Orex SAI – the Open RAN joint venture between NTT DoCoMo and NEC – announced on Wednesday its new Indonesian subsidiary has started deploying Open RAN-based 5G fixed wireless access (FWA) 1.4-GHz services across parts of the country with local network service provider Solusi Sinergi Digital (Surge).
Orex SAI and Surge said they have completed joint preparations for commercial deployment – including technology demonstrations and lab trials – that have been underway since they signed a comprehensive agreement in March.
Orex SAI established local subsidiary Orex SAI Indonesia in June to lead local operations and develop a locally type-approved 1.4-GHz radio unit for the 5G FWA project, incorporating Open RAN and 5G core technology from NEC.
Under the current plan, Surge will assign up to 4,800 base stations to Orex SAI for the initial deployment phase in 2026, including network equipment and services required to build the FWA infrastructure. Orex SAI said the resulting network will be the world’s first commercial Open RAN 1.4-GHz 5G FWA system.
Indonesia’s Ministry of Communication and Digital (Komdigi) auctioned off 1.4-GHz spectrum in October for FWA services in hopes of boosting home broadband takeup, which in Indonesia is among the lowest in ASEAN due to high deployment costs.
Surge acquired spectrum in that auction for Region 1, which includes Jakarta, Papua and Maluku. Eka Mas Republik (which owns MyRepublic) won FWA spectrum for all other regions in the country.
Surge plans to offer flat-rate 5G FWA services priced at around IDR100,000 (US$6.00) a month, providing speeds of up to 100 Mbps with no data cap and free installation.
“Our goal is to deliver affordable and high-speed Internet that enables ubiquitous connectivity across Indonesia,” said Yune Marketatmo, president director of Surge, in a statement.
Meanwhile, Pratama has already signed agreements with 26 local distributors as part of the initial go-to-market plan for areas within Region I, which Pratama president director Shannedy Ong said “ensures that broadband connectivity reaches households quickly and efficiently.”
Surge and Orex SAI said they have leveraged programmes from Japan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications and Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry to help fund preparations for the rollout. A report from Asia Nikkei earlier this month valued the Surge/Orex SAI deal at US$200 million.
