Indonesia Bars Telecom Carriers From Expiring Unused Data

JAKARTA, Investortrust.id — Mobile network operators in Indonesia can no longer wipe out their customers' unused internet data or charge fees to keep it active, following a government directive aimed at overhauling standard billing practices across Southeast Asia’s largest digital economy.

The policy, enacted via Circular Letter No. 4/2026 by Minister of Communication and Digital Affairs Meutya Viada Hafid on Friday, August 28, 2026, requires wireless carriers to protect leftover data balances. The directive enforces a landmark mandate from Indonesia's Constitutional Court (MK Decision No. 273/PUU-XXIII/2025), which affirmed that paid data allowances remain consumer property rather than expiring corporate assets.

For millions of mobile-first consumers across the archipelago, the reform tackles a long-standing grievance in a market where prepaid packages dominate daily commerce. By curbing the arbitrary forfeiture of paid megabytes, Jakarta is redefining digital property rights and putting pressure on carrier average revenue per user (ARPU) across the country’s multi-billion-dollar telecom industry.

"Data paid for by consumers is their property," Ms. Hafid said in an official statement released on Saturday, August 29, 2026. "Unused data cannot simply be forfeited, and operators are barred from imposing extra fees just to maintain those balances."

Mandating Consumer Choice

The ministry intervened after receiving widespread complaints from users indicating that major carriers were slow to implement the Constitutional Court's earlier ruling.

Under the new regulatory framework, carriers must offer flexible usage alternatives, including data rollover, opt-out plans, validity extensions, benefit transfers, service compensation, and direct refunds.

"We are ensuring that subscribers have real alternatives," said Ms. Hafid, a senior politician from the Golkar Party, part of the governing coalition. "Customers have the right to choose terms that match their consumption patterns, rather than letting carriers dictate the terms."

A Tight Compliance Window

Beyond structural plan changes, regulators are targeting opaque pricing. Telecom operators must clearly disclose data volumes, expiration windows, network tiering, and leftover balance terms using plain language to ensure full transparency.

Carriers have until September 28, 2026, to file initial compliance reports with the ministry, followed by mandatory monthly progress filings subject to regular regulatory audits.

"Protecting remaining data balances is essential to keeping telecommunications services fair for every user," Ms. Hafid said.