AINMT Holdings (AINMT), the parent company of AINMT Scandinavia Holdings and AINMT International Holdings, has welcomed the decision by Indonesian authorities to formally approve the adoption of technology neutrality in the country’s 450MHz frequency band, where its subsidiary PT Sampoerna Telekomunikasi Indonesia (STI) holds 2×7.5MHz of spectrum. The move was taken on the recommendation of the Indonesian Telecommunications Regulatory Body (BRTI), which earlier this year recommended tech neutrality for the 450MHz band to improve internet penetration in Indonesia. Until now, only 2G and 3G equipment and devices could be deployed at 450MHz. AINMT notes that the government’s decision to remove this restriction ‘will enable STI to provide a highly improved 4G-only LTE offering to Indonesia’s inhabitants and businesses, which in turn will significantly strengthen the commercial potential of the wireless data network’.

STI is confident of its ability to build an LTE-450 network across Indonesia to provide widespread coverage to some 260 million Indonesians spread across more than 14,000 islands. ‘The 450MHz frequency is particularly well suited for nations such as Indonesia where the population is spread across large geographical distances. There is a pent up demand for internet access and we aim to address this demand and capitalise on the significant business opportunities it represents,’ said JD Fouchard, CEO of AINMT.

AINMT announced the signing of a definitive agreement to invest in Indonesian CDMA-450 wireless operator STI, which offers services under the Ceria brand, in January 2016. TeleGeography notes that the AINMT group operates 4G LTE 450MHz services across Sweden, Norway and Denmark under the Net 1 and ice.net brands, and is also present in the Philippines via another 450MHz network unit, Broadband Everywhere (BE).