XL Axiata has announced the rollout of its 4G LTE network in Bandung, Indonesia, with a free SIM card offer to entice users to sign up to its network. ‘We are committed to ensuring that the citizens of Bandung are able to take advantage of 4G LTE services. To facilitate this, we are providing one million free SIM cards to citizens living there,’ said Vice President of XL Central Region, Bambang Parikshit, in a written statement. The distribution of the cards will be carried out via 58 retail outlets across the city, he said, with XL expecting take-up to ‘soar’ following the commercial launch.
XL says that in the commercial launch phase, LTE services in the city are available in the districts of Bandung, Padalarang, Jatinangor and Cimahi. More than 249 4G base transceiver stations (BTS) have been deployed to support the launch. Further, XL says that work is already underway to expand its 4G coverage in Bandung and surrounding areas by continuing to add to its supporting infrastructure, while customers in other cities in West Java could enjoy 4G LTE from XL in the near future. To date, XL has deployed commercial 4G services in Medan, Bogor, Yogyakarta, Mataram, Denpasar and Surabaya. Next month it plans to add Jakarta to its 4G footprint, and in the short term targets other cities across Indonesia via a 4G network comprising no fewer than 2,500 BTS.