What Karangasem’s Eight Withheld Tower Certificates Mean

Amlapura — Karangasem processed 52 applications for Surat Kesesuaian Zonasi Menara, or tower zoning-conformity letters, from Jan. 1, 2025, to June 30, 2026. Officials issued 44 and did not issue eight after inspections found location, zoning or licensing problems.

The figures were reported by Dinas Penanaman Modal dan Pelayanan Terpadu Satu Pintu Karangasem, the regency’s Investment and One-Stop Integrated Services Office. The inspections found that some towers stood in areas where construction was not allowed, including protected rice fields. A further 19 towers had obtained Persetujuan Bangunan Gedung, or building approvals.

Why the eight withheld certificates matter

A tower zoning-conformity letter is a location-screening document. In practice, its absence means that a telecommunications tower has not cleared the local review of whether its site complies with zoning and related licensing requirements. That matters to foreign residents and visitors because mobile coverage depends on infrastructure that must meet local land-use and construction rules; the decision concerns tower operators and sites, not a new obligation for people using Indonesian mobile services.

The Karangasem office said the eight applications were withheld after findings by the Bali provincial inspectorate showed that the towers did not fully satisfy zoning and licensing requirements. Some applications also failed technical requirements. Even where the new letter was not issued, earlier permissions — including coordinate-location approval, an Izin Penggunaan Ruang, or space-use permit, and an environmental permit — remained valid, according to the reports.

Karangasem’s published licensing procedure says applicants submit a tower zoning-conformity request to the one-stop services office, wait for field verification by the integrated-services team, and then receive approval or rejection. A separate government notice described inspections as checking licensing documents, the towers’ physical condition, coordinates and operations in the field.

The office said it had written to Satuan Polisi Pamong Praja, the civil-service police unit, for follow-up on the eight towers. It also said it had begun coordination with the communications and information office and the public works and housing agency in accordance with applicable regulations.

Sources

• Bali Post — regional news report
• NusaBali — regional news report
• DPMPTSP Karangasem — government licensing procedure