The Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Indonesia (FTUI) hosted a National Seminar titled “People’s Internet Based on Open RAN: Infrastructure Driving Indonesia’s Economic Growth” on Tuesday (7/7) at the MRPQ Building Auditorium, 4th Floor, FTUI. The event was organized in collaboration with the X-Intelli-Tech Research Group and supported by Surge Digital Ecosystems as the event sponsor.
The seminar addressed the low penetration rate of fixed broadband internet in Indonesia, which currently reaches only around 15 percent of households—significantly lower than that of several other Southeast Asian countries. The forum highlighted Open Radio Access Network (Open RAN) technology as a strategic solution to expand affordable internet access across the archipelago while accelerating the growth of Indonesia’s digital economy.
The event also featured the launch of the book Information Network Infrastructure: Data Centers for Enterprise, authored by Prof. Dr. Ir. Riri Fitri Sari, M.M., M.Sc., Professor of Computer Engineering at Universitas Indonesia, together with Muhammad Haikal Afinas Sidiq. Moderated by Prof. Dr. Muhammad Suryanegara, S.T., M.Sc., Professor of Electrical Engineering at Universitas Indonesia, the seminar brought together five distinguished speakers from industry, government, and academia to discuss Indonesia’s digital divide from multiple perspectives.
In his presentation, Ir. Yune Marketatmo, M.Eng., M.M., Director of Wi-Fi at PT Solusi Sinergi Digital Tbk (Surge), introduced the company’s People’s Internet initiative, which integrates affordable fixed broadband expansion with Open RAN-based Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) operating on the 1.4 GHz frequency band. Open RAN technology enables network equipment from multiple vendors to interoperate seamlessly rather than relying on a single proprietary supplier, reducing telecommunications infrastructure costs while allowing more flexible network deployment. Through this approach, Surge aims to serve five million subscribers in its first year and expand to 25 million subscribers within the next five years.
From the regulatory perspective, Adis Alifiawan, S.T., M.H., Director of Radio Frequency Spectrum Management, Satellite Orbit, and Digital Infrastructure Standardization at Indonesia’s Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs (Komdigi), outlined the government’s regulatory roadmap to support the development of mobile broadband, fixed broadband, data centers, and submarine cable infrastructure. He explained that the government is currently rationalizing regulatory costs while integrating spectrum licensing policies with infrastructure deployment obligations for telecommunications operators.
The discussion was further enriched by presentations from several other experts. Prof. Dr. Ir. Riri Fitri Sari, M.M., M.Sc., discussed the development of human resources to support Indonesia’s national information infrastructure. Prof. Dr.-Ing. Ir. Kalamullah Ramli, M.Eng., Professor of Electrical Engineering at Universitas Indonesia, presented an analysis of the technologies and regulatory frameworks supporting the People’s Internet initiative, covering end-to-end network architecture, 1.4 GHz spectrum allocation, global best practices, and data security challenges. Meanwhile, Dr. Ibrahim Kholilul Rohman, S.E., lecturer at the UI School of Sustainable Development, examined the economic and policy implications of Open RAN in Indonesia, particularly its role in improving productivity, fostering competition, and promoting regional convergence. The X-Intelli-Tech Research Group at FTUI also reaffirmed its commitment to advancing research and collaboration on Open RAN, broadband wireless access, and artificial intelligence (AI), including the development of joint case studies with industry partners such as Surge.
The seminar concluded with several follow-up initiatives proposed by stakeholders. Beyond business and regulatory aspects, the forum emphasized the importance of strengthening the local digital ecosystem and increasing the Domestic Component Level (TKDN) in digital infrastructure projects. Government representatives and industry leaders also agreed on the need for stronger collaboration to bridge Indonesia’s digital divide, particularly in disadvantaged, frontier, and outermost (3T) regions, through integrated fiber optic, wireless, and satellite connectivity solutions.
The discussion also explored internship opportunities and collaborative research initiatives between industry and academia, drawing inspiration from existing exchange programs with educational partners in Taiwan. Through this seminar and the accompanying book launch, FTUI reaffirmed its commitment to contributing to the equitable development of Indonesia’s digital infrastructure as a foundation for sustainable economic growth.
***
Public Communications Office
Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Indonesia
