CDMA is coming, but keep your GSM handset

A couple of years ago, an article in this paper said that Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) cell phone technology was about to make inroads into Indonesia. Immediately, an expatriate living in Bandung lashed out at the author of the article in the Letters to the Editor column.

Being apparently a consultant in the telecommunications industry, he said that the article was incorrect, that there was no way CDMA would have any market in Indonesia.

"Just because a technology is sexy, it does not mean that people will use it," was more or less what he said. And that was the least aggressive portion of his letter. The rest of it did not convey any friendliness at all. Incidentally, the author of the article under attack happened to be me.

It was disconcerting, as I had actually been an admirer of his writing. He had been a regular letter writer and he had written a lot of great letters. I chose not to respond to his attack, as its tone was so bullying. Soon afterward, he wrote a parting letter as he was leaving Indonesia. In it he specifically wrote, "Never write about access method if you do not know what you are talking about. You have been warned."

This expatriate might have had his own reasons for being a bully. We all know that engineers trained in one technology usually feel intimidated when a new and different technology comes along threatening to replace the one they are familiar with. Or maybe he was trying to use my article as a stepping- stone for marketing his professional skills. Whatever it was, once again I ignored him.

However, these days I would really like to know what he thinks now that we are seeing CDMA-based services becoming available in various parts of Indonesia.

If you visit one of the many malls in Jakarta, chances are you will bump into one of those TelkomFlexi booths where you can buy a handset and register for the TelkomFlexi wireless service.

Although I hardly have a high opinion of the state-owned company, the introduction of TelkomFlexi is nevertheless good news. It is based on the third generation of CDMA cellular technology, which is called CDMA2000 1X.

The TelkomFlexi service has caused a lot of uproar among GSM operators -- not because of the technology but because of the fact that TelkomFlexi subscribers can make calls from anywhere within the same area code with local wireline call rates. So, for example, if you and the fixed wireline number you are calling belong to the 021 area code, you will only have to pay about Rp 200 per minute -- much cheaper than the cost of a GSM call.

The question is whether we should get TelkomFlexi now or wait a little longer. First, be reminded that the service coverage is not as good as its GSM competitors. Last week I bought a Nokia 3586 and subscribed to TelkomFlexi, hoping that I could use it at home to replace my multiplexed wireline phone. I was disappointed, as the signal was still weak in my area.

If you are going to use the service where coverage is already better, just be careful when buying a handset. They are still rather limited in supply, and it has been reported in the media that used or refurbished handsets from South Korea have been brought into this country to fill the void. South Korea was the first country where the 3G CDMA2000 was rolled out successfully.

At least until Telkom gives you a surprise by raising its rates, you may continue to save some money by using TelkomFlexi to make local calls. However, do not throw away your GSM cell phone just yet.

-- Zatni Arbi