New service to pamper prepaid simPATI cards

JAKARTA (JP): The extraordinary expansion of Internet-enabled cellular telephone facilities owes much to factors peculiar to humankind, making consumers receptive to a handset-based online experience.

To some extent, cellular phone users in Indonesia are already able to browse and surf the Internet with their palm or pocket- sized communication sets.

In a related step, PT Telkomsel, one of the country's three operators of the Global System for Mobile (GSM) communications service, will introduce another innovative feature that will allow users of simPATI prepaid cards to refill their cards electronically via the Internet.

The new facility, being prepared by Telkomsel in collaboration with Interactive Mall2000 and CommerceNet, is expected to be available in May. It will be accessible via www.telkomsel.com or www.i-mall2000.com, where simPATI users can complete transactions with their Visa or Master cards.

This is another attempt to pamper simPATI subscribers. Prepaid card users are the rising stars for cellular providers, as their numbers continue to increase dramatically. Telkomsel estimates that prepaid products appeal more to customers with their subscription-free and flexible pulse usage.

The new service over the Internet will indeed be easy. After completing the registration and transaction at either the Telkomsel or Interactive Mall2000 website, customers will get a kind of bill called a "smart receipt".

Do not be surprised by the fact that there will be no voucher. Yes, it is a wireless and paperless world. Instead of getting a 14-digit code which must be entered into the handset, the amount of purchased credits will automatically be credited to customers' cellular phones.

This new service, prepared by Telkomsel and supported by Interactive Mall2000 and CommerceNet, is being introduced to anticipate the proliferation of e-commerce in every type of business transaction.

This system, which may well serve as a model for e-commerce, is said to be the first of its kind in Southeast Asia.

Telkomsel currently has 1.1 million subscribers, 600,000 of whom are simPATI users.

Sianny Gunawan of Interactive Mall2000 expects that some 10 percent of simPATI users will use this new service when it becomes available.

This feature, just like other Internet-based services, greatly relies on other factors, namely telephone lines, computer literacy and Internet density. Security is also another important aspect of this type of service.

Fixed-telephone lines in Indonesia total 6.08 million, or only three lines for every 100 people nationwide. There are some 2.2 million cellular phone users in Indonesia.

Internet subscribers total 210,000, and there were one million Internet users by the end of 1999. These figures are projected to reach 390,000 and 1.4 million by the end of this year, and 500,000 subscribers with two million users in 2001.

There are some 50 Internet service providers covering some 100 cities in 26 provinces across the nation. Meanwhile, the PC population was three million by last year.

With multimedia infrastructure projects planned in several large cities in Indonesia, the number of Internet users is expected to increase significantly, therefore Internet-based services can also expect a brighter future.

Hopefully, users will enjoy this cyber-simPATI purchasing service. In the meantime, Telkomsel, as well as other cellular operators, will continue to offer customers new and innovative services. (I. Christianto)