JAKARTA: Despite ongoing efforts to bridge Indonesia’s digital divide, a robust digital infrastructure remains essential to unlocking the full potential of the country’s digital economy.
High-capacity, low-latency networks are becoming the foundation for a new generation of innovations, from Internet of Things applications to artificial intelligence-powered services.
At the same time, Indonesia faces another challenge: ensuring that everyone can enjoy the benefits of artificial intelligence (AI).
Without appropriate digital access and skills, only a limited segment of society may be able to fully take advantage of AI technologies, potentially widening existing social and economic disparities.
Addressing these challenges requires a balanced approach that combines advanced connectivity, AI infrastructure, and talent development.
Against this backdrop, Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison collaborated with Nokia and Nvidia to help build Indonesia’s next-generation digital infrastructure.
By combining advanced 5G connectivity and AI capabilities, the partnership aims to accelerate comprehensive digital transformation, strengthen national competitiveness, and prepare Indonesia for the opportunities of the AI era.
The partnership was highlighted during a media discussion at Indosat’s headquarters in Jakarta on June 9, where executives outlined their vision for the next chapter of Indonesia’s digital infrastructure development.
Vikram Sinha, President and CEO of Indosat, Justin Hotard, President and CEO of Nokia, and Ronnie Vashishta, Senior Vice President of NVIDIA Telecom, emphasized the importance of the partnership.
“This is a very strong partnership, bringing together unique technology capabilities.
“Nvidia provides the AI infrastructure and computing capabilities that allow us to efficiently run both AI and radio access network software on the same platform,” said Sinha.
He also emphasized the importance of human resource development, saying Indonesia needs to build capacity across all layers of the digital ecosystem.
Hotard pointed out that this partnership is in line with Indosat’s vision to integrate data centers, AI grid infrastructure, AI native wireless networks, and AI-enabled 5G.
Emphasizing the spirit of gotong royong, or mutual cooperation, Vasishtha said that AI-enabled networks can only be built through close cooperation between technology partners.
The media discussion followed the formalization of a strategic partnership between Indosat, Nokia and Nvidia aimed at strengthening Indonesia’s 5G and AI-enabled digital infrastructure.
Nokia and Indosat have signed an agreement to modernize Indosat’s national mobile network through the deployment of advanced 5G Radio Access Network (RAN) technology.
As a key technology partner, Nokia will support the rollout of low- and mid-band 5G and help build high-performance, AI-enabled networks designed to deliver more seamless, reliable and responsive digital experiences.
“More than network upgrades, this partnership reflects our shared ambition to bring our customers closer to the digital experiences that matter most, from immersive entertainment and gaming to more reliable connectivity for work, learning, communication and everyday digital activities,” the companies said in a statement.
The deployment will strengthen network capacity, performance and coverage across Indonesia, while also supporting Indosat’s ambition to expand digital access more comprehensively across the country.
The upgraded network will also enable advanced consumer and enterprise applications across sectors such as public services, industry, and digital services.
While Nokia’s role is focused on hardening the network infrastructure, Nvidia’s contribution is focused on enabling AI capabilities that can run efficiently across that infrastructure.
Beyond expanding connectivity, this partnership aims to build the digital infrastructure needed to support Indonesia’s next stage of economic and technological growth.
This partnership reflects our shared ambition to transform connectivity into a platform for intelligence.
AI-RAN provides a common architecture for combining connectivity and AI, and Nokia and Nvidia are already working with Indosat to advance the technology.
The companies are targeting field trials in Indonesia by the end of 2026, following completion of the first AI-RAN call demonstrated at Mobile World Congress 2026.
The partnership will also support the development of AI algorithms designed to improve the spectral efficiency of the Nvidia AI-RAN platform.
By combining a centralized AI factory and a decentralized AI-RAN infrastructure, Indosat is building a unified intelligence layer that can drive its AI grid strategy and distribute both AI services and connectivity to millions of Indonesians.
With support from the AI-RAN Innovation Center in Surabaya and the Nvidia AI Technology Center ecosystem, this initiative is already contributing to the acceleration of AI applications in government services, healthcare, education, and agriculture.
“At Indosat, we are continually evolving to better serve our customers by better understanding their needs and delivering the experiences that really matter to them,” said Sinha.
“Together with Nokia and Nvidia, we are building a reliable, AI-enabled network foundation that increases connectivity and creates more seamless digital experiences. This partnership strengthens our readiness for the next phase of digital innovation, while reinforcing our commitment to inclusive and sustainable digital transformation.”
Hotard said the next stage of network evolution will be defined by how effectively carriers combine connectivity, intelligence and scale.
“Nokia is working with Indosat and Nvidia to help build networks that scale 5G, enable new AI-driven services, and create long-term value,” he said.
Vasishta said AI-RAN creates an architecture where AI and connectivity can work together to improve efficiency, enable new applications, and support large-scale digital transformation. — Jakarta Post/ANN
