Pekanbaru Pushes for Underground Network System to Prevent Messy Fiber Optic Cables

Pekanbaru – The Pekanbaru City Government has begun preparing to organize the tangled and dangling telecommunications cables along several city roads. The move aims to create a neater city appearance without disrupting telecommunications services for the public.

Acting Regional Secretary of Pekanbaru City, Ingot Ahmad Hutasuhut, stated that telecommunications has now become a basic necessity for society. Therefore, the government wants to ensure that services continue to run well while maintaining the city’s aesthetics and the comfort of road users.

This commitment was reinforced during the Regional Coordination Meeting of the Indonesian Telecommunications Network Providers Association (APJATEL) Riau Chapter at Hotel Pangeran on Thursday (7/5/2026).

“We want to create a collaborative atmosphere. Business activities can run, the public’s needs are met, but the city’s aesthetics and the comfort of road users are also preserved,” he said, as quoted on Friday (8/5/2026).

According to Ingot, the organization of telecommunications cables will not be carried out unilaterally or repressively. The Pekanbaru City Government has chosen a collaborative approach with business actors so the reorganization process can proceed harmoniously.

One of the plans currently under discussion is the gradual relocation of overhead cables to an underground network system. However, he acknowledged that the process requires significant technical preparation and high costs, so it cannot be done all at once.

“Our long-term hope is that ideally there will be no more cables overhead. But everything needs to be done in stages. We will start with several priority locations first, then proceed gradually,” he explained.

In addition to the physical network reorganization, the Pekanbaru City Government is also drafting regulations regarding telecommunications network permits. According to Ingot, several companies have already submitted permit applications, and the finalization of the rules is still ongoing.

“At the city government level, we do not yet have a specific regional regulation. After that, a mayor’s regulation will be prepared. We want the regulations that are eventually issued to be logical and implementable by all parties,” he said.

Meanwhile, APJATEL Chairman Jerry Mangasas Swandy said that the problem of messy fiber optic cables is not unique to Pekanbaru but occurs in many major cities across Indonesia.

“Network reorganization is a necessity. This is not just Pekanbaru’s issue, but a problem that occurs in almost every major city in Indonesia,” he said.

Jerry emphasized that network reorganization is important to reduce the risk of service disruptions and accidents caused by poorly organized cables.

He noted that APJATEL continues to push for regulatory harmonization through rules related to Integrated Utility Network Facilities (SJUT). However, underground network development requires large investments, so support from local governments through clear and measurable licensing is needed.

“The interests of the state must be protected, businesses must continue to operate, and most importantly, service to the community must remain optimal. We want APJATEL to truly provide benefits for Pekanbaru,” he said.