Excelcomido installs 17-km microcell network

Excelcomido installs 17-km microcell network

JAKARTA (JP): Private global system for mobile communications
(GSM) operator PT Excelcomindo Pratama has installed a 17-
kilometer microcell network in the capital's golden triangle area
to improve its coverage in the city's most active business
district.

Rudiantara, an Excelcomindo executive, said here yesterday the
project was the largest microcell network ever installed by any
cellular operator.

"This is the first time 27 microcells have been installed in a
continuous network," he said, adding the service had started
after a trial operation in July.

He said the US$5 million project was necessary to improve
Excelcomindo's coverage in the golden triangle, the capital's
major business district frequently affected by traffic jams.

Rudiantara said his company was supplied by Ericsson to
install the microcell network. "Ericsson is the most popular in
the network system."

Danny Buldansyah, also an Excelcomindo executive, said the
microcells were installed within the golden triangle area which
spans from the Hotel Indonesia circle on Jl. Thamrin to Jl.
Sudirman, Jl. Senopati and Jl. Tendean.

"It's natural people make more calls when they are trapped in
traffic jams during peak hours. The microcell network avoids
uncompleted calls."

He said that one microcell was installed within a 500 meter to
one kilometer range.

"With the microcell network, channel capacity in the golden
triangle will be three to four times stronger," he said.

Excelcomindo, which serves 107,000 customers, will expand its
service to other areas in Indonesia as part of its plan to go
nationwide.

Excelcomindo, which goes by the GSM-XL brand, is one of three
operators of the global system for mobile communications (GSM) in
Indonesia.

Matt Olsson of Ericsson said Excelcomindo's microcell network
was the longest seamless project.

"We did similar projects in other countries like in Singapore,
but this is the longest one installed in the business district."

Ericsson's executive Stefan Funke said the GSM network
consists of a Mobile Switching Center and Base Station Controller
(BSC). BSC is supported by three kinds of Base Transceiver
Stations known as the macrocell, microcell and picocell. (icn)