Jakarta, INTI – Severe floods and massive landslides hitting the Sumatra region have instantly paralyzed communication networks and cut off access to vital information for thousands of affected residents across three provinces. Responding to this crisis, the Ministry of Communication and Digital (Kemkomdigi) has moved swiftly, collaborating with all national mobile network operators to restore connectivity lost due to infrastructure damage and power outages. This commitment to accelerated recovery was affirmed directly by Deputy Minister Nezar Patria while leading a coordination meeting in Banda Aceh on Wednesday, Dec, 3 , 2025, ensuring smooth evacuation processes and logistics distribution during this crucial emergency response period.
Focus on Recovery in the Hardest-Hit Areas
Of the three affected provinces on the island of Sumatra Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra the Aceh region has become the primary focus as it experienced the most significant disruption to telecommunication services. Physical infrastructure damage, combined with the severance of main power supplies, caused signals to go completely dead in many locations.
In his press statement in Jakarta on Friday, Nezar Patria emphasized the importance of the spirit of mutual cooperation in this difficult situation. The government has prioritized the restoration of networks in Aceh during the disaster emergency response phase. Based on data as of December 5, 2025, a total of 1,789 Base Transceiver Stations (BTS), or approximately 52.4 percent of the total 3,414 BTS in Aceh Province, have been successfully reactivated.
The government’s short-term target is quite optimistic. Along with the repair of energy supplies, the percentage of active BTS is expected to increase soon to reach 75 percent. "Hopefully, this week it can be fully restored to normal. Because the main obstacle we found in the field is still the availability of electrical energy," said Nezar.
Starlink Assistance for Isolated Areas
To address areas that remain isolated and difficult for conventional networks to reach, Kemkomdigi is not relying solely on repairing cellular towers. As a tactical measure, the government is providing satellite-based communication devices, namely Starlink, equipped with generator sets as independent power sources.
These advanced devices are prepared as a buffer system or public communication backup while electricity and BTS towers have not yet fully recovered. Nezar confirmed that these devices are provided free of charge to support crucial operations, such as victim evacuation, aid distribution, health services, and real-time data reporting from disaster locations.
Cross-Sectoral Synergy
Intensive monitoring continues to be carried out by Kemkomdigi alongside mobile operators, with progress reports updated every hour. However, the key to this recovery remains the availability of electricity. Therefore, close coordination with the State Electricity Company (PLN) is continuously maintained.
PLN has estimated that power supplies are expected to be restored by Friday. "If the electricity is restored, this will significantly accelerate our technical team's work to normalize the entire telecommunication network in Aceh," added Nezar, concluding his statement.
Conclusion
Efforts to restore telecommunication services in Sumatra post-disaster are being executed aggressively and in an integrated manner through collaboration between the government, mobile operators, and PLN. With a combination of physical infrastructure repairs and the utilization of Starlink satellite technology, the government targets public communication to return to normal soon to support effective disaster management.
Read More:Telecommunication Towers Restored Beyond 90%, Accelerating Connectivity in West and North Sumatra