LGEIN to provide handsets for users of Mobile-8<\/p>\n
Zakki P. Hakim, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
South Korean giant LG Electronics Inc. expects to double its
\nsales of fixed-wireless handsets in Indonesia to 400,000 units
\nthis year via a partnership with local service operator Mobile-8
\nTelecom, an executive at the company's Indonesian unit says.<\/p>\n
PT LG Electronics Indonesia (LGEIN) president director Kee Ju-
\nlee told The Jakarta Post recently that Mobile-8 telecom
\ncustomers would be able to use LG handsets starting in March.<\/p>\n
"We aim to double our handset sales from 200,000 units last
\nyear to 400,000 units in 2005 through the partnership," Kee said.<\/p>\n
Fixed-wireless service, which uses Code Division Multiple
\nAccess (CDMA) technology, is a phone service with limited
\ncellular mobility in a designated area that was first introduced
\nin Indonesia two years ago.<\/p>\n
The service offers rates almost equivalent to the rates of the
\nfixed telephone service, much cheaper than those of Global System
\nfor Mobile (GSM) phone operators.<\/p>\n
Cellular services, both using CDMA or GSM technology, are seen
\nas answers to the prevailing problem of limited access to fixed-
\nline telephone connection in the country.<\/p>\n
At present, only about 8.5 million people -- less than 4
\npercent of the 220 million population -- have access to fixed-
\nline phones, while about 30 million people subscribe to the
\nexisting mobile phone services provided by GSM operators alone.<\/p>\n
Earlier, Mobile-8 Telecom announced that the company targeted
\none million new subscribers this year in addition to the existing
\n500,000.<\/p>\n
Although LG is still a "smaller" player in the country's
\nhandset market today, it is one of the leading players in the
\nworld market.<\/p>\n
In the global market last year, LG Electronics sold up to 44
\nmillion handsets (more than 70 percent were CDMA handsets),
\namounting to total sales of 8.35 trillion won (US$8.08 billion)
\nor up 61.1 percent from the previous year.<\/p>\n
LG Electronics expects to maintain its No. 1 CDMA handset
\nsales ranking in the North American region by establishing
\nadditional businesses with operators.<\/p>\n
In 2005, overall handset sales are expected to grow by 40
\npercent to 62 million units, mostly CDMA.<\/p>",
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