NTT on Saturday at 05:58 WITA.
Based on monitoring by telecommunications operators connected to the Telecommunications Monitoring Centre (PMT) of Kemkomdigi up to 07:00 WIB, 200 sites or Base Transceiver Stations (BTS) were identified as experiencing disruptions spread across 10 regencies and cities in NTT.
“A total of 16.35 per cent of BTS in the identified affected areas are experiencing disruptions. Komdigi continues to monitor network conditions and coordinate directly with mobile operators to ensure the disruptions can be addressed promptly,” said Director General of Digital Infrastructure at the Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs, Wayan Toni Supriyanto, in Jakarta on Saturday.
From the interim monitoring results, three mobile operators—Telkomsel, XLsmart, and Indosat—were confirmed to have experienced network impacts in several areas following the earthquake.
On the Telkomsel network, a number of BTS experienced disruptions due to power supply interruptions in the affected areas. Meanwhile, XLsmart also reported service disruptions, particularly in areas close to the earthquake epicentre.
As for Indosat, it is currently conducting intensive monitoring through its technical team.
In addition to power supply disruptions, coordination with telecommunications operators indicates disruptions to the transmission network as a result of the earthquake.
In ensuring network restoration, Kemkomdigi is making maximum efforts while still prioritising the safety of personnel on site to minimise the adverse impacts of the natural disaster.
“The safety of personnel and public access to telecommunications are the primary considerations in the inspection and restoration process in the field,” said Wayan.
In terms of numbers, the most affected BTS are in Sikka Regency with 51 BTS, followed by Ende Regency with 31 BTS and East Flores Regency with 26 BTS.
“Network conditions are highly dynamic after a disaster. Therefore, we continue to update the data based on operator reports and field monitoring results. Once conditions allow, technical handling will be carried out on the affected sites,” said Wayan.
The Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs urges the public in affected areas to prioritise safety and follow official information and directives from BMKG, local governments, and disaster management agencies.
Developments in network conditions and the telecommunications service restoration process will continue to be monitored periodically and updated according to the situation on the ground.
The following are details of the telecommunications infrastructure conditions in each regency/city:
• Sikka Regency: 51 affected sites/BTS out of 192 existing BTS, or 26.56 per cent;
• Ende Regency: 31 affected sites/BTS out of 118 existing BTS, or 26.27 per cent;
• East Flores Regency: 26 affected sites/BTS out of 161 existing BTS, or 16.15 per cent;
• Manggarai Regency: 22 affected sites/BTS out of 150 existing BTS, or 14.67 per cent;
• West Manggarai Regency: 17 affected sites/BTS out of 141 existing BTS, or 12.06 per cent;
• East Manggarai Regency: 16 affected sites/BTS out of 80 existing BTS, or 20.00 per cent;
• Ngada Regency: 13 affected sites/BTS out of 101 existing BTS, or 12.87 per cent;
• Nagekeo Regency: 11 affected sites/BTS out of 73 existing BTS, or 15.07 per cent;
• Lembata Regency: 10 affected sites/BTS out of 73 existing BTS, or 13.70 per cent; and
• North Central Timor Regency: 3 affected sites/BTS out of 134 existing BTS, or 2.24 per cent.