Excelcomindo Pratama expands to Lombok

Excelcomindo Pratama expands to Lombok

JAKARTA (JP): Private cellular operator PT Excelcomindo
Pratama, which runs the GSM-XL cellular service, has expanded its
service to Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara, by installing nine base
transceiver stations (BTS) on the island.

Company director of sales and customer service F.X. Hadi
Tjokrosusilo said yesterday that Lombok was now the fifth
province in the country served by GSM-XL after Jakarta, East
Java, West Java and Central Java.

"We plan to enter Medan in North Sumatra early next year," he
said.

He said that Excelcomindo's BTSs in Lombok had been installed
in Mataram, Senggigi, Ampenan, Kediri, Nyerot, Praya, Bukit Muluk
and Bukit Bantar.

Excelcomindo, which currently operates 330 BTSs serving some
140,000 customers, is the youngest of Indonesia's three global
system for mobile communication (GSM) operators. The other two
are PT Telkomsel and PT Satelindo.

Excelcomindo has inked overseas roaming service agreements
with 45 overseas GSM operators, allowing GSM-XL subscribers to
use their cellular phones in 30 countries, including Australia,
Britain, Hong Kong, Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan,
Singapore and several European countries.

The company has also signed roaming agreements with Mutiara
Telecommunications of Malaysia and Singapore Telecommunications
of Singapore, which will allow GSM-XL customers to use the
Digital Cordless System.

Excelcomindo has also made an agreement with Pacific Iridium
of Taiwan which will operate Iridium, a global satellite-based
cellular system. (icn)