Jakarta. Indonesia’s communications ministry found that 156 mobile data packages offered by Telkomsel, XLSmart and Indosat still fail to provide substantive protection for customers’ unused internet quota, despite a Sept. 28 deadline to comply with a Constitutional Court ruling.

Communications and Digital Affairs Ministry (Kemkomdigi) evaluated 290 packages offered by the three operators following the deadline. While 134 packages had adopted rollover mechanisms that allow unused data to carry over, the remaining 156 packages relied only on expiry notifications.

Denny Setiawan, director of digital infrastructure strategy and policy at Kemkomdigi, said notifications alone did not meet the government’s interpretation of the court ruling.

“The Constitutional Court ruling concerns the protection of unused quota. In the government’s view, the protection mechanism cannot be merely preventive. There must be a substantive mechanism that truly protects the economic value of customers’ unused quota,” Denny said in Jakarta over the weekend.

XLSmart reported that 92 of its 101 packages had implemented rollover, while nine still relied on notifications. At Indosat, 23 of 94 packages used rollover and 71 relied on notifications. Telkomsel had 19 rollover packages out of 95, with the remaining 76 using notifications.

“Notifications are not a solution for quota that has already gone unused. They only remind customers that their quota is about to expire. What we are pushing for is a mechanism that gives customers an opportunity to continue receiving the economic benefit from the quota they have purchased,” Denny said.

Under the government’s approach, operators do not necessarily have to convert every package into a rollover product. Non-rollover packages may remain available as long as they provide another mechanism that protects the value of unused quota.

Denny said the government would continue monitoring operators’ implementation and require adjustments where necessary to ensure compliance with the Constitutional Court ruling.

Several Telkomsel rollover packages have also been delayed due to technical issues, with implementation moved from Sept. 28 to the first week of October. Kemkomdigi has asked the operator to resolve the issues as soon as possible.

The government has also opened a public complaints channel through the Directorate General of Digital Infrastructure’s call center at 159, in addition to operators’ own complaint channels.

Operators Still Adjusting Business Models
The Association of Indonesian Telecommunications Operators (ATSI) said operators were still finalizing compensation mechanisms for unused data in discussions with Kemkomdigi.

ATSI Chairman Marwan O. Baasir said implementation required adjustments to operators’ business models and billing systems.

“This preparation takes time. Hopefully, it will not take too long because we are also concerned that the public is waiting for this quota policy,” Marwan said.

He said customers could eventually be given a choice between rollover and non-rollover packages, provided non-rollover products still offered protection for unused quota.

“The principle is that rollover and non-rollover products will be offered as options to users. But one of the key points is that users of non-rollover products must also be protected,” Marwan said.

One option under consideration is extending the validity period of unused quota. For example, customers on non-rollover packages could receive an additional three days to use their remaining data.

Operators could also introduce a points system that allows customers to convert unused quota into points redeemable for other products or benefits.

“For example, there could be an option to extend the validity by three days before the quota expires for non-rollover packages. Or customers could collect points that can later be used for other products,” Marwan said.

The exact mechanism would be left to individual operators, he said, as long as it complies with customer protection requirements.

Operators are also assessing different rollover periods, including monthly, three-month and six-month options, depending on their respective business models.

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