PT Satelindo expands to Sumatra and Sulawesi

JAKARTA (JP): Private telecommunications operator PT Satelindo will launch its Global System for Mobile communication (GSM) cellular services tomorrow in Ujungpandang, South Sulawesi, Medan, North Sumatra and Palembang, South Sumatra.

The company's cellular director, Saleh Gunawan, said yesterday that Satelindo had spent Rp 30 billion (US$12.7 million) installing base transceiver stations (BTS) in 16 locations in Medan and eight locations each in Palembang and Ujungpandang.

He said that, besides Medan, coverage in North Sumatra included Padangbulan, Matsum, Berayan, Cinta Damai, Lubuk Pakam, Tebing Tinggi and Simarjarunjung.

Coverage in North Sulawesi included Kima, Mariso, Mandai, Sungguminasa and Maros, while networks in South Sumatra covered Bukitbunga, Seberang Ulu, Lapangan Golf, RRI Radio Station, Plaju and Indra Raya, he said.

"By early March Satelindo will operate its GSM service in the country's 27 provinces. By the end of this year, we will have installed 1,000 BTS," Saleh said after attending the opening of the company's sales and customer care center in Artha Graha building at the Sudirman Central Business District yesterday.

Satelindo, which competes with PT Telkomsel and PT Excelcomindo for subscribers to GSM, has about 200,000 subscribers. At least 600,000 people, who have a choice of three systems, have subscribed to cellular services in Indonesia.

Satelindo president Iwa Sewaka said his company had invested Rp 9 billion in the new 700-square-meter sales and customer care center on Jl. Sudirman.

"We want to be a customer driven company, so we prepared this place to provide better services," he said.

Corporate director of customer care Laurenn Cook said that Satelindo wanted to be the leader for customer service in Southeast Asia.

Satelindo -- which is owned by PT Bimagraha Telekomindo, DeTe Mobil of Germany, the state-owned PT Telkom and PT Indosat -- operates a GSM system, the Palapa-C satellite series and an international telecommunications services.

The company, which will celebrate its 4th birthday tomorrow, plans to float some of its shares by mid-1998. (icn)