Indosat Ooredoo expands 5G services to Makassar, Indonesia

• Launch follows on from previous 5G launches in Solo, Jakarta, Surabaya
• Partnership with Huawei to help revive key local economic sectors

Indosat Ooredoo has announced the launch of its 5G commercial services in Makassar, Indonesia

In a statement, the digital telco said this launch is a continuation to power Indonesia’s 5G revolution, following the previous launch of 5G commercial services in Solo, Jakarta, and Surabaya. 

The first Indosat Ooredoo commercial 5G services in Eastern Indonesia is part of a partnership with Huawei to revive key local economic sectors, specifically the agriculture, trade, and tourism sectors, it said.

President director and chief executive officer (CEO) of Indosat Ooredoo, Ahmad Al-Neama, said the launch of Indosat Ooredoo’s 5G commercial services in Makassar is a continuation of the company’s 5G revolution across the country, reaching Eastern Indonesia. 

“This technology will open up opportunities for locals to revive the economy across industries at the epicenter of trade in Eastern Indonesia, ranging from agriculture, trade, and tourism sectors.

“With the presence of 5G connectivity, we continue our commitment to power digital transformation to strengthen Indonesia's economic recovery in this challenging time,” he said.

Minister of investment and chairman of Indonesia Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) Bahlil Lahadalia, said the support of 5G technology provides an important communication infrastructure for investors.

He said this also reflects the equitable distribution of development in eastern Indonesia which has moved toward smart city and Industry 4.0. 

“We hope 5G technology can be leveraged effectively to drive innovations across various sectors, boost exports, create jobs, and enable swift recovery. In turn, these improvements will lay the foundations for robust economic growth and digital economy in the coming years,” said Bahlil.

CEO of Huawei Indonesia, Jacky Chen, said, "This is the second time we have supported the commercialization of Indosat Ooredoo's 5G services in Indonesia after Solo in Central Java. 

“Support for the telco is a manifestation of Huawei's ongoing commitment to helping build Indonesia as a developed country based on innovation, becoming more intelligent and connected, and opening up digital economic opportunities throughout the country," said Chen.

The advent of Indosat Ooredoo 5G commercial services in Makassar also features some of the most advanced use cases, including:

• Smart city & digital lifestyle: 5G technology is a turning point in the evolution of Makassar as a smart city as it will enhance citizen lifestyle and collaboration. Sample use cases include mixed reality entertainment, bullet moment photograph, smart TV, immersive live streaming video, and interactive learning experience.
• Digital agribusiness: 5G technology is a turning point in the evolution of the agriculture industry as it will enable autonomous irrigation and smart farming with greater accuracy and less waste. Sample use cases, including real-time soil and climate monitoring system, autonomous irrigation and fertigation, and automatic compound fertiliser.
• Smart commerce and trading: 5G will drive accessibility and development of other technologies, such as artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things, which will offer a seamless customer experience while minimizing operational costs for traders/retailers. Sample use cases, including fleet management system.
• Digital tourism and hospitality: 5G will bring tourism & hospitality to the next level by becoming connected on every level. Sample use cases, including digital ticketing.
• Smart Industry 4.0: 5G will shape Industry 4.0 with new technologies, such as cloud- based and edge computing systems, making big promises on their ability to optimize processes and create values. Sample use cases, including smart manufacturing, industrial automation, and active safety management solutions.