Telkomsel expects 3G license soon

Telkomsel expects 3G license soon

Tony Hotland, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta

PT Telekomunikasi Seluler (Telkomsel) expects to obtain a
frequency license to run third-generation technology-based radio
network before the end of the year to capitalize on the growing
demand for cellular services offered by the technology.

Telkomsel's general manager of technology and strategic
network Yoseph Garo said on Wednesday that the country's largest
cellular operator had already requested for the 3G license from
the government.

"We submitted our proposal to the government some time this
year and we're now just waiting for the approval. Actually, we've
prepared most of the basic infrastructure required to operate
this technology," said Yoseph.

He added that once the license was granted, Telkomsel would
purchase the main element to run third-generation (3G) services
-- a sort of antenna called the node B -- and would be ready to
start providing the services within a period of six months after
the license endowment.

"We principally only have to add the node B and several
softwares on the base transceiver stations (BTS), or, we could
build stations that support 3G," said Yoseph. Telkomsel has
approximately 60,000 stations across the country.

According to Merza Fachys from PT Siemens Indonesia, one node
B antenna costs between US$60,000 to $200,000.

However, Telkomsel, which is majority owned by publicly listed
telecommunications firm PT Telkom, would install the antennas on
specific locations based on an identification of demand and need
for the relatively new technology here.

"For the voice service, we'll provide it nationwide. But for
the data service, we'll divide into categories based on the
volume capacity. The more capacity, the more specific the
location is," said Yoseph.

The 3G technology, which is used for the Wideband-Code
Division Multiple Access (W-CDMA) radio network, is a far more
advanced level of the second-generation (2G) technology used in
the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) network.

It offers substantially enhanced capacity, quality and data
rates above those currently available with 2G.

This means that new and more demanding services, such as video
streaming and video conferencing through cellular phones, are
real and the concurrent use of multiple services is supported.

Current cellular phone owners will have to change their
terminals if they wish to use services offered by 3G.

The technology is not really new for many countries, including
those in the Asia region like Japan and South Korea, which have
run the 3G services since the past few years.

It has received quite warm welcome upon introduction there,
although it has yet to match the popularity of even the newest
technologies -- the General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) and the
Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution (EDGE).

There are two domestic cellular operators which have been
granted with the license. They are PT Cyber Access Communications
in October 2003 and recently granted PT Natrindo Telepon
Seluler/Lippo Telecom. However, none of them have yet operated
the technology.

"I don't know, perhaps the government has other considerations
in determining who gets it first. But I think it's because they
(the two companies) had proposed before we did," Yoseph said when
asked why Telkomsel had not been given the license.