Government may review 3-digit phone numbers

Government may review 3-digit phone numbers

JAKARTA (JP): A number of radio paging operators may lose
their licenses on the use of three-digit telephone numbers as the
government will review the facility which was provided by the
domestic telecommunications operator PT Telkom.

"It's Telkom which provided the three-digit phone numbers to
certain companies. But starting this year, based on a regulation
called fundamental technical plan, effected early this year, it's
only the Directorate General of Post and Telecommunications which
is authorized to do so," Secretary-General of the Ministry of
Tourism, Post and Telecommunications Jonathan L. Parapak told
reporters yesterday.

He acknowledged that a number of radio paging operators in
Jakarta are adopting three-digit telephone numbers, while the
other operators are not.

"Such a condition will cause unfair competition," he said.

There are currently more than 70 radio paging operators in
Indonesia, half of which are located in Jakarta. Of the total
operators in Jakarta, three have the facility of having three-
digit telephone numbers, including PT SkyTelindo (131), PT
Motorollain Corporation (135) and PT Santika Wira Yuda (138). The
other operators have regular telephone numbers which are
generally seven digits.

"It's better if the radio paging operators use normal numbers
but easy to remember ones," he said.

Meanwhile, Director General of Post and Telecommunications
Djakaria Purawidjaja said that such an issue should be viewed
carefully.

He said that the three-digit telephone numberings should
actually be applied to important services such as emergency unit,
police stations, fire brigades and other major social facilities.

He said that the Jakarta police station's telephone number was
even changed from 110 to 5250110 in the 1980s.

"So, there are two possibilities after the government reviews
the three-digit telephone numberings, whether the existing three-
digit telephone numbers will be changed or maintained," Djakaria
said.

The state-owned international telecommunications operator PT
Indosat has three services with three-digit telephone numbers,
being 101, 104 and 001, while PT Satelindo applies 008. Other
existing three-digit phone numbers operated by Telkom include 163
(for AIDS information), 108, 106, 102 (telephone information),
100 (long distance call operator), 109, 162, 178 (service
information) and 103 (local time). (icn)