The Ministry of Communication and Information has recently released a draft ministerial regulation concerning telecommunication provision using satellite technology (“Draft”). The Draft was formulated to facilitate Telecommunication Law and Broadcasting Law.

The Draft defines Telecommunications as to include all telegraph (wire), optical, radio, and electromagnetic communication. All providers of telecommunication activities that utilize satellite based technology will be required to be licensed.

According to the draft, all telecommunication providers which utilize satellite technology will be obligated to obtain Radio Station License which comprise of Space Station License and Earth Station License.

Space station license will cover the permission to use radio frequency spectrum in Indonesian territory using satellite. Such license will cover all radio transmitter frequency and its receiver stations. Space station license will be granted to closed network enterprises, mobile satellite network enterprises, telecommunication providers for government, defence and security, also subscription broadcasting agencies. Meanwhile, earth station license will be granted to all location of all earth-based stations in Indonesian territory.

The Draft had explicitly intended to regulate foreign satellites by requiring its utilization to be licensed.