Inside Nokia and Indosat's 5G and AI Expansion in Indonesia

Indonesia's mobile network is getting an upgrade with ambitions that stretch beyond faster speeds.

As operators around the world look for ways to combine connectivity with AI, Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison is betting that the future of telco operations lies in building networks that can do both.

Nokia has signed a nationwide agreement with Indosat to modernise the operator's mobile infrastructure, deploying advanced 5G RAN technology across Indonesia.

The project will introduce low-band 5G throughout Indosat's network footprint and expand mid-band 5G coverage to around 80% of the network over the next three and a half years.

The rollout is designed to increase capacity, coverage and performance while creating a foundation for AI-enabled services across enterprise and public sector use cases.

Building an AI-ready network

The value of 5G for telco operators depends on what can be built on top of it.

Alongside improving customer experiences for applications such as streaming, gaming, work and communications, Indosat positions the network as a platform for AI services.

Justin Hotard, President and CEO at Nokia, says: "The next phase of network evolution will be defined by how well operators combine connectivity, intelligence and scale.

"Together with Indosat and NVIDIA, Nokia is helping build a network that can do exactly that – one that expands 5G, enables new AI-driven services and creates long-term value.

"This partnership reflects a broader shift in the industry, as operators invest in networks that deliver high performance at scale while supporting greater efficiency, new business models and digital growth."

The partnership builds on existing collaboration between Nokia, Indosat and NVIDIA around AI-RAN technology, which aims to bring AI workloads closer to network infrastructure.

The companies are targeting field trials in Indonesia before the end of 2026, following the completion of the first AI-RAN call demonstrated at Mobile World Congress 2026.

Nokia is also developing new AI algorithms intended to improve spectral efficiency on NVIDIA AI-RAN platforms, with those capabilities expected to feature in upcoming trials.

Expanding digital services

Indosat says the network investment supports its wider strategy of extending digital access across Indonesia while preparing for growing demand for AI-powered applications.

The operator is combining centralised AI factories with distributed AI-RAN infrastructure to create what it describes as an AI Grid, which is intended to distribute both connectivity and AI capabilities to users across the country.

Vikram Sinha, President, Director and CEO of Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison, says: "At Indosat, we continuously evolve to serve our customers by understanding their needs more deeply and delivering experiences that truly matter to them.

"Together with Nokia and NVIDIA, we are building a reliable and AI-ready network foundation that will elevate connectivity and create a more seamless digital experience for every customer.

"This collaboration strengthens our readiness for the next phase of digital innovation while reinforcing our commitment to empowering Indonesia through inclusive and sustainable digital transformation."

Automation and efficiency

As part of the deployment, Nokia will supply its Habrok and Pandion radio families, Levante basebands, Centralised RAN technology and network management and automation platforms.

The vendor says these technologies will help automate operations, improve energy efficiency and accelerate service innovation.

AI-driven automation is also expected to support operational efficiencies as traffic demands increase and networks become more complex.

The project represents another step towards integrating NVIDIA's AI capabilities directly into telco infrastructure.

Ronnie Vasishta, Senior Vice President of Telecommunications at NVIDIA, says: "Indosat and Nokia are showing what it looks like when a 5G network becomes the platform for intelligence.

"By building on our AI-RAN work together and moving toward field trials in Indonesia, we are helping create an architecture where AI and connectivity can work side by side to improve efficiency, enable new applications and support digital transformation at scale."

For Indosat, the immediate priority is expanding 5G coverage.

Longer term, the operator is aiming to create a network capable of supporting both connectivity and AI services at national scale.