Heaptalk, Jakarta — The Telecommunications and Information Accessibility Agency (Bakti) has partnered with 30 local governments in Indonesia to use the land for building base transceiver stations (BTS).
The land use agreements were signed simultaneously at Jasmine Hall, Claro Hotel Makassar (07/18), witnessed by Fadhilah Mathar, Bakti’s President Director. Bakti considers this step crucial to ensure that every BTS construction site can proceed without obstacles, including issues related to land ownership and environmental concerns.
“Building BTS is different from internet access; for BTS construction, we need land, hence this agreement. Unlike internet access, which does not require land, we need confirmation that the area to be built is without internet access, no fixed broadband, and must have electricity,” stated Fadhilah (07/18).
To build 20,000 internet access points
For this reason, Fadhilah asked local governments to assist Bakti by proposing valid construction locations. Building BTS is costly, primarily in disaster-prone areas that pose safety risks to workers. He added, “With a heavy heart, we apologize for planning to relocate BTS in disaster-prone areas due to safety concerns. Out of 623 BTS in such areas, 140 BTS have been completed.”
Despite the relocations, Fadhilah confirmed that main offices should not be without internet access. Bakti plans to build 20,000 internet access points in public services this year using the Remote Terminal Ground Segment (RTGS) Satria-1. The presence of RTGS can enable digitalization to provide efficient and effective public services.
The regencies involved in the BTS land use cooperation include: Paniai, Deiyai, Taliabu Island, Western Seram, Melawi, Nunukan, Lamandau, West Nias, Kaimana, Boven Digoel, Tambrauw, Sorong, West Halmahera, Morotai Island, Kupang, East Flores, North Central Timor, Alor, Buru, Southwest Maluku, Southeast Maluku, Puncak Jaya, South Sorong Selatan, Jayawijaya, Raja Ampat, Eastern Seram, Manokwari, Central Maluku, Donggala, and Buol.
President Joko Widodo has mandated Bakti Kominfo to develop telecommunications from the periphery. Building BTS is one of the program’s main pillars for equitable telecommunications infrastructure. Bakti has built 1,682 USO 4G BTS and 4,995 4G BTS from the target of 5,618 sites through collaboration with local governments.