Telkomsel starts GSM expansion in N. Sumatra<\/p>\n
By I. Christianto<\/p>\n
MEDAN, North Sumatra (JP): PT Telkomsel, a cellular mobile
\ntelephone operator, has embarked on its program here to expand
\nits operations nationwide.<\/p>\n
Telkomsel, 51 percent owned by PT Telkom and 49 percent by PT
\nIndosat, was officially incorporated last May after it was
\nappointed last year as an operator of the global system for
\nmobile communications (GSM) cellular telephones.<\/p>\n
Tekomsel, set up with an authorized capital of Rp 650 billion
\n(US$288 million), has been operating the country's first GSM
\nproject on Batam and Bintan islands near Singapore, which was
\nestablished in 1992 by Telkom.<\/p>\n
Telkomsel's business here was officially launched yesterday by
\nMinister of Tourism, Post and Telecommunications Joop Ave in a
\nceremony attended by Telkomsel's chief commissioner Rahardi
\nRamelan and North Sumatra Governor Raja Inal Siregar.<\/p>\n
Garuda Sugardo, the company's operation director, said that by
\nthe end of this year, Telkomsel will expand its operations to
\nother big cities, including Padang in West Sumatra, Bandar
\nLampung in Lampung, Palembang in South Sumatra, Bandung and
\nCirebon in West Java, Semarang in Central Java, Surabaya in East
\nJava, Bali and Lombok in West Nusa Tenggara.<\/p>\n
He said his company had prepared an investment of some Rp 200
\nbillion for the expansion projects.<\/p>\n
Telkomsel installed one switching center, 13 base transceiver
\nstations (BTS) with an investment of some Rp 21 billion in Medan
\nand its surrounding areas-- Tuntungan, Parapat, Belawan, Pulau
\nBrayan, Tanjung Mulia, Tebing Tinggi, Binjai and Suka Ramai.<\/p>\n
The company has so far listed some 2,300 GSM subscribers here
\nsince the facility was introduced just a couple of months ago.<\/p>\n
In a series of expansions starting on Aug. 17, according to
\nGaruda, his company planned to install 12 BTS in the Bali-Lombok
\narea, 22 in West Java, 30 in East Java and 100 in Jakarta.<\/p>\n
\"We have also signed international roaming agreements with GSM
\noperators in seven European countries, including the Netherlands,
\nSweden, Denmark, Finland, Swiss, Norway and Luxembourg, which
\nwill allow Telkomsel's subscribers to make calls to as well as
\nreceive calls from the countries,\" Garuda said yesterday.<\/p>\n
He added that roaming agreements will also be completed with
\nother operators from Germany, Italy and several Asian countries
\nin the near future.<\/p>\n
Telkomsel's expansion has caused more competition for PT
\nSatelindo, the other GSM operator in Indonesia.<\/p>\n
Satelindo, which has controlled the GSM market since
\nSeptember 1993 in the greater Jakarta area and in some areas in
\nWest Java, announced on Wednesday its expansion in Surabaya.<\/p>\n
Telkomsel, however, has tried to attract more customers by
\nallowing their subscribers to choose their own handsets sold by
\nagents or other distributors.<\/p>\n
Satelindo currently offers integrated GSM services, comprised
\nof a handset and the subscriber's identity module card. The
\ncompany offers six brands -- Nokia, Ericsson, Phillips, Alcatel,
\nMotorola and Siemens.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Telkomsel offers 11 brands, but subscribers are
\nfree to choose from 40 other brands.<\/p>\n
\"As the government regulates telephone charges, the
\ncompetition lies only in the quality of services and handset
\nprices,\" Garuda said.<\/p>\n
Telkomsel's distributor in Medan, PT Bahagia Pratama, which is
\nalso a distributor for Satelindo in Jakarta, sells GSM telephones
\nhere at a cheaper price than in Jakarta.(icn)<\/p>",
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