Massive Power Outage in Sumatra Affects Networks; Telkomsel, XL Smart, and IOH Seek Restoration

Several regions in Sumatra have experienced a simultaneous power outage since Friday evening (22 May 2026). The mass outage occurred in Riau, North Sumatra, Aceh, Jambi, Lampung, and West Sumatra. As a result, telecommunications services in those areas were disrupted, with networks of several cellular operators in Sumatra reported to have issues. Nizar Fuadi, VP Area Network Operations Sumatra at Telkomsel, said the mass power outage caused a decline in service quality in Northern Sumatra, Central Sumatra, and parts of Southern Sumatra. ‘Telkomsel will continue to maximise the power supply systems it has to provide optimal mobile services in the affected areas,’ he said in a text message to KompasTekno. ‘Telkomsel apologises to customers for the degradation of the telecommunications network in those areas,’ he added. Similar impacts were felt on XL Smart’s network. Reza Mirza, Group Head Corporate Communication & Sustainability at XL Smart, also apologised for the disruption in Sumatra. ‘Currently our technical teams on the ground are continuing to monitor and optimise the network, including operating backup power via spare batteries and gensets at priority sites, and coordinating with PLN and other relevant parties to ensure services can be restored quickly,’ he said. In addition to Telkomsel and XL Smart, Indosat Ooredoo services in several areas of Sumatra also experienced disruptions due to the mass power outage. Agus Sulistio, EVP Head of Circle Sumatra at Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison (IOH), said that services are gradually recovering. He also apologised for the disruption experienced by customers in affected areas. ‘We appreciate the understanding and patience of customers during the recovery process,’ Agus said. PLN noted that the Northern Sumatra and Central Sumatra electrical systems have experienced a split system. PLN said the disruption occurred on the 150 kilovolt (kV) transmission network, which is one of the backbone components of inter-regional electricity distribution.