Indonesia has taken a major step in national connectivity with the commercial launch of the country’s first nationwide 5G Blanket Coverage network, officially deployed by ZTE Corporation in partnership with Indonesian operator XLSMART on 28 February 2026.
At a launch event in Surabaya, the new XL Ultra 5G+ service went live, marking the first time 5G connectivity has reached all major provinces and urban centres under a single integrated network strategy. ZTE — a global leader in integrated communications solutions — provided the end-to-end technology platform and deployment expertise, while XLSMART anchored the commercial rollout and service operations.
The Blanket Coverage approach aims to deliver seamless and consistent 5G access nationwide, overcoming traditional coverage gaps and ensuring high-speed mobile broadband is available in both urban and less served regions. Independent testing certified by Ookla identifies the XL Ultra 5G+ network as “Indonesia’s fastest 5G network in H2 2025,” reflecting comprehensive performance optimisation ahead of the commercial launch.
Field demonstrations at the launch showed peak downlink speeds approaching 769 Mbps and average real-world performance above 500 Mbps, enabling robust streaming of 4K and 8K video, cloud gaming, and advanced augmented and virtual reality applications on mobile devices. ZTE and XLSMART said these performance levels would support not only consumer use cases but also enterprise digital services, including cloud-native applications, IoT platforms, and mission-critical communication services.
Technical delivery included the integration of over 20,000 legacy 4G base stations and the rollout of more than 7,000 new 5G base stations across Indonesia’s five major regions — including Surabaya, Semarang, Medan, Makassar, and Balikpapan. The deployment reflects a coordinated effort to accelerate digital infrastructure that can fuel economic growth and support next-generation digital ecosystems nationwide.
The nationwide 5G launch positions Indonesia alongside other major countries building pervasive next-generation mobile infrastructure, enabling digital transformation across industries such as healthcare, education, logistics, and smart cities. XLSMART’s CEO emphasised that the 5G blanket network will “redefine user experience and commercial opportunity for both consumers and businesses.”
