PT Telekomindo upgrades networks

PT Telekomindo upgrades networks

JAKARTA (JP): PT Telekomindo Prima Bhakti, an Advanced Mobile
Phone System (AMPS) analog cellular telephone operator, plans to
improve its service by upgrading its networks into the Code
Division Multiple Access (CDMA) technology.

"We will select by the end of this year a suppliers out of
three companies participating in the CDMA tender," Telekomindo's
vice president Peter Djatmiko said here over the weekend.

He said that the three companies included Celcore, Motorola
and Lucent, all of the United States.

Besides Telekomindo, a subsidiary of the Rajawali group which
is controlled by Peter Sondakh, there are two other AMPS
operators in Indonesia; PT Metrosel and PT Komselindo.

Komselindo will also later this year choose a CDMA supplier
out of Samsung of South Korea, Lucent and Motorola.

CDMA, already approved by the government to be applied in
Indonesia, is originally developed in the U.S. The system is
being adopted around the world as the wireless industry standard
to deliver digital cellular and personal communications services.

Peter said that Telekomindo's the project of CDMA, to offer
economical, clear and secure wireless communications, will cost
about US$50 million.

Peter said that Telekomindo, currently has some 8,000 AMPS
users, in Bali, Kalimantan and southern Sumatra, expects to run
CDMA in late 1997. (icn)