| March/April
2005 Updates P2.4 GHz WiFi
band unlicensed By
Onno Purbo in Jakarta, Indonesia, March 2005. A
significant policy and regulatory change occurred on 5 January 2005 when the minister
signed the Ministry of Transportation and Communication Act No.5/2005. It unlicensed
the 2.4 GHz band used by WiFi equipment. Indonesians are now free to use such
equipment without having to obtain prior approval nor pay licensing fees. However,
the 5.2 and 5.8 GHz bands continue to be restricted and efforts continue to have
these frequencies unlicensed as well. User groups have also begun to initiate
activities to educate WiFi users on how to manage the frequency. Even with the
passage of the new act, user groups continue to fear that although the central
government has unlicensed the 2.4 GHz band local governments may now seize the
opportunity to exercise their discretionary powers to control and levy fees on
its usage. |