Mobisel offers shares to foreign investors<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Private analog cellular operator PT Mobile
\nSelular Indonesia (Mobisel) plans to sell between 10 percent and
\n20 percent of its shares to foreign investors.<\/p>\n
Company vice president for marketing and sales, Dario
\nFasciano, said six companies had expressed interest in taking
\npart in the private placement.<\/p>\n
\"There are already six companies bidding for the
\nopportunities. We expect to complete the process by the first
\nquarter in 1998,\" he told The Jakarta Post Wednesday.<\/p>\n
But he refused to name the potential bidders and the expected
\nvalue of the private placement.<\/p>\n
\"They are from European nations,\" he said, adding the sale of
\nthe shares was aimed at improving the company's financial
\nstrength.<\/p>\n
Mobisel operates Orbit, an analog mobile cellular
\ntelecommunications unit using the Nordic mobile telephone (NMT-
\n450i) system.<\/p>\n
Fasciano said 29,000 people subscribed to Orbit, 85 percent of
\nwho live in the greater Jakarta area.<\/p>\n
\"We expect to have 80,000 users by the end of this year. Orbit
\ncoverage now includes Lampung in Sumatra and Lombok in West Nusa
\nTenggara through the northern route in Java and Bali.\"<\/p>\n
He said Orbit had installed 100 radio base stations (RBS) to
\nsupport its network and would increase stations continuously.<\/p>\n
Mobisel, incorporated in February 1996, is 70 percent owned by
\nPT Rajasa Hazanah Perkasa, 25 percent by state-owned PT Telkom
\nand 5 percent by Telkom's employee pension fund. Rajasa, a firm
\nowned by businessman Hutomo (Tommy) Mandala Putra, previously
\noperated the NMT-450, the first generation of the NMT-450i
\nsystem.<\/p>\n
\"Orbit will just be a service of Mobisel as we plan to offer
\nother telecommunications services in the future. Some of the
\nservices will be based on cellular technology,\" he said, adding
\nthat his company also planned to operate digital cellular
\nservices.<\/p>\n
The NMT-450i cellular technology service was developed in
\nEurope. The system is suited to countries with a similar
\ngeography to Indonesia because its signal band offers wider
\ngeographic coverage at a substantially lower cost than other
\ncellular technology.<\/p>\n
Indonesia has licensed three nationwide mobile cellular
\ntelecommunications operators to use the global system for mobile
\ncommunications (GSM) technology. They are PT Satelindo, PT
\nTelkomsel and PT Excelcomindo. It has also licensed three
\ncellular operators, PT Metrosel, PT Telesera and PT Komselindo,
\nto cover several provinces with the advanced mobile phone system
\n(AMPS), which can be upgraded to a code division multiple access
\n(CDMA) system.<\/p>\n
The government has issued other licenses to several companies
\nto run DCS-1800 and PHS systems locally and nationwide in the
\nnear future. (icn)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/mobisel-offers-shares-to-foreign-investors-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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