“The 5G network will be a game-changer with far-reaching impacts on connectivity as the backbone of digital transformation and a key enabler of economic growth,” Communications and Information Minister Johnny G. Plate said in a Jakpost Up Close webinar titled “5G and the future of tech in Indonesia” on Thursday.

The country is currently seeking to accelerate its 5G spectrum allocations initiative, the minister stated. Having run at least 10 trials on the use of 5G between 2017 and 2019, the government is now seeking to properly allocate spectra that can meet the demand for the 2,047 megahertz (MHz) frequency spectrum necessary for both 4G and 5G by 2024, he added.

This year, the government is running another trial to explore the possibility of simultaneously utilizing the 5G network and the fixed-satellite service (FSS).

The 5G communication technology will add Rp 2.8 quadrillion (US$198 billion) to Indonesia’s economy by 2030, making up 9.3 percent of gross domestic product (GDP), an earlier study conducted by the Bandung Institute of Technology's Industrial and Research Affiliation Institution (LAPI-ITB) showed.

Read also: 5G to contribute 9.3% to Indonesia’s 2030 GDP: Study

The study also noted that 5G could create 4.4 million jobs, and increase productivity to Rp 9.4 million GDP per capita in the next decade. However, the benefits can only be realized once the government releases spectra for 5G from 2021 to 2023.

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