Indonesia
Opensignal is the independent global standard for analyzing consumers' connectivity experiences. Our industry reports are the definitive guide to understanding what happens when people use their mobile and broadband connections in their daily life.
Indonesia
Opensignal is the independent global standard for analyzing consumers' connectivity experiences. Our industry reports are the definitive guide to understanding what happens when people use their mobile and broadband connections in their daily life.
Key Findings
Telkomsel users observe the best Video Experience in Indonesia
Telkomsel is the outright winner of the Video Experience award with a score of 60.4 points (on a 100-point scale) and a lead of 2.6 points over 3. Notably, Telkomsel is the only Indonesian operator to achieve a Good (58-68) rating for Video Experience. This means our Telkomsel users are, on average, able to stream video at 720p or better with satisfactory loading times and little stalling. 3, Indosat and XL place one category lower — Fair (58-68) — while Smartfen brings up the rear with a score of 46.4 points placing in the Poor (under 48) Video Experience category.
Telkomsel users enjoy the fastest mobile experience in Indonesia
Since the last report, our users on Telkomsel have seen the biggest boost in absolute terms of 4.5Mbps (25.2%) in Download Speed Experience. As a result, Telkomsel claims the Download Speed Experience award this time with overall speeds averaging 22Mbps. Additionally, Telkomsel remains the winner of the Upload Speed Experience award, with users clocking in the fastest upload speeds of 9.5Mbps, on average — up from 8.2Mbps seen last time around.
XL users enjoy the best multiplayer mobile gaming experience
XL once again beats the competition on the quality of experience when it comes to playing multiplayer mobile games in Indonesia. XL wins Opensignal's Games Experience award with a score of 73.1 points, giving it a lead of 2.5 points over second-placed 3 (on a 100-point scale). Games Experience in Indonesia across all five operators rates as Fair (65-75).
Users on 3 experience noteworthy improvements in mobile speeds post IOH merger
Every major operator in Indonesia’s Download Speed Experience and Upload Speed Experience scores have improved since the last report in December 2022. However, users on 3 have witnessed one of the most significant percentage boosts across both categories. Their average download speeds have increased by 30.8%, from 11.7Mbps to 15.3Mbps. Likewise, 3’s users experienced great progress in their average upload speeds, which surged by 31.1%, from 6.5Mbps to 8.5Mbps. Based on our recent analysis, this uplift seen by users on 3 can be attributed to the IOH merger.
Indosat has the most consistent experience
Indosat wins the Consistent Quality award, with a score of 61.5%. This indicates that Indosat users see the greatest proportion of tests that meet the minimum thresholds to support more demanding commonly used mobile applications, such as video calling or uploading an image to social media.
3 wins the Voice App Experience award by a narrow margin
3 comes top in Indonesia for the quality of experience while using over-the-top (OTT) voice app services such as WhatsApp, Skype and Facebook Messenger. However, we see close competition on this measure, with just 1.5 points separating all operators. And with these scores, all five place in the Acceptable (74-80) category for Voice App Experience.
Mobile Experience Awards
Market Overview
Indonesia's telecom network landscape has undergone significant changes. The government initiated a gradual shutdown of 3G services in early 2022 to repurpose the spectrum for 4G and 5G networks. Leading the charge, Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison (IOH) was the first to announce the sunset of 3G services nationwide, while more recently, Telkomsel announced it has upgraded all 3G users to 4G across 504 cities and regencies. On the other hand XL continues to implement its 3G shutdown program and transitioning to 4G.
In addition, in a successful initiative, Indonesia's Ministry of Communication and Informatics (KemKominfo) refarmed the 2.3GHz band across multiple provinces. The objective was to provide contiguous frequency holdings, improving service quality and optimizing radio frequency spectrum usage. Indonesia’s 4g-only operator Smartfren and Telkomsel participated, covering 6,046 sites. Notably, KemKominfo approved the transfer of Telkomsel's 2.3GHz spectrum rights to Smartfren, effective April 18, 2023.
Furthermore, according to a recent press release, IOH has successfully completed its network integration using Multi-Operator Core Network (MOCN) technology in over 46,000 sites across Indonesia. Opensignal's last analysis on Indonesia found that the merger between 3 and Indosat has had a positive impact on users’ mobile network experience, with users on 3 gaining the most significant benefits, resulting in a more converged experience across both IOH brands.
Opensignal's latest report shows that Telkomsel excels in several aspects of mobile network experience, positioning itself as a dominant player in Indonesia. Telkomsel outpaces the competition in Download and Upload Speed Experience and further outshines them when comparing the quality of video streaming experience — Video Experience — across the country. In fact, Telkomsel is the only operator in Indonesia to achieve a Good rating for Video Experience.Furthermore, Telkomsel also reigns supreme in Coverage Experience, with an impressive score of 8.9 points (on a 10-point scale)
On the other hand, 3, Indosat, Smartfren, and XL also lead in other aspects of mobile network experience, with each operator differentiating itself in a different category. XL stands out in terms of multiplayer mobile gaming experience, winning the Games Experience award outright. Our users on 3, on the other hand, observe the best available experience when using over-the-top voice apps, making 3 the winner of the Voice App Experience award. Meanwhile, Indosat leads in terms of consistency of mobile experience, securing the Consistent Quality award.
The findings of this report also show that Indonesia's mobile network experience is improving. For example, compared to the previous report, our users across all five networks now observe faster average download and upload speeds. It’s noteworthy that our Telkomsel users have reported the biggest improvement of 4.4Mbps(25.2%) in Download Speed Experience, followed 3.6Mbps improvement reported by users on 3. Additionally, our 3’s users have seen the biggest uplift of 2Mbps in Upload Speed Experience.
In this report, we've analyzed the overall mobile network experience of all our users in Indonesia on five operators — 3, Indosat, Smartfren, Telkomsel and XL — over the 90 day period starting on February 1, 2023. Along with our national analysis, we've also drilled down on the users' mobile network experience across 10 of Indonesia's major regions. We have used 5G measurements in addition to those from older generations of mobile network technology when determining the overall scores for each award category.
Overall Experience
National Analysis
Our users on Telkomsel's network observe the best available quality of experience when streaming videos over mobile internet. Telkomsel wins the Video Experience award, scoring 60.4 points on a 100-point scale. The operator commands a lead of 2.6 points over 3, and its score is 3.1 points ahead of Indosat and 5.2 points higher than XL’s. Meanwhile, Smartfren scores the lowest for Video Experience with 46.4 points. With these scores, the overall quality of experience while streaming mobile videos rates Good (58-68) on Telkomsel, Fair (48-58) on Indosat, 3 and XL, and Poor (under 48) on Smartfren.
Definitions
Opensignal’s Video Experience quantifies the quality of video streamed to mobile devices by measuring real-world video streams over an operator's networks. The metric is based on an International Telecommunication Union (ITU) approach, built upon detailed studies which have derived a relationship between technical parameters, including picture quality, video loading time and stall rate, with the perceived video experience as reported by real people. To calculate video experience, we are directly measuring video streams from end-user devices and using this ITU approach to quantify the overall video experience for each operator on a scale from 0 to 100. The videos tested include a mixture of resolutions — including Full HD (FHD) and 4K / Ultra HD (UHD) — and are streamed directly from the world’s largest video content providers.
In addition to Video Experience, we report on the following metrics related to video experience:
- 5G Video Experience: The average Video Experience of Opensignal users when they were connected to an operator’s 5G network.
- Video Experience – 5G Users: The average Video Experience of Opensignal users with a 5G device and a 5G subscription across an operator's networks. It factors in 2G, 3G, 4G and 5G video experience along with the availability of each technology.
- 4G Video Experience: The average Video Experience of Opensignal users on an operator's 4G network.
- 3G Video Experience: The average Video Experience of Opensignal users on an operator’s 3G network.
National Analysis
Our users on XL enjoy the best experience in Indonesia when playing multiplayer mobile games over cellular connections. XL wins the Games Experience award with a score of 73.1 points on a 100-point scale, giving it a lead ranging from 2.5 points over second-placed 3 to 5.5 points over last-placed Smartfren. With these scores, all five operators place in the Fair (65-75) category for overall Games Experience.
Definitions
Opensignal’s Games Experience measures how mobile users experience real-time multiplayer mobile gaming on an operator’s network. Measured on a scale of 0-100, it analyzes how our users’ multiplayer mobile gaming experience is affected by mobile network conditions including latency, packet loss and jitter.
Games Experience quantifies the experience when playing real-time multiplayer mobile games on mobile devices connected to servers located around the world. The approach is built on several years of research quantifying the relationship between technical network parameters and the gaming experience as reported by real mobile users. These parameters include latency (round trip time), jitter (variability of latency) and packet loss (the proportion of data packets that never reach their destination). Additionally, it considers multiple genres of multiplayer mobile games to measure the average sensitivity to network conditions. The games tested include some of the most popular real-time multiplayer mobile games (such as Fortnite, Pro Evolution Soccer and Arena of Valor) played around the world.
Calculating Games Experience starts with measuring the end-to-end experience from users’ devices to internet end-points that host real games. The score is then measured on a scale from 0 to 100.
In addition to Games Experience, we report on the following metrics related to games experience:
- 5G Games Experience: The average Games Experience of Opensignal users when they were connected to an operator’s 5G network.
- Games Experience – 5G Users: The average Games Experience of Opensignal users with a 5G device and a 5G subscription across an operator's networks. It factors in 2G, 3G, 4G and 5G games experience along with the availability of each technology.
- 4G Games Experience: The average Games Experience of Opensignal users on an operator's 4G network.
- 3G Games Experience: The average Games Experience of Opensignal users on an operator's 3G (e.g. UMTS/HSPA or CDMA 1X EV-DO) network.
National Analysis
3 wins the Voice App Experience award outright with a score of 78.5 points (on a 100-point scale). This means that our users on 3 perceive the best available experience while using over-the-top (OTT) voice app services such as WhatsApp, Skype and Facebook Messenger. However, 3’s lead is narrow with all four of its competitors scoring between 76.9-78 points. With these scores, all operators place in the Acceptable (74-80) category for Voice App Experience.
An Acceptable Voice App Experience means some users are satisfied. Perceptible call quality impairments are experienced by some users. Clicking sounds of short duration or distortion are heard, and/or the volume may not be sufficiently loud. Listeners are generally able to comprehend without repetition.
Definitions
Opensignal's Voice App Experience measures the quality of experience for over-the-top (OTT) voice services — mobile voice apps such as WhatsApp, Skype and Facebook Messenger — using a model derived from the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) approach for quantifying overall voice call quality and a series of calibrated technical parameters. This model characterizes the exact relationship between the technical measurements and perceived call quality. Voice App Experience for each operator is calculated on a scale from 0 to 100.
In addition to Voice App Experience, we report on the following metrics related to voice app experience:
- 5G Voice App Experience: The average Voice App Experience of Opensignal users when they were connected to an operator’s 5G network.
- Voice App Experience – 5G Users: The average Voice App Experience of Opensignal users with a 5G device and a 5G subscription across an operator's networks. It factors in 2G, 3G, 4G and 5G voice app experience along with the availability of each technology.
- 4G Voice App Experience: The average Voice App Experience of Opensignal users on an operator's 4G network.
- 3G Voice App Experience: The average Voice App Experience of Opensignal users on an operator's 3G (e.g. UMTS/HSPA or CDMA 1X EV-DO) network.
National Analysis
Telkomsel users experience the fastest overall download speeds in Indonesia, 22Mbps on average — 1Mbps faster than ex-winner XL. On the other hand, 3 and Indosat users are further behind with statistically tied and identical scores of 15.3Mbps, while Smartfren users report the lowest Download Speed Experience of 12.6Mbps.
Since the last report, our users across all five networks have seen their overall average download speeds improve. Our Telkomsel users saw the biggest uplift of 4.4Mbps, followed by those on 3 (3.6Mbps) and Smartfren (3.1Mbps). In contrast, those on Indosat and XL saw their speeds improve by 1.6Mbps and 0.3Mbps, respectively.
Definitions
Measured in Mbps, Download Speed Experience represents the typical everyday speeds a user experiences across an operator’s mobile data networks.
In addition to Download Speed Experience, we report on the following metrics related to download speeds:
- 5G Download Speed: The average download speed observed by Opensignal users with active 5G connections.
- Download Speed Experience – 5G Users: The average download speeds experienced by Opensignal users with a 5G device and a 5G subscription across an operator’s networks. It factors in 2G, 3G, 4G, and 5G download speeds along with the availability of each technology.
- 4G Download Speed: The average downlink speed observed by Opensignal users when they were connected to 4G.
- 3G Download Speed: The average downlink speed observed by Opensignal users when they were connected to 3G (e.g. UMTS/HSPA or CDMA 1X EV-DO).
National Analysis
Telkomsel wins the Upload Speed Experience award with a score of 9.5Mbps — 0.9Mbps ahead of second-placed 3. Indosat places third with a score of 8.3Mbps, followed by XL with a score of 7.7Mbps, while Smartfren lags significantly behind with 1.9Mbps.
Since the previous report, our users on 3 reported the biggest increase in their Upload Speed Experience of 2Mbps (31.1%), while XL has seen the least improvement of 0.1Mbps (1.2%). Indosat and Telkomsel’s scores also improved by 1Mbps and 1.3Mbps, respectively. As a result, 3 moves up into second place, replacing XL.
Definitions
Upload Speed Experience measures the average upload speeds for each operator observed by our users across their mobile data networks. Typically upload speeds are slower than download speeds, as current mobile broadband technologies focus resources on providing the best possible download speed for users consuming content on their devices. As mobile internet trends move away from downloading content to creating content and supporting real-time communications services, upload speeds are becoming more vital and new technologies are emerging that boost upstream capacity.
In addition to Upload Speed Experience, we report on five supporting metrics related to upload speeds:
- 5G Upload Speed: The average upload speed observed by Opensignal users with active 5G connections.
- Upload Speed Experience – 5G Users: The average upload speeds experienced by Opensignal users with a 5G device and a 5G subscription across an operator’s networks. It factors in 2G, 3G, 4G, and 5G upload speeds along with the availability of each technology.
- 4G Upload Speed: The average uplink speed observed by Opensignal users when they were connected to 4G.
- 3G Upload Speed: The average uplink speed observed by Opensignal users when they were connected to 3G (e.g. UMTS/HSPA or CDMA 1X EV-DO).
Regional Analysis
Looking at the regional breakdown, Video Experience results are in line with the national results, as Telkomsel also leads regionally. Our users on its network enjoyed a Good Video Experience in eight regions and a Fair Video Experience in the remaining two — Kalimantan and Sulawesi, where 3 is the outright winner. Telkomsel wins six out of 10 regional awards outright and shares first place with 3 in Yogyakarta. On the other hand, 3 and Indosat are joint winners in the Lesser Sunda Islands.
In terms of Games Experience, national winner XL leads solely in Banten, Jakarta Raya, Jawa Barat and Jawa Tengah and is also the joint winner in Yogyakarta alongside Telkomsel. Additionally, in the Lesser Sunda Islands, we see a three-way split between Indosat, 3 and XL.
Turning to the speed measurements, Telkomsel wins the Download Speed Experience award outright in seven regions and scores more than 20Mbps across all 10 regions. Meanwhile, XL beats the competition for Download Speed Experience in Banten and Jakarta Raya. At the same time, 3 leads in the Lesser Sunda Islands.
Telkomsel is also the outright winner for regional Upload Speed Experience in nine out of 10 regions. This includes Banten, Jakarta Raya Jawa Barat, the Lesser Sunda Islands and Yogyakarta; where the average upload speeds that our Telkomsel users see surpass the 10Mbps mark and range between 10.6-11.5Mbps. In Sulawesi, 3 and Insodat users observe the fastest Upload Speed Experience.
Regional Analysis Summary: Indonesia, Mobile Network Experience Report, June 2023
-
A-I
- Banten
-
J-R
- Jakarta Raya
- Jawa Barat
- Jawa Tengah
- Jawa Timur
- Kalimantan
- Lesser Sunda Islands
-
S-Z
- Sulawesi
- Sumatra
- Yogyakarta
in Banten
in Banten
in Banten
in Banten
in Banten
in Jakarta Raya
in Jakarta Raya
in Jakarta Raya
in Jakarta Raya
in Jakarta Raya
in Jawa Barat
in Jawa Barat
in Jawa Barat
in Jawa Barat
in Jawa Barat
in Jawa Tengah
in Jawa Tengah
in Jawa Tengah
in Jawa Tengah
in Jawa Tengah
in Jawa Timur
in Jawa Timur
in Jawa Timur
in Jawa Timur
in Jawa Timur
in Kalimantan
in Kalimantan
in Kalimantan
in Kalimantan
in Kalimantan
in Lesser Sunda Islands
in Lesser Sunda Islands
in Lesser Sunda Islands
in Lesser Sunda Islands
in Lesser Sunda Islands
in Sulawesi
in Sulawesi
in Sulawesi
in Sulawesi
in Sulawesi
in Sumatra
in Sumatra
in Sumatra
in Sumatra
in Sumatra
in Yogyakarta
in Yogyakarta
in Yogyakarta
in Yogyakarta
in Yogyakarta
Coverage
3
Indosat
Smartfren
Telkomsel
XL
National Analysis
When it comes to Coverage Experience in Indonesia, one operator is head and shoulders above its competitors. On a 10-point scale, Telkomsel wins our inaugural Coverage Experience award in Indonesia with an impressive score of 8.9 points on a 10-point scale.
Definitions
The Opensignal Coverage Experience metric measures the extent of mobile networks in the places people live, work and travel. The metric represents the experience users receive as they travel around areas where they would reasonably expect to find coverage.
Traditional coverage metrics typically estimate either a percentage of land area covered, or a percentage of population covered; often neither will be an accurate measurement of the true user expectation and experience. In many markets there are areas where neither population density nor geographic area reflect the importance of coverage to users. For example, in a large mountain range most users will not expect coverage in the wilderness, but poor coverage in the relatively small area of a ski resort is critical for the enjoyment of a holiday. Estimates based purely on population give undue significance to coverage in the most densely populated areas.
Coverage Experience measures geographic coverage of populated areas and therefore more accurately reflects the coverage expectations and experience of typical users. It can give a result that is somewhat different to traditional estimates based on either geographic or population measures. The metric uses a scale from 0 to 10.
Map Definition
The coverage maps show the locations where we received measurements from users connecting with 3G or better mobile service. Each map provides an indication of the areas in which it is possible to obtain mobile service from that mobile operator.
National Analysis
Indonesia's 4G-only operator Smartfren once again claims the Availability award, as our users on its network continue to spend the highest proportion of time connected to a cellular signal — 98.5%, on average. Meanwhile, 3, Indosat and XL are joint second with identical scores of 96.3%.
Definitions
Our availability metrics are not a measure of a network’s geographical extent. They won’t tell you whether you are likely to get a signal if you plan to visit a remote rural or nearly uninhabited region. Instead, they measure what proportion of time people have a network connection, in the places they most commonly frequent — something often missed by traditional coverage metrics. Looking at when users have a connection rather than where, provides us with a more precise reflection of the true user experience.
We also keep track of the instances that leave mobile users most frustrated: when there is no signal to connect to at all. The most common dead zones users struggle with occur indoors. As most of our availability data is collected indoors (as that’s where users spend most of their time), we’re particularly astute at detecting areas of zero signal.
Our availability metrics take a user-centric, time-based approach that complements the user-centric and geographical-based methodology used by our reach metrics.
Availability shows the proportion of time all Opensignal users on an operator’s network had either a 3G, 4G or 5G connection.
Map Definition
The coverage maps show the locations where we received measurements from users connecting with 3G or better mobile service. Each map provides an indication of the areas in which it is possible to obtain mobile service from that mobile operator.
Regional Analysis
The regional Availability results align closely with the national results, with Smartfren securing outright wins in eight out of 10 regions. In Jakarta Raya, Telkomsel and Smartfren are joint winners, while in the Lesser Sunda Islands, 3, Indosat and Smartfren share the podium for Availability.
Regional Analysis Summary: Indonesia, Mobile Network Experience Report, June 2023
-
A-I
- Banten
-
J-R
- Jakarta Raya
- Jawa Barat
- Jawa Tengah
- Jawa Timur
- Kalimantan
- Lesser Sunda Islands
-
S-Z
- Sulawesi
- Sumatra
- Yogyakarta
in Banten
in Jakarta Raya
in Jawa Barat
in Jawa Tengah
in Jawa Timur
in Kalimantan
in Lesser Sunda Islands
in Sulawesi
in Sumatra
in Yogyakarta
Consistency
National Analysis
Indosat wins the Consistent Quality award, with a score of 61.5%. This indicates that Indosat users see the greatest proportion of tests that meet the minimum thresholds to support more demanding commonly used mobile applications. Telkomsel is second with a slightly lower score of 60.6%, followed by XL and 3. Smartfren on the other hand brings up the rear with 34.1%.
Definitions
Consistent Quality measures if the network is sufficient to support common mobile application requirements at a level that is ‘good enough’ for users to maintain (or complete) various typical tasks on their devices.
We combine different experience indicators such as download speed, upload speed, latency, jitter, packet discard, and time to first byte to calculate Consistent Quality. These components are evaluated against thresholds recommended by various more demanding common applications used for a range of common tasks.
To calculate the metric value, the proportion of tests that pass the requirements of Consistent Quality is multiplied by the test success ratio, which is the proportion of completed tests to all tests conducted. Tests that pass indicate that activities such as video calling, uploading an image to social media, or using smart home applications will be possible without noticeable lag or slowdown.
Regional Analysis
Looking at the regional breakdown for consistency of users’ experience — Consistent Quality — we see something of a two-horse race between Telkomsel and IOH brands. Our users connecting from Banten, Jakarta Raya, Jawa Barat, Jawa Tengah and Sumatra see the most consistent mobile experience on Telkomsel’s network. In Kalimantan, the Lesser Sunda Islands, Sulawesi and Yogyakarta, the most consistent experience with 3. Meanwhile, Insdoat is the outright winner in Jawa Timur.
Regional Analysis Summary: Indonesia, Mobile Network Experience Report, June 2023
-
A-I
- Banten
-
J-R
- Jakarta Raya
- Jawa Barat
- Jawa Tengah
- Jawa Timur
- Kalimantan
- Lesser Sunda Islands
-
S-Z
- Sulawesi
- Sumatra
- Yogyakarta
in Banten
in Jakarta Raya
in Jawa Barat
in Jawa Tengah
in Jawa Timur
in Kalimantan
in Lesser Sunda Islands
in Sulawesi
in Sumatra
in Yogyakarta
Related Analysis
Our Methodology
Collecting billions of individual measurements daily from over 100 million devices globally, Opensignal independently analyzes mobile and broadband user experience on every major network operator around the globe.
About Opensignal
Opensignal is the leading global provider of independent insights into consumers' connectivity experiences and choice of carrier. Our proprietary insights into mobile and broadband networks give operators the solutions they need to profitably compete and win, from executive level scorecards and public validation to pin-point level engineering analytics and consumer decision dynamics.
Check how your internet connection impacts your favorite apps with the Meteor App
Journalists, please retain the Opensignal logo and copyright
(© Opensignal Limited) information when using this image.
This image may not be used for any commercial purpose, including use in advertisements or other promotional content, without prior written consent.
Confidence Intervals
For every metric we calculate statistical confidence intervals indicated on our graphs. When confidence intervals overlap, our measured results are too close to declare a winner. In those cases, we show a statistical draw. For this reason, some metrics have multiple operator winners.
In our bar graphs we represent confidence intervals as boundaries on either sides of graph bars.
In our supporting-metric charts we show confidence intervals as +/- numerical values.
Why confidence intervals are vital in analyzing mobile network experience