Govt approves Bakrie's rural phone system<\/p>\n
PETALUMA, California (JP): The Ministry of Tourism, Post and
\nTelecommunications has officially approved a rural
\ntelecommunications system developed by PT Bakrie Communications
\nCorporation (BCC) and the state-owned PT Telkom.<\/p>\n
The certificate of the approval was presented by Director
\nGeneral of Post and Telecommunications Djakaria Purawidjaja to
\nchairman of the Bakrie Group, Aburizal Bakrie, in a ceremony here
\nThursday.<\/p>\n
The Advanced Rural Telephone System (ARTS) was developed by
\nBCC and Telkom five years ago in the industrial park of Silicon
\nValley, Petaluma, California in the United States, with a total
\ninvestment of US$40 million, Ical said.<\/p>\n
The copyright of ARTS is 74 percent owned by Bakrie and 26
\npercent by Telkom.<\/p>\n
Ical said ARTS was developed in the U.S. by Nusantara
\nCommunications Inc., one of Bakrie's subsidiaries.<\/p>\n
He said that BCC's affiliated firm, PT Multi Kontrol
\nNusantara, based in Bandung, West Java, would soon start
\noperations to produce ARTS.<\/p>\n
"We will establish several overseas joint venture companies to
\nproduce ARTS in China and South America. Market positioning for
\nthe system includes 23 nations like Argentina, Thailand, Poland,
\nOman, Brazil, China, India and Nigeria," he said.<\/p>\n
Uzbekistan ordered 65,000 line ARTS, he added.<\/p>\n
He said Nusantara Communications would invest $10 million and
\n$20 million in 1997 and 1998, respectively, to further develop
\nARTS which applies a radio system telecommunications network and
\nsystem in rural areas.<\/p>\n
Minister of Tourism, Post and Telecommunications Joop Ave, who
\nwitnessed the award ceremony, said that Indonesia needed to
\npromote its own creations and brands like ARTS.<\/p>\n
"However, you have to go internationally with an Indonesian
\ntouch and identification. This is to avoid that ARTS is a
\nAmerican," he said.<\/p>\n
Ical said he had selected Petaluma as Nusantara
\nCommunications's base as "there's a lot of brains here in the
\nSilicon Valley". (icn)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/govt-approves-bakries-rural-phone-system-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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