Only five Internet providers licensed

Only five Internet providers licensed

JAKARTA (JP): More than 20 Internet providers currently
operate in the country but only five of them have received
licenses from the government, a senior official said yesterday.

Secretary-general of the Ministry of Tourism, Post and
Telecommunications Jonathan L. Parapak said that any firms
intending to provide Internet services to the public are required
to fulfill several conditions.

A private firm is usually awarded a preliminary license to
prepare the installation of equipment for Internet services,
which the government will evaluate after a six-month period.

Parapak said that the preliminary license can be upgraded into
a permanent license to allow the firm to continue its operations.

"Or, the government will cancel the preliminary licenses if
the providers are considered inadequate," Parapak said after
signing a deal on the hand-over of shares from PT Promindo Global
Internet to the Foundation of Indonesian Technology Education.

The government allows only small-scale firms operated by young
professionals to provide Internet services.

"Conglomerates don't have any chance of entering the Internet
service business," Parapak said.

Commercial use of the Internet in Indonesia was introduced in
September 1994. There are currently more than 20 Internet
providers in the country. Among those with operational licenses
are Promindo Global (Proweb), PT Cyberindo Aditama (CBNet), PT
Rajasa Media (Radnet) and PT Pos Indonesia (Wasantaranet).

Promindo's president, Randy P. Panggabean, said that his
company handed over yesterday 5 percent of its shares worth of Rp
85 million (US$36,387) to the Foundation of Indonesian Technology
Education.

The foundation, which is chaired by Parapak, grants various
scholarships to Indonesian youths to undertake non-degree,
bachelor, master's and doctoral studies in telecommunications and
technology. The foundation plans to give scholarships to 2,000
Indonesian students by 2000. (icn)