Company introduces GSM telephone rental
Company introduces GSM telephone rental
JAKARTA (JP): The rapid development of digital cellular mobile
telecommunications in Indonesia has created a new business
opportunity -- telephone rental service.
A private company, PT Dipa Prabu Viriya, has introduced a
rental service under the brand name of Phone Rent, which allows
people to use the global system for mobile communications (GSM)
telephones by paying daily or monthly fees.
"We started the business early this month with only 30
handsets. During the first month of operation we listed about 40
customers," the company's technical advisor, Arnaud Brandt, told
The Jakarta Post yesterday.
He said that the service will focus on expatriates and
visitors as customers.
Rental fees range between US$15 and $37.50 per day and between
$165 and $450 per month, depending on the length of the rental
periods. Customers are required to have credit cards and to put
an advanced deposit of $1,000.
When returning the handsets, customers will get their $1,000
deposits back and will have to pay monthly or daily fees, while
their calling fees will be charged after their figures are
calculated by the GSM operators.
Brandt said that Phone Rent is a branch of an international
company based in the Netherlands.
"The Phone Rent started in the Netherlands three years ago. In
addition to Indonesia, the business has now reached Singapore,
Hong Kong and Beijing. We will expand in Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok
and Taipei next year," he said.
In Indonesia, after launching the business in Jakarta and
Bandung in West Java, Phone Rent expects to expand its business
to Bali, Surabaya in East Java and Medan in North Sumatra in
1996, he said.
Satelindo
According to Brandt, Phone Rent currently cooperates with PT
Satelindo, one of the country's three GSM operators.
Cooperation will also be established with other operators,
depending on the areas of operations, he said.
Satelindo now operates in Jakarta and is preparing to expand
to West and East Java. Meanwhile, PT Telkomsel, which started its
business in Sumatra, expects to enter Jakarta next year after
expanding in West Nusa Tenggara, and East and West Jakarta.
The two operators plan to enter Central Java in December.
In a related development, Satelindo's spokesman, Eddy Thoyib,
said here yesterday that the company is activating a total of 70
additional base transceiver stations in the greater Jakarta area
this month and in December.
He said that 21 stations had been installed in Pamulang,
Menteng, Dukuh Atas, Cempaka, Citra Raya, Tiga Raksa, Kemang
Pratama, Parung and Cibubur, all of which are in Jakarta.
Other stations to be activated in December are located in
Jatiuwung, Cilandak Timur, Kosambi, Duren Sawit, Cipinang,
Ciledug, Tebet, Jembatan Besi, Pasar Rebo, Sawangan, Cakung and
Gunung Putri, also all in Jakarta, he said.
According to Eddy, Satelindo already has international roaming
services for Singapore, Hong Kong, Australia and Germany.
Satelindo currently lists some 80,000 subscribers in Jakarta,
and West and East Java, while Telkomsel has some 16,000
subscribers in Riau, North and West Sumatra, East and West Java,
Bali and West Nusa Tenggara. (icn)