Orex SAI and PT Solusi Sinergi Digital Tbk (Surge) have this week signed a commercial agreement to deploy Open RAN-based 5G Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) services across Indonesia.

A JV set up by Japanese telcos NTT Docomo and NEC Corporation, Orex SAI Indonesia will work with Surge to deploy 1.4GHz FWA services across the country.

According to Orex SAI, the purpose of the partnership is to "expand affordable, high-speed Internet connectivity to unserved and underserved communities."

It builds on an agreement the two companies signed in March, with technology demos and lab trials since completed in preparation for commercial deployment.

In June, Orex SAI established PT Orex SAI Indonesia to lead local operations and developed the first Type-Approved Radio Unit (RU) for the n50 (1.4GHz) band in Indonesia.

Surge, which is a fiber provider in Indonesia, operates a 6,900km fiber optic infrastructure network across Java.

The company was successful in its bid for Region I, which covers Java, Papua, and Maluku, through its subsidiary, PT Telemedia Komunikasi Pratama, which covers more than 60 percent of Indonesian households. This, according to Orex SAI, positions the company to lead the national rollout of affordable broadband infrastructure.

Surge will offer flat-rate 5G FWA service for around IDR100,000 (US$6) a month, claiming speeds of up to 100 Mbps with no data cap and free installation, as it looks to plug the fixed broadband gap.

As part of this rollout, Surge plans to assign up to 4,800 base stations to OREX Sai for the initial deployment phase in 2026, including network equipment and services required to build the FWA infrastructure.

“Our goal is to deliver affordable and high-speed Internet that enables ubiquitous connectivity across Indonesia. Through our collaboration with Orex SAI, we are building a 5G FWA ecosystem powered by innovative technologies. This partnership demonstrates our commitment to bridging the digital divide and elevating Indonesia’s digital economy to the next level," said Yune Marketatmo, president director of Surge.

Orex SAI claims this agreement will enable it to deliver the world’s first commercial Open RAN FWA 1.4GHz system as the primary end-to-end provider.

The system incorporates Open RAN and 5G Core (5GC) technology from NEC Corporation, ensuring a scalable, future-ready architecture for nationwide deployment.

Hiroshi Kobayashi, CEO of Orex SAI, added: “Together with Surge, we have developed a scalable 5G FWA 1.4GHz solution that has progressed to the commercial stage."