Indonesia 700 MHz and 2.6 GHz Spectrum Allocation Finalized

Indonesia Finalizes 700 MHz and 2.6 GHz Spectrum Allocation for 4G and 5G

Indonesia's Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs (Kementerian Komunikasi dan Digital, or Komdigi) has completed not merely proposed the allocation of the 700 MHz and 2.6 GHz radio frequency bands for mobile network operations. Following a competitive selection process that opened in April 2026, the Minister officially determined the winners after the objection window closed on 14 July 2026 without challenge. The determination is final and binding. This article sets out what was actually awarded, the obligations attached, and critically for manufacturers, importers, and test labs how the two bands map onto SDPPI type-approval scope.

Indonesia 700 MHz and 2.6 GHz Spectrum Allocation at a Glance

The award was made through a spectrum selection (seleksi / e-Auction), not an administrative assignment. It was launched under Decree of the Minister of Communication and Digital No. 175 of 2026 (Keputusan Menteri Komunikasi dan Digital Nomor 175 Tahun 2026), which governs the selection of 700 MHz and 2.6 GHz band users for cellular mobile network operations in 2026. The selection team's ranking was issued as Announcement No. 04/SP/TIMSEL/KOMDIGI/07/2026, and the winner determination was confirmed by the Minister on 22 July 2026.

Three national operators secured spectrum: PT Telekomunikasi Selular (Telkomsel), PT Indosat Tbk (Indosat), and PT XLSmart Telecom Sejahtera Tbk (XLSmart). Unlike earlier Indonesian auctions that produced a single winner, the contested spectrum was divided among all three bidders by bid size.

Awarded blocks by operator

Band	Duplex	Operator	Bandwidth	Structure
700 MHz	FDD (paired)	XLSmart	30 MHz	2 × 15 MHz
700 MHz	FDD (paired)	Telkomsel	20 MHz	2 × 10 MHz
700 MHz	FDD (paired)	Indosat	20 MHz	2 × 10 MHz
2.6 GHz	TDD (unpaired)	Telkomsel	80 MHz	—
2.6 GHz	TDD (unpaired)	Indosat	60 MHz	—
2.6 GHz	TDD (unpaired)	XLSmart	50 MHz	—

The 700 MHz total (70 MHz paired) and the 2.6 GHz total (190 MHz unpaired) together represent a substantial capacity and coverage addition to Indonesia's mobile networks. The state projects non tax revenue (PNBP) of roughly Rp 6 trillion in the initial phase and up to approximately Rp 29.9 trillion over a ten year horizon.

What the Two Bands Deliver

The allocation follows Indonesia's 2025 2029 National Medium Term Development Plan (RPJMN) and the national frequency allocation plan (TASFRI 2026), which designate the 700 MHz range for IMT.

The 700 MHz band is the "digital dividend" band. Its low frequency gives it wide geographic reach and strong in building penetration, making it the workhorse for extending 4G/LTE coverage into rural, remote, and mountainous areas.

The 2.6 GHz band is a mid band capacity layer. It carries high data density efficiently, making it the primary lever for improving 5G capacity and speed in urban and high traffic areas.

Together they pair reach with capacity the standard low band plus mid band combination that underpins modern 5G rollout.

Buildout Obligations Attached to the Award

The award is conditional. Winners must satisfy binding rollout commitments within a maximum five year window:

1. Rural 4G coverage deliver LTE-based mobile broadband to at least 538 villages and sub-districts (desa dan kelurahan) currently with no or weak signal, spanning from Sumatra to Papua.

2. 5G population coverage provide IMT-2020 (5G) service reaching at least 51% of the national population by the fifth year.

3. Speed trajectory contribute to the national target of raising average mobile broadband speed to 100 Mbps by 2029.

4. Financial obligations pay upfront licensing fees and annual spectrum usage charges (BHP IPFR), backed by payment guarantees for the licence term.

5. Interference mitigation implement technical measures to manage potential interference.

   
   

What This Means for Manufacturers

This is a network-side allocation, but it has direct downstream consequences for device compliance in Indonesia. Any device that transmits or receives on these bands to operate on the new networks must be within SDPPI type-approval scope for the relevant band and here the two bands sit in very different certification positions.

• 700 MHz maps to 3GPP Band 28 (LTE B28) / NR n28 — the APT700 FDD plan (703–748 MHz uplink / 758–803 MHz downlink). B28/n28 has been part of the Indonesian LTE and 5G NR technical standard since Decree of the Minister No. 352 of 2024 (Kepmen Kominfo No. 352 Tahun 2024), which sets FR1 (410–7125 MHz) and FR2 (24250–52600 MHz) scope, plus carrier aggregation and dual-connectivity provisions. Devices already certified with n28 support face no new band-standard barrier here.

• 2.6 GHz maps to 3GPP Band 41 (LTE B41) / NR n41 — TDD, 2496–2690 MHz. n41 was added to the Indonesian technical standard by Decree of the Minister No. 569 of 2025 (Kepmen Komdigi No. 569 Tahun 2025 / Circular 569/2025), issued 19 December 2025 and effective 19 January 2026. Because n41 is a newly added band, products already SDPPI-certified must be re-certified to activate the 2.6 GHz band.

  
  

The practical takeaway: as operators bring the 2.6 GHz (n41) network into service, market relevant devices will increasingly need n41 support that is actually certified under SDPPI not merely present in the chipset. For 700 MHz (n28), the certification pathway is already established; the change is commercial demand, as low band coverage expands nationwide.

All certification runs through the Directorate General of SDPPI (Direktorat Jenderal Sumber Daya dan Perangkat Pos dan Informatika) under Komdigi, via the SDPPI (Postel) type approval regime, including HS code classification, local or accredited lab RF/EMC testing, and SDPPI labelling.

Certification Impact Summary

Item	700 MHz	2.6 GHz
3GPP band	B28 / n28	B41 / n41
Duplex mode	FDD	TDD
Frequency range	703–748 / 758–803 MHz	2496–2690 MHz
SDPPI standard basis	Kepmen 352/2024	Kepmen 569/2025 (eff. 19 Jan 2026)
Already in technical standard	Yes	Added Dec 2025
Re-certification to activate band	Not triggered by this award	Yes required to activate n41
Approval authority	Ditjen SDPPI (Komdigi)	Ditjen SDPPI (Komdigi)
Primary manufacturer action	Confirm certified n28 support	Assess re-certification for n41

Timeline and Required Actions

Date	Event	Status	Required action
19 Dec 2025	Kepmen Komdigi No. 569/2025 issued (adds B41/n41 to technical standard)	Confirmed	Review device portfolios for n41 exposure
19 Jan 2026	Kepmen 569/2025 takes effect	Confirmed	Begin n41 re-certification planning
Apr 2026	700 MHz / 2.6 GHz selection process opens (Kepmen 175/2026)	Confirmed	—
14 Jul 2026	Objection period closes; no objections filed	Confirmed	—
22 Jul 2026	Minister determines winners final and binding	Confirmed	Track operator band-deployment plans
2026 onward	Operator rollout begins (700 MHz coverage, 2.6 GHz capacity)	In progress	Ensure certified n28/n41 support for market devices
Year 5	51% national-population 5G coverage obligation	Pending	Align device roadmaps to n41 deployment
2029	100 Mbps average mobile broadband national target	Pending	—