Internet rental service taps into growing need<\/p>\n
By Tedy Novan<\/p>\n
YOGYAKARTA (JP): The young woman gleefully tapped away on the
\nkeyboard, her eyes dancing in unison to the developments on the
\nscreen. \"I've got another friend,\" Tarida shouted over her
\nshoulder to her colleague busy on an adjacent computer.<\/p>\n
There is no shortage of customers at the eight public venues
\nfor accessing the Internet in this thriving university city.
\nCyber communication has opened up the business field of renting
\ncommunication services, as sparsely detailed information from the
\nprint media has generated a need to obtain concrete facts from
\nthe world of net sites.<\/p>\n
The access venues vary in type, but they are all in demand
\nbecause they offer access to the net at relatively inexpensive
\nfees. The Cafe-net is so named because it is located in a
\nrestaurant. There is also the Warnet or Warung Internet (Internet
\nrentals), whose name is a variation on the traditional Wartel or
\nWarung Telekomunikasi telecommunication centers.<\/p>\n
The number of customers is growing daily, including at the
\nPujayo Cafe-net, where Tarida is a regular.<\/p>\n
Tarida says she caught Internet fever in November 1996. She
\nuses the Internet for correspondence with people and institutions
\nhelpful for her medical studies at the School of Medicine of
\nGadjah Mada University.<\/p>\n
\"When I have problems with my studies, I can ask other users
\nor institutes well informed about medical sciences,\" she said.<\/p>\n
She also accesses Apa Kabar, a bulletin site primarily focused
\non political issues, because it has information not found in the
\ngeneral media. \"The political information on the Internet can at
\nleast add to our knowledge of the political world,\" said Tarida.<\/p>\n
Erlangga, a student at Gadjah Mada's School of Law, is even
\nmore fanatical. His family home boasts three Internet providers.
\nHe visits the Cafe-net because he can better control the use of
\nthe service, instead of sitting at home for hours at home and
\nrunning up the phone bill.<\/p>\n
Although both students were initially interested in using the
\nInternet as a pastime, it has now become a daily necessity. They
\nare seemingly addicted to their daily log-on sessions.<\/p>\n
Tarida puts a lot of money into the system. The native of
\nIrian Jaya spends at least four hours a day in front of the
\ncomputer and once spent Rp 300,000 (US$122) in a week.<\/p>\n
\"When I am broke, I usually borrow money from a friend,\" she
\nsaid. Tarida plans to install the system in her rented house
\nafter Pacific Internet opens its network in Yogyakarta because
\nshe says its access speed is higher than that of other providers.<\/p>\n
The lure of the Internet has also captivated a newly graduated
\nmilitary officer. \"I look for information in a leisurely way,\"
\nsaid the man, who wished to remain anonymous. In addition to
\naccessing information from armed forces institutes, he also scans
\nApa Kabar to follow political developments. \"A soldier is not
\nonly concerned with arms, he also needs knowledge,\" he said.<\/p>\n
These are the people who crowd the Warnet venues in
\nYogyakarta. \"On average, 35 customers use our services every
\nday,\" said Bayu Sulistyo, manager of Pujayo Cafe-net. The
\nenterprise started in September 1996 and is open daily from 8
\na.m. to 10 p.m., with a per hour rental fee of Rp 6,000 ($2.4).
\nThe use of the Internet averages 40 hours daily but once soared
\nto 60 hours. Sulistyo is convinced the investment of Rp 58
\nmillion ($23,673) will be returned in two and a half years.<\/p>\n
Tawar Gunawan, director of Warnet Maga on Jl. Colombo,
\nYogyakarta, said his business could yield a monthly net profit of
\nsix to Rp 7 million. At least 500 customers use the Internet
\nfacility there in a week. \"I am optimistic we will regain our
\ninvestment in three years,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Rates, services and requirements differ at each site. The
\nCafe-net requires minimum use of 10 minutes, and a mail box
\ncharge of Rp 5,000 a month. Warnet Maga is more expensive. Their
\nrate is Rp 7,500 for the first hour and Rp 6,000 additional
\nhourly use. The mail box charge is Rp 10,000 a month. \"This
\nhigher charge includes delivery of mail to the address of
\ncustomers,\" Gunawan said.<\/p>\n
Warnet Maga is partitioned into cubicles for users. \"We
\nemphasize privacy for Internet users,\" said Gunawan. They also
\noffer tea, coffee and softdrinks free of charge. A discount of 30
\npercent is given to customers using the facility for one hour.<\/p>\n
Internet first came to Yogyakarta in mid 1995. Idola was the
\nfirst provider of the Internet, although at the time there was no
\npoint-to-point protocol facility and users in Yogyakarta had to
\ncontact the provider in Jakarta. The facility was installed in
\nthe city one year later.<\/p>\n
The three providers currently operating in Yogyakarta are
\nWasantaranet of PT Pos dan Giro, Idola and Yogya Global Internet,
\nwhich is a branch of Indonet in Jakarta. These three providers
\nhave a total of 1,238 customers.<\/p>\n
Telecommunication network capacity has failed to keep up with
\nthe growing use of the Internet in Yogyakarta. Users often
\nexperience difficulty in accessing Internet although Warnet
\ncenters use modems with a capacity of 28.8 kilobytes, against the
\navailable telecommunication network of 14.4 kilobytes only.<\/p>\n
This obstacle can be overcome if the telecommunication network
\nadopts the dedicated system which will be used by Pacific
\nInternet. This system can technically speed up the capacity to
\naccess Internet. PT Telkom still uses the dial system for their
\nnetwork.<\/p>\n
These nuisances and the high costs of installing a net
\nprovider in one's own home (including the telephone charges, use
\nof PC, and membership and monthly subscription fees) have not
\nstopped people's enthusiasm for the system.<\/p>\n
The net access venues are tapping into this craving for
\ninformation by providing efficient and inexpensive services.
\n\"It's so easy, you just come and play,\" said Wasantaranet manager
\nSariyono.<\/p>",
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