Beeper operators find new users elusive

Beeper operators find new users elusive

JAKARTA (JP): Radio paging operators face various challenges
to increase the number of subscribers due to the inferior image
of beepers and poorly maintained pay phones, according to
telecommunications executives.

President of PT Raya Pertiwi Semesta which operates Multipage
beeper, Muljo Rahardjo, and president of PT Skytelindo Service
which runs SkyTel beeper, F.X. Hadi Tjokrosoesilo, said it would
be hard for beeper operators to reach three million radio paging
users within the Sixth Five-Year Development Plan which will end
in March 1999.

Minister of tourism, post and telecommunications announced in
1995 a new target of three million radio paging subscribers,
three times the previously set target of one million during the
period.

The minister said beeper operators could focus on expanding
subscriptions by penetrating the segments of students, police
officers, farmers, journalists and other potential users.

Hadi said there were now some 750,000 pager subscribers in the
country.

"It's hard to get new users as the public considers beepers
less fashionable than the expansive mobile telephone industry,"
Muljo said.

He said beepers were also less competitive as the equipment is
only a one-way telecommunications tool.

"Beeper users must find a telephone or pay phone to make a
call if they are beeped. In the meantime, we understand there are
inadequate pay phones in the country."

Pay phone maintenance is also poor, meaning some of them do
not function when needed, he added.

According to Muljo and Hadi, innovative services are necessary
for operators to lure customers.

Raya Pertiwi Semesta, owned by PT Lyman Investindo, a
subsidiary of Satya Djaya Raya group, and NTT International
Corporation of Japan, currently has some 40,000 users, Muljo
said.

He said Multipage offered various services, including
Jakarta's traffic information between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m. and again
between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m., as well as financial and general
information services to its subscribers.

Hadi said SkyTel served international roaming services to 22
nations all over the world, reachable to subscribers almost
anywhere.

Skytelindo is owned by PT Indokom Primanusa, Singapore
Telecommunications International and Mtel Corporate of the United
States. (icn)