Indosat Ooredoo Taps Nokia to launch 5G in Indonesia

Nokia and Indosat Ooredoo have launched commercial 5G services in Surabaya city, Indonesia. Under the deal, Indosat Ooredoo’s customers will experience new enterprise and industrial use cases underpinned by the new 5G network.

Nokia will supply equipment from its latest ReefShark based AirScale product range, including its AirScale Single RAN portfolio for both indoor and outdoor coverage.

These solutions will offer faster speeds and wider mobile coverage for Indosat Ooredoo’s customers while cutting costs for the operator to run its network. Nokia will also deploy its dynamic spectrum sharing (DSS) solution, which will allow Indosat Ooredoo to use its 4G networks spectrum for 5G services, decreasing the time it takes to get 5G up and running.

Nokia and Indosat Ooredoo, as well as partners, Sepuluh Nopember Institute of Technology and the University of Oulu, will also open the Nokia 5G Experience Centre at ITS’ facilities in Surabaya. The site includes a Centre of Creativity designed for technology developers and ITS students to explore and develop new 5G use cases to drive innovation and socio-economic development in Indonesia. In addition, the facility includes a Center of Knowledge with 5G millimeter-wave capability to simulate a live 5G environment for testing a range of 5G uses cases. It also includes a Center of Excellence offering professional 5G certifications and other academic programs to support the development of local digital talent.

Indosat Ooredoo offers advanced communications services to its customers across Indonesia, including mobile and fixed, video, internet, and business communications services. Nokia has already worked with the operator on several network upgrades in Indonesia, including its IP/MPLS mobile transport network solution, as well as its LTE-Advanced network.

Ahmad Al-Neama, President Director and CEO at Indosat Ooredoo, said: “I am deeply humbled and proud to launch Indosat Ooredoo’s 5G services in Surabaya aligned with our commitment to being the forefront of the 5G revolution in Indonesia. This technology will help unleash many opportunities for the region’s education, people, and economy. As the result of our collaboration with ITS, Nokia, and the University of Oulu Finland, the advanced Nokia 5G Experience Center will complete the innovation and development of local content use cases relevant to the city. With the full supports from Government, Indosat Ooredoo continues to accelerate Indonesia’s transformation into a digital and 5G-enabled nation."

Prof. Dr. Ir. Mochamad Ashari, Rector of Sepuluh Nopember Institute of Technology, said: “We are thrilled to be partnering with Nokia and Indosat Ooredoo to bring 5G innovation to Indonesia and specifically into Surabaya. Through such industry partnerships, we aim to provide a platform for young minds to collaborate directly with industry and business leaders and develop 5G solutions that will benefit the University and the wider community. The launch of the 5G Experience center is in line with the government’s agenda that would enable ITS to spearhead the advance learning and research and provide students and faculty an opportunity to be on the forefront of innovation.”

Tommi Uitto, President of Mobile Networks at Nokia, said: “We are excited to launch commercial 5G services in Indonesia with Indosat Ooredoo as its trusted partner. Our AirScale portfolio will deliver best-in-class services to its subscribers and I look forward to working hand in hand with them on this project moving forward. The opening of the Nokia 5G Experience Center will also provide a platform to drive innovation in the country.”