Only consortia allowed to run cellular telephones<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The government will license only consortia
\ncomprising of several corporations rather than single companies
\nto provide the new generation of digital mobile cellular
\ntelecommunications in Indonesia.<\/p>\n
Minister of Tourism, Post and Telecommunications Joop Ave told
\na press conference here yesterday that both new players and the
\nexisting private telecommunications operators will have the same
\nopportunities in the tenders for cellular telecommunications,
\nwhich he guaranteed will be held transparently.<\/p>\n
"There are already 92 applications sent to my office and it's
\ntrue that some of the bidders are backed by 'high-level' names."<\/p>\n
"This morning I found two more proposals on my table, but I
\ndon't have any idea about the correct number of the bidders as I
\nhave not received any reports from my staff," he said.<\/p>\n
Several media reported last week that there have been at least
\n120 companies already submitting applications for the
\ngovernment's licenses to provide the new generation of the
\ndigital mobile cellular telecommunications called Personal
\nCommunication Network (PCN) and the Personal Handy-phone Service
\n(PHS) services in the country.<\/p>\n
"In Japan, the country which develops PHS, there are currently
\nthree operating providers of the system. Each of them comprises
\nof about 20 or 30 parties. In South Korea a PHS operator even
\ncomprises of 80 parties," Joop said.<\/p>\n
Businessmen and telecommunications executives expect the
\ngovernment to open the tenders for such businesses later this
\nyear. But Joop said that the tenders will be held next year as
\nthere were still several matters to be discussed.<\/p>\n
He also indicated yesterday that the PHS and the Digital
\nCordless System (DCS-1800), the upgraded system of the Global
\nSystem for Mobile communications which is developed in Europe,
\nare the systems most likely to be adopted by the government in
\nthe personal telecommunications network system.<\/p>\n
"The government has licensed PT Celnet Nusantara and the
\nAssociation of Retired Military Officers (Pepabri) to conduct a
\nDCS-1800 pilot project in Jakarta and PT Inti and the Foundation
\nof Military Headquarters (Yamabri) to conduct a PHS pilot project
\nin Surabaya, East Java," he said.<\/p>\n
PT Celnet is a private firm owned by tycoon Sudwikatmono, a
\nfoster brother of President Soeharto, and Siti Hutami Endang
\nAdiningsih Soeharto, one of the President's daughters. Inti is a
\nstate-owned telecommunications equipment manufacturer supervised
\nby the Agency for the Management of Strategic Industries, which
\nis chaired by State Minister of Research and Technology B.J.
\nHabibie.<\/p>\n
Joop said the pilot projects were handled in cooperation with
\nstate-owned domestic telecommunications provider PT Telkom and
\nwill last by the end of this year.<\/p>\n
Secretary-general of the Ministry of Tourism, Post and
\nTelecommunications Jonathan L. Parapak said that based on the
\ncountry's telecommunications law, any PCN\/PHS providers will be
\nrequired to work with Telkom because the systems are categorized
\nas basic domestic telecommunications services which must be run
\njointly with a state-owned firm.<\/p>\n
PCN is the next generation of the digital wireless telephone
\nsystem that uses light, inexpensive handsets with long-life
\nbatteries to communicate via low-powered antenna. The system work
\nin the frequency at between 1.8 gigahertz and 1.9 Ghz.<\/p>\n
In addition to DCS-1800 and PHS, there are other systems,
\nincluding the Personal Communications System (PCS-1.900) and the
\nCode Division Multiple Access technology from the United States.
\n(icn)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/only-consortia-allowed-to-run-cellular-telephones-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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