NTT quake: 99.9% of earthquake‑hit BTS towers restored by August 18

Labuan Bajo — Nearly all cellular infrastructure disrupted by the 7.7-magnitude earthquake off Flores Island on August 15 has been restored, with Indonesia’s Communication and Digital Affairs Ministry reporting that 99.9 percent of affected base transceiver station (BTS) sites were back in service by the evening of August 18.

According to a ministry update cited by national broadcaster RRI, 811 of the 812 BTS sites impacted by the quake had been restored as of 6 p.m. Jakarta time on Wednesday, August 19, leaving one site in Manggarai Regency still under repair. Technology outlet Pax also reported that ministry data showed 812 BTS towers affected across 11 regencies and cities in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), with only one tower in Manggarai undergoing final technical work as of August 18.

Communication and Digital Affairs Minister Meutya Hafid said the recovery of connectivity was critical to supporting residents and emergency operations in the affected areas, noting that teams had worked since the quake struck on August 15 to identify and restore damaged telecommunications infrastructure.

Restoration progress

The ministry’s figures refer specifically to BTS sites that were disrupted by the earthquake, not to all telecommunications facilities in NTT.

Pax reported that ministry monitoring found 812 BTS sites “temporarily down” across 11 regencies and cities after the earthquake, which was centred near Nagekeo Regency on Flores. RRI, citing the same ministerial data, said that by August 18, only one BTS site in Manggarai remained out of service while the rest had returned to operation.

Earlier situation reports from the ministry indicated that 200 BTS sites across 10 regencies and cities experienced disruption immediately after the quake, equivalent to around 16 percent of sites in the affected areas. Subsequent checks expanded the tally of impacted BTS infrastructure to 794 and then to 812 sites as assessments continued across the province.

• Total BTS sites affected: 812 sites across 11 regencies/cities in NTT
• Sites restored by August 18: 811 sites, or 99.9 percent of affected BTS
• Location of remaining outage: One BTS site in Manggarai Regency
• Earlier restoration milestone: 86 percent of 794 affected BTS sites restored by August 16
• Full restoration: Ministry officials reported 100 percent of the 812 BTS sites back online by August 22

Officials said the restored network was intended to reconnect communities and support coordination of relief efforts, including information flows between local governments and provincial authorities.

Emergency response and remaining gaps

The telecommunications recovery formed part of a broader government response to the M7.7 earthquake, which damaged infrastructure and disrupted services in multiple regencies on Flores and surrounding areas. The Communication and Digital Affairs Ministry coordinated with mobile network operators and the national telecommunications monitoring centre to track outages and guide repairs.

As of the August 18 update, one BTS site in Manggarai was still undergoing technical work, and authorities had not publicly detailed the service quality experienced by customers at each location. RRI reported that while almost all affected BTS sites were functioning, local availability could still be influenced by power supply, local network congestion and conditions of other infrastructure not covered in the ministry’s figures.

Subsequent statements by ministry officials on August 22 indicated that all 812 BTS sites identified as affected had been fully restored, and that connectivity in eight worst-hit regencies had normalised. Travellers and businesses were nonetheless advised in local media reports to check the status of roads, airports and other public services separately, as full telecommunications recovery did not automatically mean other sectors had returned to pre-quake conditions.

Sources

• RRI English – "Earthquake‑Damaged BTS Sites in NTT Restored"
• Pax – "Menkomdigi: 99 persen BTS di NTT kembali normal usai gempa"
• Okezone – "Layanan 3 Operator Seluler Terdampak Gempa M7,7 di NTT, Komdigi Pantau Pemulihan 200 BTS"
• Viva – "Gempa NTT M 7,7 bikin Ratusan BTS Lumpuh"
• Suara Surabaya – "812 BTS Terdampak Gempa NTT Pulih 100 Persen, Kemkomdigi Pastikan Jaringan Normal"
• Detik – "Menkomdigi Pastikan 86% BTS Terdampak Gempa di NTT Sudah Pulih"