Telkomsel set to attract customers from remote areas<\/p>\n
Leony Aurora, The Jakarta Post\/Jakarta<\/p>\n
Indonesia's biggest cellular operator, Telkomsel, plans to cover
\nevery district across the archipelago next year in a bid to
\nattract more customers, including those in the low-income bracket
\nand in remote areas.<\/p>\n
The company had expanded into in every one of Indonesia's 352
\nregencies and municipalities, president director Bajoe Narbito
\nsaid recently.<\/p>\n
\"By the end of this year we will have covered 48 percent of
\nall districts (in the country),\" he said. \"Next year we will
\ncover the rest -- anywhere where there are people,\" he added.<\/p>\n
There are about 5,054 districts in Indonesia.<\/p>\n
The company previously announced that it would invest some Rp
\n6 trillion (US$661.89 million) in 2005, up from Rp 5 trillion
\nthis year. Most of the investment will be spent on
\ninfrastructure.<\/p>\n
The move into the more remote areas of the country is aimed at
\nboosting customers of Telkomsel's pre-paid services -- Simpati
\nand Kartu As.<\/p>\n
\"Pre-paid customers are easily lured away by new, more
\nattractive packages,\" said Bajoe.<\/p>\n
Cellular operators are in intense competition nowadays to
\nattract customers from low-income families, who have not been
\noptimally tapped in the past. Excelcomindo a few months back
\nlaunched Jempol, claimed to be the cheapest of its kind.<\/p>\n
Short messaging services between Jempol users cost only Rp 99,
\nand customers can add pulses with as little as Rp 5,000 in their
\npockets.<\/p>\n
As of October this year, Telkomsel had 14.5 million customers,
\nabout 50 percent of the total market share. Its pre-paid cards
\nSimpati and Kartu As have 10.8 million and 2.4 million numbers,
\nrespectively, in circulation, while the post-paid card Kartu Halo
\nhas only 1.3 million customers.<\/p>\n
For post-paid card users, Telkomsel plans to offer better
\nservices abroad through a joint venture called the Bridge Mobile
\nAlliance, formed with six other top operators in Asia Pacific.<\/p>\n
Officially inaugurated last week, Bridge's members include
\nBharti from India, Globe Telecom (the Philippines), Maxis
\n(Malaysia), Optus Mobile (Australia), SingTel (Singapore), Taiwan
\nCellular Corporation (Taiwan) and Telkomsel, with a total number
\nof customers reaching 50 million.<\/p>\n
\"Our customers will be able to walk into any service shop of
\nmembers of Bridge abroad and buy pulses,\" said Bajoe. At present,
\npre-paid card users abroad rely on their families and friends
\nback home to add pulses to their accounts when necessary.<\/p>\n
Telkomsel customers in the future will also be able to contact
\nits customer service in Bridge member countries using the same
\nnumber as in Indonesia. Kartu Halo users, for example, will be
\nable to contact 111 even in India to get their queries answered
\n-- but not free of charge.<\/p>\n
The services are expected to be ready by the second quarter of
\nnext year.<\/p>\n
\"Bridge will start operating on Jan. 1, 2005. The first three
\nmonths will be used to set up the operation and standardize the
\ntechnology used by each operator to be compatible with one
\nanother,\" said Telkomsel international service manager Rahmat
\nBudiyanto.<\/p>\n
Each of the seven operators have deposited US$1 million to a
\ntotal of $7 million as initial capital for the venture. Every
\noperator holds an equal share of 14.28 percent.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/telkomsel-set-to-attract-customers-from-remote-areas-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}