Govt warns paging firms from over coverage

JAKARTA (JP): The government is threatening to revoke the licenses of radio paging companies which violate the limits of their areas of operations.

Director General of Post and Telecommunications Djakaria Purawidjaja told reporters after opening a meeting with executives of radio paging companies here yesterday that certain companies have operated simulcasts with a power capacity greater than their licenses allows.

The government rules that local paging firms are allowed to use simulcasts with a maximum power capacity of covering a radius of 40 kilometers.

There are currently 39 companies running local radio paging services, 27 of which are cooperating with the state-owned domestic telecommunications monopoly PT Telekomunikasi Indonesia (Telkom). There are also four companies operating nationwide radio paging services.

Djakaria said the government will only allow five operators to serve national radio paging.

He also said the government will allow a paging company with international services.

"But so far no single company has applied for international services," he said.

An executive of PT Telematrixindo said that his company, which operates national radio paging EasyCall, plans to expand its services to Hong Kong, Thailand, Malaysia and Poland. (icn)