Infrastructure Upgrade from 4G to 5G Ready at 30 Sites in Palembang

PT Mora Jaya Persada is carrying out a strategic project to upgrade infrastructure at 30 existing BTS sites in the city of Palembang to meet "5G Ready" specifications. The project, executed for Telkomsel, aims to prepare existing infrastructure for 5G equipment deployment without the need to construct new towers.

Tower Structural Reinforcement

The 5G Ready upgrade concept encompasses several key work areas. First, structural reinforcement of towers to accommodate the additional load of 5G equipment. Massive MIMO antennas for 5G weigh 2-3 times more than conventional 4G antennas, requiring the tower structure to be reinforced at the cross arm and tower body sections.

Second, electrical power capacity upgrades. 5G equipment requires significantly higher power consumption, necessitating upgrades to electrical distribution panels, power cables, and backup generator capacity. At some sites, additional battery banks were also installed to ensure adequate backup power.

Fiber Optic Backhaul Migration

Third, upgrading backhaul connections from microwave to fiber optic. The bandwidth required by 5G far exceeds the capacity of existing microwave links, necessitating migration to fiber optic connections. The PT Mora Jaya Persada team carried out fiber optic cable installation from the nearest node to each site.

Rizky Hidayat, S.T., who leads this project as Technical Lead, explained that each site requires individual assessment due to varying tower conditions and specifications. "We conduct structural analysis for each tower using tower loading calculation software to ensure the tower can withstand the additional 5G load. Some older towers require reinforcement or even replacement of certain members," he explained.

Progress and Future Potential

The project, which commenced in August 2024, is targeted for completion in January 2025. As of mid-October, 18 out of 30 sites had been successfully upgraded. The primary challenge is that work must be performed on towers that are still actively operating (live sites), so work procedures must be designed to avoid disrupting existing telecommunications services.

The success of this project will serve as a template for a broader 5G Ready upgrade program across Telkomsel's entire operational area in Sumatra. PT Mora Jaya Persada has the potential to secure follow-on contracts for upgrading hundreds of sites in other provinces.