Komselindo improving services

Komselindo improving services

JAKARTA (JP): PT Komunikasi Selular Indonesia (Komselindo), a
private cellular telecommunications operator, announced here
yesterday a free-of-charge administration service for its
subscribers.

The company's commerce director, Zen Smith, said that to
provide better services, his company, which uses the advanced
mobile phone service (AMPS) system, has abolished administration
fees because it needs valid data on its subscribers.

He said that subscribers who have bought second-hand
telephones can now re-register their phone numbers with their own
names for free.

Subscribers wishing to get the free administration service
should enclose copies of the last cellular phone bills, identity
cards and the bills for their fixed telephones or electricity, he
said.

The company previously charged an administration fee of Rp
200,000 (about US$88) for name and address registration.

Smith said that the demand for AMPS cellular phones in the key
Jakarta and West Java markets is still high, while the capacity
is still limited.

He admitted that due to the limited capacity and high demand,
many people are selling their AMPS telephones to others for a
profit.

It is also widely known that counterfeit AMPS telephones are
easily found in the city, even though the company has already
installed an automatic fraud system (AFS) to avoid the cloning of
cellular handsets.

City police officers recently confiscated 12 handphones and an
electronic serial reader which had been used to detect the serial
numbers of on-air handsets. A number of suspects have also been
questioned for duplicating cellular phones, using counterfeit
cellular terminals and stealing telephone pulses.

Komselindo currently has some 50,000 subscribers and expects
to increase the number to 90,000 in 1996. The company, whose
system can be applied in 19 cities, has allocated an investment
of Rp 90 billion ($39 million) for the expansion of its
operation, capacity and coverage. (icn)