Internet rental service taps into growing need

Internet rental service taps into growing need

By Tedy Novan

YOGYAKARTA (JP): The young woman gleefully tapped away on the
keyboard, her eyes dancing in unison to the developments on the
screen. "I've got another friend," Tarida shouted over her
shoulder to her colleague busy on an adjacent computer.

There is no shortage of customers at the eight public venues
for accessing the Internet in this thriving university city.
Cyber communication has opened up the business field of renting
communication services, as sparsely detailed information from the
print media has generated a need to obtain concrete facts from
the world of net sites.

The access venues vary in type, but they are all in demand
because they offer access to the net at relatively inexpensive
fees. The Cafe-net is so named because it is located in a
restaurant. There is also the Warnet or Warung Internet (Internet
rentals), whose name is a variation on the traditional Wartel or
Warung Telekomunikasi telecommunication centers.

The number of customers is growing daily, including at the
Pujayo Cafe-net, where Tarida is a regular.

Tarida says she caught Internet fever in November 1996. She
uses the Internet for correspondence with people and institutions
helpful for her medical studies at the School of Medicine of
Gadjah Mada University.

"When I have problems with my studies, I can ask other users
or institutes well informed about medical sciences," she said.

She also accesses Apa Kabar, a bulletin site primarily focused
on political issues, because it has information not found in the
general media. "The political information on the Internet can at
least add to our knowledge of the political world," said Tarida.

Erlangga, a student at Gadjah Mada's School of Law, is even
more fanatical. His family home boasts three Internet providers.
He visits the Cafe-net because he can better control the use of
the service, instead of sitting at home for hours at home and
running up the phone bill.

Although both students were initially interested in using the
Internet as a pastime, it has now become a daily necessity. They
are seemingly addicted to their daily log-on sessions.

Tarida puts a lot of money into the system. The native of
Irian Jaya spends at least four hours a day in front of the
computer and once spent Rp 300,000 (US$122) in a week.

"When I am broke, I usually borrow money from a friend," she
said. Tarida plans to install the system in her rented house
after Pacific Internet opens its network in Yogyakarta because
she says its access speed is higher than that of other providers.

The lure of the Internet has also captivated a newly graduated
military officer. "I look for information in a leisurely way,"
said the man, who wished to remain anonymous. In addition to
accessing information from armed forces institutes, he also scans
Apa Kabar to follow political developments. "A soldier is not
only concerned with arms, he also needs knowledge," he said.

These are the people who crowd the Warnet venues in
Yogyakarta. "On average, 35 customers use our services every
day," said Bayu Sulistyo, manager of Pujayo Cafe-net. The
enterprise started in September 1996 and is open daily from 8
a.m. to 10 p.m., with a per hour rental fee of Rp 6,000 ($2.4).
The use of the Internet averages 40 hours daily but once soared
to 60 hours. Sulistyo is convinced the investment of Rp 58
million ($23,673) will be returned in two and a half years.

Tawar Gunawan, director of Warnet Maga on Jl. Colombo,
Yogyakarta, said his business could yield a monthly net profit of
six to Rp 7 million. At least 500 customers use the Internet
facility there in a week. "I am optimistic we will regain our
investment in three years," he said.

Rates, services and requirements differ at each site. The
Cafe-net requires minimum use of 10 minutes, and a mail box
charge of Rp 5,000 a month. Warnet Maga is more expensive. Their
rate is Rp 7,500 for the first hour and Rp 6,000 additional
hourly use. The mail box charge is Rp 10,000 a month. "This
higher charge includes delivery of mail to the address of
customers," Gunawan said.

Warnet Maga is partitioned into cubicles for users. "We
emphasize privacy for Internet users," said Gunawan. They also
offer tea, coffee and softdrinks free of charge. A discount of 30
percent is given to customers using the facility for one hour.

Internet first came to Yogyakarta in mid 1995. Idola was the
first provider of the Internet, although at the time there was no
point-to-point protocol facility and users in Yogyakarta had to
contact the provider in Jakarta. The facility was installed in
the city one year later.

The three providers currently operating in Yogyakarta are
Wasantaranet of PT Pos dan Giro, Idola and Yogya Global Internet,
which is a branch of Indonet in Jakarta. These three providers
have a total of 1,238 customers.

Telecommunication network capacity has failed to keep up with
the growing use of the Internet in Yogyakarta. Users often
experience difficulty in accessing Internet although Warnet
centers use modems with a capacity of 28.8 kilobytes, against the
available telecommunication network of 14.4 kilobytes only.

This obstacle can be overcome if the telecommunication network
adopts the dedicated system which will be used by Pacific
Internet. This system can technically speed up the capacity to
access Internet. PT Telkom still uses the dial system for their
network.

These nuisances and the high costs of installing a net
provider in one's own home (including the telephone charges, use
of PC, and membership and monthly subscription fees) have not
stopped people's enthusiasm for the system.

The net access venues are tapping into this craving for
information by providing efficient and inexpensive services.
"It's so easy, you just come and play," said Wasantaranet manager
Sariyono.