Mastel Proposes Indonesia Begin 6G Adoption Preparations Now

Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Chairman General of the Indonesian Telematics Society (Mastel), Sarwoto Atmosutarno, has said that Indonesia needs to begin preparing the foundations for the development of 6G cellular network technology, given that the current adoption rate of 5G services remains relatively low compared with a number of other countries.

According to him, this is a moment of momentum for preparing the adoption of 6G.

“If 5G is moving slowly, there is no problem with running towards 6G. Just leapfrog. It depends on market demand and the economics of it,” Sarwoto said when met after a National Seminar and Workshop themed “The National Strategic Value of ICT from the Upper 6GHz Spectrum Allocation for 5G-Advanced and 6G Mobile Broadband in Indonesia” in Jakarta on Thursday.

“If we do not plan this properly, we may find that the international environment is already ready while we are only just starting to prepare,” he said.

Sarwoto explained that efforts to prepare for 6G do not mean sidelining the development of 5G networks, which are still continuing to grow.

“Once the highway is in place, it will depend on what technology is used on top of it. It could be 5G, or it could later develop directly into 6G,” he said.

He added that network development by telecommunications operators would still take into account market demand and business viability.

Furthermore, Sarwoto noted that another challenge is the still limited utilisation of 5G across various industrial sectors. In his view, the adoption of new technology will develop only if it is able to deliver added value for businesses and the wider public.