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Indosat to ‘slowly shut down’ 3G network
Indosat will begin phasing out its 3G networks, as the company is shifting its focus more on surging data demand in 4G and 5G.
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Logo of the Indosat Ooredoo company in Jakarta. (Shutterstock/Dominic Dudley)
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ublicly listed telecommunications firm PT Indosat has reaffirmed plans to phase out its 3G network as it shifts resources to develop 4G and 5G services in an evolving market.
Indosat director & chief operating officer Vikram Sinha said that, by phasing out 3G, the company could reallocate more spectrum bandwidth for 4G services in staying ahead of an expected growth in domestic demand for faster internet connection.
The company’s 3G base transceiver station (BTS) count fell more than 22 percent annually to 35,000 units in the first half (H1) of this year while its 4G BTS count rose more than 30 percent to 69,000 units over the same period, according to Indosat data.
“4G will become very relevant, and it will be the growth momentum for many months and years to come. But 3G, we want to slowly shut down and make sure that we move to 4G and 5G,” Sinha said in an online press conference on Thursday.
Company data show a significant increase in 4G data subscription of 29.5 percent to 40 million in H1 compared to last year, while mobile data revenue rose 18.9 percent to Rp 11 trillion (US$761.5 million) in the same period.
Read also: Impressive! Indosat Ooredoo succeeded in sustaining breakthrough agile performance
Indosat began phasing out 3G last year when it began reducing its 3G BTS count starting in the second quarter of 2020, according to documents filed with the Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX).
