Telkomsel expects 3G license soon<\/p>\n
Tony Hotland, The Jakarta Post\/Jakarta<\/p>\n
PT Telekomunikasi Seluler (Telkomsel) expects to obtain a
\nfrequency license to run third-generation technology-based radio
\nnetwork before the end of the year to capitalize on the growing
\ndemand for cellular services offered by the technology.<\/p>\n
Telkomsel's general manager of technology and strategic
\nnetwork Yoseph Garo said on Wednesday that the country's largest
\ncellular operator had already requested for the 3G license from
\nthe government.<\/p>\n
\"We submitted our proposal to the government some time this
\nyear and we're now just waiting for the approval. Actually, we've
\nprepared most of the basic infrastructure required to operate
\nthis technology,\" said Yoseph.<\/p>\n
He added that once the license was granted, Telkomsel would
\npurchase the main element to run third-generation (3G) services
\n-- a sort of antenna called the node B -- and would be ready to
\nstart providing the services within a period of six months after
\nthe license endowment.<\/p>\n
\"We principally only have to add the node B and several
\nsoftwares on the base transceiver stations (BTS), or, we could
\nbuild stations that support 3G,\" said Yoseph. Telkomsel has
\napproximately 60,000 stations across the country.<\/p>\n
According to Merza Fachys from PT Siemens Indonesia, one node
\nB antenna costs between US$60,000 to $200,000.<\/p>\n
However, Telkomsel, which is majority owned by publicly listed
\ntelecommunications firm PT Telkom, would install the antennas on
\nspecific locations based on an identification of demand and need
\nfor the relatively new technology here.<\/p>\n
\"For the voice service, we'll provide it nationwide. But for
\nthe data service, we'll divide into categories based on the
\nvolume capacity. The more capacity, the more specific the
\nlocation is,\" said Yoseph.<\/p>\n
The 3G technology, which is used for the Wideband-Code
\nDivision Multiple Access (W-CDMA) radio network, is a far more
\nadvanced level of the second-generation (2G) technology used in
\nthe Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) network.<\/p>\n
It offers substantially enhanced capacity, quality and data
\nrates above those currently available with 2G.<\/p>\n
This means that new and more demanding services, such as video
\nstreaming and video conferencing through cellular phones, are
\nreal and the concurrent use of multiple services is supported.<\/p>\n
Current cellular phone owners will have to change their
\nterminals if they wish to use services offered by 3G.<\/p>\n
The technology is not really new for many countries, including
\nthose in the Asia region like Japan and South Korea, which have
\nrun the 3G services since the past few years.<\/p>\n
It has received quite warm welcome upon introduction there,
\nalthough it has yet to match the popularity of even the newest
\ntechnologies -- the General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) and the
\nEnhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution (EDGE).<\/p>\n
There are two domestic cellular operators which have been
\ngranted with the license. They are PT Cyber Access Communications
\nin October 2003 and recently granted PT Natrindo Telepon
\nSeluler\/Lippo Telecom. However, none of them have yet operated
\nthe technology.<\/p>\n
\"I don't know, perhaps the government has other considerations
\nin determining who gets it first. But I think it's because they
\n(the two companies) had proposed before we did,\" Yoseph said when
\nasked why Telkomsel had not been given the license.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/telkomsel-expects-3g-license-soon-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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