Indosat bets on inclusive AI to reach every corner of Indonesia

Details: staff writer; Category: Operators; 31 March 2026; 21185 views

Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison CEO Vikram Sinha highlighted how the Indonesian operator is transforming itself from a traditional telecoms provider into an AI-driven technology company.

But while much of the global discussion around AI focuses on performance gains or enterprise innovation, Sinha emphasised a different priority: ensuring the benefits of AI reach every Indonesian.

With a population of around 280 million people spread across more than 17,000 islands, Indonesia presents both a massive opportunity and a complex connectivity challenge. For Indosat, Sinha argued that AI could play a crucial role in accelerating the country’s digital development and supporting its ambitions to become a developed nation by 2045. However, that progress will only matter if the technology is accessible beyond major cities.

“Our approach is AI for all,” he said during a media session at MWC Barcelona. “AI should be a great equaliser.”

To put that into practice, Indosat has begun deploying AI initiatives outside Indonesia’s largest urban centres. One example is the company’s experience centre in Jayapura, in eastern Indonesia.

Rather than launching pilot projects in Jakarta or other established technology hubs, Indosat chose Jayapura to demonstrate how AI-powered tools can improve healthcare outcomes in remote areas. According to Sinha, local doctors are already using AI-driven applications to analyse data and make more accurate diagnoses, particularly in regions where medical resources are limited.

The move sends a broader signal about the company’s strategy. Instead of concentrating AI innovation in wealthy areas, Indosat wants to use the technology to close gaps in access to services.

“AI has to help the most deserving,” Sinha said.

Delivering that vision requires more than applications. It also demands new digital infrastructure capable of supporting AI workloads across the country.

Indosat has been investing in data centres and high-performance computing capacity as part of a broader strategy to build what it describes as an AI ecosystem for Indonesia. The company is also working with global partners such as Nvidia and Google Cloud to secure access to advanced computing platforms and GPU supply chains.

A key component of this strategy is the development of the Sahabat AI platform. Rather than competing directly with global generative AI models, the platform focuses on Indonesia-specific use cases, including local languages and cultural context. The goal is to ensure that AI systems can understand the linguistic diversity of the country, from Bahasa Indonesia to regional languages such as Javanese and Sundanese.

The platform is also designed to act as an innovation hub for startups, developers and researchers, allowing them to build applications tailored to local needs.

Beyond centralised infrastructure, Indosat is also exploring how AI capabilities can be distributed closer to users.

Through investments in AI-powered radio access networks (AI RAN), the company is working towards what Sinha describes as an “AI grid”. The concept would allow computing power to be distributed across thousands of network sites throughout Indonesia, bringing AI processing closer to end users.

With around 55,000 network sites across the country, this approach could eventually create small “AI factories” even in rural areas, enabling low-latency applications such as digital tutoring, agricultural support tools for farmers, or remote healthcare services.

For Indosat, this edge-based approach is another way to ensure AI does not remain concentrated in major data centres or urban markets.

The operator is also prioritising practical use cases that deliver immediate benefits for its customers. One early example is an AI-driven system designed to detect and block spam and scam messages.

Working with partners, Indosat has trained AI models on its infrastructure to identify fraudulent communications. In the first six months of deployment, the system has already blocked billions of spam messages and flagged millions of suspected scammers.

For Sinha, solutions like this show how AI can improve everyday digital experiences while protecting users from online threats.

“Connecting people is no longer enough,” he said. “We also need to protect them.”

Despite the heavy focus on infrastructure and technology, Sinha stressed that the biggest challenge for Indonesia’s AI ambitions is human talent.

Indosat is therefore working with universities, technology companies and industry partners to train more AI specialists and developers. Building local expertise, he said, will ultimately determine whether Indonesia evolves from a technology consumer into a creator of digital innovation.

If that happens, Sinha believes AI could play a defining role in the country’s future.

“The opportunity is enormous,” he said. “But it only matters if the benefits are shared by everyone.”