Telekom Indonesia’s telecoms infrastructure subsidiary Mitratel announced that it has renewed and extended its collaboration agreement with Airbus subsidiary AALTO to provide high altitude platform station (HAPS) connectivity in Indonesia.
Under an MoU signed by both companies at Mobile World Congress 2026 in Barcelona this week, AALTO will serve as the provider of HAPS connectivity services and aircraft operations, covering activities related to the deployment, operation, and management of high-altitude platform-based connectivity solutions. Mitratel will provide and manage telecoms tower infrastructure services necessary to implement the initiative effectively.
“Through this strategic collaboration with AALTO, we aim to develop an integrated synergy model between tower infrastructure and HAPS technology to enhance the quality, coverage, and resilience of telecommunications services in Indonesia,” said Mitratel CEO Theodorus Ardi Hartoko in a statement.
The new MoU extends the initial agreement signed by both companies in August 2024 to October 2027. It also widens the scope of the project to include execution of proof of concept (PoC) initiatives, formulation of a structured implementation framework, and identification and assessment of each party’s respective capabilities and potential contributions.
The new agreement also calls for comprehensive feasibility studies covering the business, financial, technical, operational, geographic, commercial, legal, regulatory, and taxation aspects of the project, among other things.
Mitratel and AALTO also agreed to coordinate and undertake the necessary processes to secure required permits, approvals, and documentation from relevant government authorities and institutions.
“The extension of this memorandum of understanding provides a stronger foundation for both parties to undertake comprehensive assessments and prepare a well-measured implementation roadmap,” Hartoko said.
Telkom director of strategic business development and portfolio Seno Soemadji added that Telkom sees HAPS as a potential enabler to expand coverage, strengthen network resilience, and unlock new service models, particularly in challenging and underserved areas.
“The extension of this MoU provides a structured pathway to ensure that any future implementation is sustainable, well-governed, and aligned with Indonesia’s national digital transformation agenda,” he said.
AALTO designs, manufactures and operates the solar-powered Zephyr HAPS aircraft, which flies in the stratosphere above conventional air traffic to provide low latency, direct-to-device 4G and 5G services.
AALTO CEO Hughes Boulnois said stratospace technology is demonstrating increasingly strong commercial potential. “With Zephyr’s capability to deliver direct-to-device connectivity, we can help bridge coverage gaps in Indonesia’s [remote, underdeveloped, and disadvantaged] regions while enhancing the resilience of the national network.”
