Chinese telecommunications equipment manufacturer ZTE Corporation has formed a strategic partnership with telco company Telkom Indonesia to build a 5G network and explore new 5G applications in Indonesia.
The memorandum of understanding was signed by Joddy Hernady, senior vice president of Telkom Indonesia’s media and digital business department, and Wu Yao, sales director of ZTE Indonesia, according to an official statement.
5G, or fifth-generation cellular network technology, is expected to provide stabler, more reliable connections for users and accelerate the use of Internet-of-Things, artificial intelligence, and other advanced technologies. South Korea launched its 5G mobile networks in April 2019, making it the first country to implement the protocol for consumer use in Asia. China and Japan are set to have 5G commercially available in 2020.
Meanwhile, Indonesia doesn’t seem to have a specific timeline for 5G implementation in the near future, especially since it has not defined a clear business model for 5G yet. Even so, the IT Ministry continues to examine and explore the technology and its possible applications. The ministry once said that Indonesia will likely implement 5G for industrial use before making it available for commercial purposes.
Therefore, the partnership between ZTE and Telkom Indonesia is expected to support the development of the Southeast Asian nation’s digital ecosystem. The two companies have maintained long-term collaborations in the field of telecommunications.