Telkomsel appoints domestic dealers

Telkomsel appoints domestic dealers

JAKARTA (JP): PT Telkomsel, a digital mobile cellular telecommunications operator, appointed yesterday 150 agents to support its marketing strategy in Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) business in the city.

Telkomsel's director of operations, Garuda Sugardo, said the appointment was part of the company's preparations for the launching of its GSM in the city next week.

The company appointed the cooperative of PT Telkom's Jakarta employees, Kopegtel Jaya, as the main distributor of the 150 agents appointed yesterday, he said.

According to Garuda, his company has appointed 30 distributors in the greater Jakarta area.

Through the agents, Jakartans will be able to buy KartuHalo, subscriber identity module cards designed by Telkomsel for GSM telephones. The public will also be able to buy any handset they like from the agents, who will receive commissions from Telkomsel.

It is predicted that Jakartans will subscribe about 70 percent of the GSM telephones in the country, making Jakarta the key market. The GSM business in Jakarta is currently controlled by PT Satelindo which lists a total of 101,602 subscribers in Java.

Telkomsel expects to net 120,000 subscribers this year, 90,000 of which are expected from the greater Jakarta area.

"We will operate later this year in 24 out of the country's 27 provinces," Garuda said. "We will also operate in the other three provinces -- East Nusa Tenggara and Central and Southeast Sulawesi -- in following years."

In a recent hearing with members of the House of Representatives, Telkomsel's president, Koesmarihati Sugondo, said that the company plans to invest Rp 450 billion this year for the expansion of its GSM business in about 17 locations in the country. (icn)