The Indonesian Telecommunications Regulatory Body is considering changing telecom rules to allow WiMAX license holders to upgrade to mobile WiMAX. The organization postponed its decision to reverse a ban on the technology. Operators and growth were stagnant because of the fixed WiMAX technology.
ITRB granted the licenses in 2009. Since the beginning, lobbyists have argued that the fixed WiMAX option is marred by poor coverage and interference in rural and urban areas.
“We are still [contemplating] how to accelerate 2.3GHz operators so they can be commercial,” ITRB commissioner Heru Sutadi said ,”We have got a lot of input from operators and vendors, so we will study the input to consider any policy we can issue so all BWA 2.3GHz operators can sell their product as soon as possible.”
Telkom, Indosat, Internux, First Media, Jasnita, Berca, Indonesia WiMAX Consortium and WiMAX Indonesia all own spectrum space to launch WiMAX in the country. Operators are also asking the regulator to free up spectrum space in the 2.5GHz to make it available for WiMAX or LTE. The operator is also exploring ways to expand current 3G offerings, along with figuring out which frequencies can deploy various 4G technologies.
Nokia Siemens Network recently demonstrated LTE in Jakarta and three other mobile operators are ready to deploy the technology if the spectrum space is released by 2013.
