Govt considers using CDMA for USO project<\/p>\n
Arya Abhiseka
\nThe Jakarta Post
\nJakarta<\/p>\n
The government may apply the increasingly popular CDMA
\ntelecommunications connection technology in its ambitious project
\nto provide basic telephony services in villages, according to an
\nofficial.<\/p>\n
Gatot Dewa Broto, spokesman for the Directorate General of
\nPost and Telecommunications at the Ministry of Transportation,
\nsaid the Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) technology cost
\nless in installing telephone lines.<\/p>\n
\"Unlike building fixed telephone lines which could cost about
\nUS$1,000 per line, CDMA only costs no more than $200 per line,\"
\nhe told The Jakarta Post on Monday.<\/p>\n
The government is planning to provide fixed telecommunication
\nlines in villages in the country through a project called
\nUniversal Service Obligation (USO). Under the program, fixed
\nline telecommunications companies are required to contribute to a
\nfund to finance the installation of fixed lines.<\/p>\n
The government is currently speeding up the process to connect
\nby 2005 some of the remaining 43,022 villages and 870 subdistrict
\ncapitals unconnected by any form of telecommunications.<\/p>\n
Currently, there are only 7.82 million fixed lines available
\nfor more than 220 million people.<\/p>\n
Gatot said that by using CDMA technology, the cost of the
\nproject was expected to be cheaper.<\/p>\n
In order to connect several areas, CDMA requires only the
\nestablishment of a base transceiver station or a wireless
\ntelecommunications device used to transmit radio frequencies over
\nthe air interface.<\/p>\n
However, Gatot said that CDMA had its own flaws as it required
\nadditional costs when interconnecting with other phone systems,
\namong others the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) that is
\ncurrently used in Indonesia.<\/p>\n
\"Although it is cheap to establish CDMA, it will add costs
\nwhen we need to interconnect it with another system. However, we
\ndid the math and it is still cheaper than building fixed
\ntelephone lines, so we are considering the possibility of using
\nCDMA,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The government is currently drafting a decree that will
\nregulate, among other things, telephone operators' obligation to
\ncontribute to a fund for the USO.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/govt-considers-using-cdma-for-uso-project-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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