Indonesian mobile operators XL Axiata has recently started an Open RAN trial, which saw the new network being successfully integrated into the existing network in the Ambon district.
Director & Chief Technology Officer of XL Axiata, I Gede Darmayusa said, "We hope that the application of this technology can be a solution for network development more efficiently and effectively, especially in remote areas outside Java. Currently the trial is in the testing phase of service, functionality, capabilities, and performance. The progress of trial of test calls on 3G networks (CS fallback) and OTT calls on 4G networks have also been successfully carried out, and is currently in the process of monitoring for performance and stability. For this trial, we did it together with Mavenir as the technology provider partner."
According to Gede, in 2021, XL Axiata plans to conduct Open RAN trials with other technology partners in order to get more options before implementation. The trial is at once to compare the quality of performance and capabilities of technology partners. The next process after this initial phase of trial is a pilot project for the Open RAN deployment to further ascertain how much benefit this technology can bring.
“We chose Ambon as the Open RAN trial location with the consideration that this area has good business potential for network expansion in the future. The successful trial run in Ambon has opened up opportunities for the implementation of Open RAN in all rural areas of Indonesia, including in Eastern Indonesia Region. We will indeed apply this later to support efforts to expand the network in remote areas, including in supporting government programs in providing internet networks to remote villages," continued Gede.
