Telkom to install 35,000 new phone lines this year
Telkom to install 35,000 new phone lines this year
JAKARTA (JP): State-owned domestic telecommunications firm PT
Telkom will install 35,000 new telephone lines for residents of
Jakarta and Tangerang by the end of the year.
Jimmy R. Villanueva, head of Telkom's West Jakarta branch,
said yesterday that new customers will no longer have to make
down payments on installation fees prior to connection.
"The new program offered by Telkom won't require new costumers
to make a down payment, which usually comes to about Rp 100,000
(US$44)," he said.
Installation fees will be Rp 900,000 for business customers,
Rp 700,000 for households and Rp 560,000 for social institutions,
not including tax and first-month customer bills, he added.
"Customers will only have to register their names at Telkom's
nearest service point and we will install new lines at their
houses," Villanueva said.
"They can pay the downpayment together with their first bill,"
he added.
Villanueva expressed the hope that by introducing the new
program Telkom will be able to serve more people who want to have
telephone lines installed at their homes easily and quickly.
"The company will have a staff of 425, consisting of 135
Telkom employees and 290 of the company's partner employees to
serve customers' needs," he said.
"To make the new program a success, customers are expected to
be at home when Telkom personnel come to install the lines," he
added.
However, according to Villanueva, Telkom will not be able to
meet the needs of all customers because of a lack of staff and
facilities.
"Telkom still has to improve its service to customers,
especially to those who need new telephone lines at their
houses," he said.
"Our main problem is that we may not have enough lines for
certain areas," he added.
In order to facilitate the registration of customers, Telkom
is providing a special telephone hot line to take orders and
answer queries.
"Today we have five operators at telephone number 162 who will
serve the customers," he said, "I understand that this single
facility is too small to take all telephone calls."
Telkom has received some 5,000 calls on the special line since
September, he said.
Villanueva also disclosed that Telkom will not be able to
reach this year's installation target.
"We are supposed to install 105,000 new lines this year but
I'm afraid Telkom won't be able to reach that target," he said,
saying one problem had been late shipment of cables.
Another factor is that the real estate sector has slowed down
recently, he said, causing a delay in the completion of the
Golden Triangle business district in Central Jakarta.
"We have installed about 30,000 new lines in the business
district. Unfortunately the complex has not been completed yet,"
he said. (05)