PT Telkom to run multimedia trial operation
PT Telkom to run multimedia trial operation
JAKARTA (JP): State telecommunications carrier PT Telkom will
launch the trial operation of its multimedia services later this
year before operating the facility commercially in 1998, an
executive said yesterday.
Telkom's greater Jakarta general manager Guntur Siregar said
during a breaking of the fast gathering at the Ministry of
Tourism, Post and Telecommunications Monday that the trial
operation would focus on Central Jakarta.
"With only three telecommunications hubs, in Cikini, Gambir
and Cempaka Putih, Central Jakarta is less complicated compared
with other areas in the city," he said.
"Meanwhile, Telkom has replaced its copper cable networks in
Central Jakarta with fiber optic trunks," he said.
By the end of the year Telkom will have laid a 30,000 line
fiber optic network in Central Jakarta, the company announced
recently.
Siregar said the fiber optic network would enable Telkom to
operate its Intelligent Network (IN) and Integrated Services
Digital Network (ISDN) services more quickly.
ISDN and IN, locally known as Pasopati and Japati, are among
the sophisticated information and telecommunications technology
services which support Multimedia services.
"Since we have adopted Pasopati and Japati, the multimedia
services have been smoother," Siregar said.
He said prospective Multimedia services included video-on-
demand and cable television (CATV).
Telkom president Asman A. Nasution recently said the company
planned to create a subsidiary to set up CATV networks using
fiber optic networks.
Telkom has a 35 percent stake in PT Telemedia Indonesia, a
multimedia company set up last year to provide news, videos,
audio services, home shopping and games on demand.
Siregar said the multimedia trial operation was part of a
feasibility study being conducted by Telemedia.
He refused to give further information on the Multimedia
business.
Besides Telkom, Telemedia shareholders are the Rajawali
Group's PT Telekomindo Prima Bhakti (25 percent), private TV
station RCTI (20 percent) and the Bimantara Group's PT Asriland
(20 percent). (icn)