7,000 smartcard phones installed<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): In cooperation with private firms, the state-
\nowned PT Telkom has installed 7,000 public telephones using the
\nsmartcard technology which will replace the aging magnetic
\nsystem.<\/p>\n
A PT Telekomindo executive, K.S. Paul Ong, said here yesterday
\nthat his company had been assigned to issue the smartcards in
\ncollaboration with Telkom and the state-owned mint and banknote
\nprinting company Perum Peruri.<\/p>\n
\"The government has licensed 11 firms to install, operate and
\nmaintain the public phones and Telekomindo will issue the
\nsmartcards,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, four companies had installed 7,000 telephones in
\nthe greater Jakarta area, West Java, Central Java, East Java,
\nBali, Sulawesi, Jambi and Kalimantan, he said.<\/p>\n
Other places would soon have the new facilities, he added.<\/p>\n
\"The smartcard technology will replace the magnetic system
\n(called Tamura which is originally from Japan). The smartcards
\nhave some advantages compared to the magnetic ones which are
\neasily cloned,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He said there were 15,000 magnetic phones in Greater Jakarta.
\n\"All of them will be taken out by the end of 1999.\"<\/p>\n
Some 32,000 smartcard telephone lines would be installed by
\nthe end of 1997, about 15,000 in Greater Jakarta, he said.<\/p>\n
\"Telekomindo expects to issue four million smartcards by the
\nend of this year,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He said that next month, the smartcard phones would be able to
\ndial cellular phones as well as long distance and international
\ncalls.<\/p>\n
\"The profit margin of issuing smartcards is narrow, that's why
\nwe target cooperating with any parties to place advertisements on
\nthe cards,\" he said, adding that the intrinsic value of each
\nsmartcard was 72 U.S. cents. (icn)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/7000-smartcard-phones-installed-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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