The increase ranges from 3 to 17 percent.
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Communication and Informatics Minister Johnny G. Plate has assured that telecommunication networks and services will remain reliable during the Christmas and New Year holidays.

He made the statement after a number of cellular telecommunication service providers estimated that there would be an increase in data traffic during the holidays, especially at tourist attractions, shopping centers, and public transportation facilities.

"The amount (of the increase in the data traffic) varies for each cellular (telecommunication) operator. The increase ranges from 3 to 17 percent," he noted in a press release received on Tuesday.

His ministry has encouraged telecommunication service providers to strengthen network capacity and quality to provide excellent services to the community.

The minister recommended a number of efforts to bolster network quality, such as the deployment of mobile Base Transceiver Stations (BTS) and technical personnel in areas projected to have high traffic.

In addition, other network strengthening efforts can include conducting drive tests for network optimization as well as monitoring and following up network disturbances through the network operation and command center, he said.

Furthermore, telecommunication service providers may also increase their Internet gateway capacity nationally, as implemented by state-owned mobile network operator PT Telkomsel for years.

"As a comparison, on normal days, Telkomsel's Internet gateway reaches 8,812 Gbps (Gigabytes per second). This capacity covers the entire Telkomsel’s networks, including the fiber optic ones," Plate noted.

His ministry will also monitor the radio frequency spectrum to ensure that it is properly used during the peak season of communication traffic amid the upcoming Christmas and the New Year holidays.

"It (the spectrum monitoring) is routinely carried out by (the Communication and Informatics Ministry’s) 35 Technical Implementation Units (UPT) throughout Indonesia in holiday seasons targeting maritime distress, aviation, cellular bands, and weather radar frequencies," he informed.

The minister emphasized that his ministry, along with the cellular telecommunication service providers, are striving to maintain the resilience of national network connectivity.

"We are trying optimally to support the smooth celebrations of the 2022 Christmas and the 2023 New Year holidays," he added.

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Translator: Arnidhya Zhafira, Uyu Liman
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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