Badung takes Bali Towerindo tower dispute to Supreme Court after 2047 ruling

Denpasar — Badung regency has taken its long‑running dispute over telecommunications tower infrastructure with PT Bali Towerindo Sentra Tbk to Indonesia’s Supreme Court, after the Bali High Court ordered the extension of their cooperation agreement for another 20 years until 7 May 2047, along with far‑reaching exclusivity measures.

According to reporting based on the Bali High Court’s decision No. 200/PDT/2026/PT DPS, issued on 20 August 2026, the court ruled that Badung had breached its 2007 cooperation agreement with Bali Towerindo and ordered the regency to continue and extend the integrated tower infrastructure arrangement for two more decades.

Multiple outlets citing case-tracking information from Denpasar District Court say the High Court panel corrected the lower court’s judgment in case No. 1372/Pdt.G/2025/PN Dps and rejected Badung’s objections, while declaring the original cooperation agreement legally valid and binding. The Supreme Court has yet to issue a ruling on Badung’s cassation appeal in the material reviewed.

What the High Court ordered

Coverage in technology and business media describes the High Court as confirming the cooperation agreement signed on 7 May 2007 between Badung and Bali Towerindo, identified by Badung transport office document No. 555/2818/DISHUB-BD and Bali Towerindo agreement No. 018/BADUNG/PKS/2007.

The decision requires Badung to extend that agreement for 20 years, calculated to run until 7 May 2047. It also finds the regency in default of its contractual obligations, ordering it to continue the integrated telecommunications tower scheme under Bali Towerindo’s cooperation framework.

The High Court’s orders go beyond contract duration. According to these reports, Badung is instructed to dismantle telecommunications towers in the regency that are not owned by Bali Towerindo and barred from issuing tower-operation or tower-construction permits to other parties until the extended cooperation period ends in 2047. The court also ordered Badung to pay court costs at both levels, with the appeal-level fee stated as Rp150,000.

Badung’s cassation appeal

Local and national media report that Badung has responded by seeking cassation review at the Supreme Court. Several outlets citing regency officials state that the cassation was filed on 3 September 2026, following the High Court’s 20 August ruling and after Badung was declared to have lost at the appeal stage.

Reports also note political and public-interest pressure on the regency to pursue the case, with regional legislators and consumer advocates arguing that the High Court’s orders risk creating an exclusive tower market in Badung and raise questions over competition and governance.

While the precise legal grounds of Badung’s cassation are not fully disclosed in the articles reviewed, commentators highlight issues such as the scale of tower deployment compared with the original agreement, the impact on public services and digital infrastructure, and possible tensions with competition rules.

Network quality and public-interest concerns

The dispute has implications beyond the contractual relationship. Telecommunications industry coverage notes that dismantling towers not owned by Bali Towerindo could significantly alter mobile network design and capacity in Badung, a regency that includes major tourism and commercial hubs.

Analysts and industry bodies cited in these reports warn that removing existing sites without adequate replacement could increase traffic and coverage burdens on remaining towers, with potential consequences such as weaker signals, lower data throughput, dropped calls and disruptions to digital services. Some commentators estimate that more than half of existing towers in Badung could be affected if the orders are fully implemented, putting the area’s digital economy and tourism at risk.

National digital policy officials have also publicly opposed monopolistic tower arrangements, stressing that infrastructure decisions in Badung should not undermine competition or the quality of telecommunications services for residents, businesses and visitors.

Timeline of the dispute

• 7 May 2007: Badung and Bali Towerindo sign the integrated telecommunications-tower cooperation agreement later cited in litigation.
• 2025: Bali Towerindo files suit in Denpasar District Court under case No. 1372/Pdt.G/2025/PN Dps, alleging Badung breached the tower cooperation agreement.
• 20 August 2026: The Bali High Court issues decision No. 200/PDT/2026/PT DPS, revising the district court judgment, finding Badung in default, extending the cooperation by 20 years to 7 May 2047 and ordering removal of non-Bali Towerindo towers and restrictions on permits for other providers.
• 3 September 2026: Multiple media report that Badung files a cassation appeal to the Supreme Court against the High Court decision.

Sources

• JPNN
• Investortrust.id
• detikINET
• Bisnis.com
• Warta Ekonomi
• Media Indonesia