Telkomsel 5G Service Trial at the 2018 Asian Games

Although not yet fully implementing 5G services, as part of the service trial, Telkomsel have done a series test to test this future network. One of test cases in the near future is the use of 5G services Telkomsel on a limited basis at the upcoming Asian Games events.

"In 2018, the Telkom Group will conduct a demonstration user experience 5G at the Asian Games at Gelora Bung Karno. Still in the pilot stage, this service is not yet commercially ready," said CEO Telkomsel Ririek Adriansyah.

Ririek added, currently the use of 4G for users Telkomsel has been maximized, while 3G service users are slowly starting to switch to 4G.

In Indonesia, the standardization of this new technology is still in the discussion stage with various parties, especially by the Indonesia 5G Forum. 5G implementation is still relatively slow in Indonesia due to expensive equipment and high costs.

"For 5G services, the biggest challenge is providing spectrum. Currently, 5G services are still widely used for other purposes other than cellular services," said Ririek.

The presence of 5G technology, if later implemented, is expected to cause a technological leap of its own compared to 4G/LTE, because of its ability to disrupt technology. This technology will be the capital for the deployment of Internet of Things devices.

Increased use of internet quota

According to a survey conducted by Telkomsel, the most used application during the user's Eid holiday Telkomsel are YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp, and Google.

Telkomsel estimates that there will be a 40% jump in data service traffic compared to normal days, even around 137% when compared to the RAFI (Ramadan and Eid) period in 2017. This is very likely to happen because the communication behavior of travelers and tourists in Indonesia is now dominated by the use of data services.

Meanwhile, voice service traffic during RAFI is estimated to decrease by around 8%-9% compared to normal days, while SMS service traffic tends to stagnate, not experiencing significant changes compared to normal days.

“Network quality is our top priority in anticipating the high usage of communication services during the RAFI period. By implementing 12.000 4G BTS in all frequency bands, we guarantee that customers can enjoy an optimal and prime experience using broadband services," said Ririek.