Opensignal’s latest analysis of 5G network deployment across South-East Asia reveals Indonesia’s challenges in keeping pace with its neighboring countries in the region’s race towards 5G technology adoption. While Indonesia has made strides, significant gaps in 5G speed and availability hinder the nation’s progress compared to regional leaders such as Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, and the Philippines.
The report highlights Indonesia’s struggle in achieving rapid 5G speeds, with users experiencing an average download speed of 58.3Mbps — considerably slower than leading markets like Singapore and Malaysia, boasting speeds over six times faster.
Leading markets such as Singapore and Malaysia boast speeds of 355.5Mbps and 314.9Mbps, 6.1 and 5.4 times faster than Indonesia, respectively.
The disparity is stark when compared to the Philippines, where 5G speeds are 2.3 times faster than in Indonesia. Even Thailand, with an average speed of 82.6Mbps, outpaces Indonesia by a significant margin.
Moreover, Indonesia ranks lowest in terms of the uplift in average download speeds from 4G to 5G, with a mere 2.5-fold increase. This contrasts sharply with Malaysia’s staggering 13.5-fold increase and Singapore’s notable advancements in speed.
While Indonesia fares better in 5G upload speeds compared to some neighboring countries, it still trails behind Singapore and Malaysia. The nation’s 5G upload speed, averaging 23.2Mbps, indicates room for improvement to match the top-performing countries in the region, Rupert Bapty said in the Opensignal report.
The 5G download speeds in Indonesia are a mere 2.5 times faster than 4G. In contrast, Malaysia tops the table for the uplift in users’ average download speeds using 5G over 4G with a staggering 13.5 fold increase, followed by Singapore, Philippines and Thailand with increases ranging from five to 7.7 times.
Despite these challenges, Indonesia’s 5G Video Experience and Games Experience stand competitively within the region.
The critical issue lies in 5G Availability, where Indonesia lags significantly. 5G users in Indonesia spend only 1 percent of their time connected to 5G, impacting the overall experience despite commendable performance in specific areas.
The discrepancy in 5G Availability is attributed to factors such as spectrum limitations, including the absence of key bands like the 3.5GHz band, which impacts network coverage. The complex geography of Indonesia, spread across multiple islands, presents logistical challenges for establishing a comprehensive 5G network, necessitating substantial investment and strategic planning.
To bridge this 5G gap and harness the full potential of the technology, Indonesia must undertake proactive deployment strategies and explore efficient spectrum utilization. The forthcoming auction of spectrum bands by Indonesia’s Ministry of Communication and Informatics is expected to address some limitations.
