Telkomsel leads the way in Indonesia's cellular industry
Telkomsel leads the way in Indonesia's cellular industry
PT Telekomunikasi Selular (Telkomsel), the Global System for
Mobile (GSM) communications operator, has again established
itself as a pioneer and trendsetter in the mobile cellular
telecommunications industry in Indonesia.
The company, committed to providing world-class quality
service, has launched its newest service, called simPATI
Nusantara, which is a GSM prepaid card which can be used in all
27 of Indonesia's provinces.
Telkomsel's director of commerce, Hasnul Suhaimi, said that
the GSM prepaid card market in Indonesia had become very
competitive since the company introduced the first such card in
late 1997.
"We have to introduce new innovations since the other
operators have followed our lead in the GSM prepaid card market,"
he said.
He said that Telkomsel launched simPATI Nusantara to offer a
GSM prepaid card which was able to operate all across Indonesia.
"Supported by our strong, reliable service and
professionalism, our superior technology, marketing and efficient
business management, simPATI Nusantara can be used in Indonesia's
27 provinces. Our priorities in introducing this prepaid card
were on coverage, capacity, cost, quality and service. This is to
keep the company ahead of the competition and ensure enduring
customer satisfaction," said Hasnul.
He said that Telkomsel had also been able to enhance its
corporate image as the leading cellular operator in Indonesia --
with more than 450,000 customers in a huge potential market -- by
promoting customer satisfaction through fast, accurate, reliable
and friendly service, all in line with the company motto:
"leading in quality and service".
He said that through the new service, Telkomsel could further
its goal of making cellular phones not just a need for urbanites,
but also a public utility for people in all areas.
"GSM prepaid cards have their own market. Those who are able
to afford it can subscribe to our GSM postpaid card, kartuHALO.
All people can benefit from both of these services," he said.
KartuHALO is Telkomsel's main product for the GSM Subscriber
Identity Module (SIM) card.
People who do not worry about their telephone bill and who
want to enjoy the communication convenience of more complete
facilities or value-added service can use kartoHALO. SimPATI, on
the other hand, is for people who want instant activication and
full control of their telephone budget.
Upgrading
Telkomsel first introduced the simPATI prepaid card in
November 1997. Current simPATI users are automatically upgraded
to simPATI Nusantara and keep the same number..
Hasnul said that simPATI Nusantara operates with a longer
validity period. A Rp 100,000 voucher, for instance, is valid for
two months plus a one month grace period for incoming calls only.
A Rp 200,000 voucher is valid for five months plus a one month
grace period.
There are also other vouchers worth Rp 300,000, Rp 500,000 and
Rp 1,000,000 available at BCA ATMs throughout Indonesia. People
who wish to buy starter packs or vouchers can go to Telkomsel
Customer Care offices, Fuji Image Plaza or other official agents.
Customers in the greater Jakarta area who want free delivery of
their starter packs or vouchers can telephone simPATI Express at
571-2222.
Hasnul said that simPATI Nusantara provided customers several
services, including caller identification, incoming short message
service, voice mail and free customer service, by dialing 116.
SimPATI Nusantara has two tariff periods, the peak period
between 8 a.m. and 10 p.m., and the off-hour period between 10
p.m. and 8 a.m. Partly due to the monetary crisis in Indonesia,
which has seen the rupiah depreciate against the U.S. dollar,
cellular tariffs in Indonesia have become the cheapest in the
world.
Choice at large
Telkomsel now has two main products: kartuHALO and simPATI
Nusantara.
Hasnul said that all products were guaranteed to provide users
the full range of GSM advantages, such as security (free from
tapping, multiplexing and cloning), accessibility, affordability,
high quality and wide coverage area.
Telkomsel utilizes sophisticated equipment to operate and
maintain its high-quality GSM network. Through close
relationships with internationally established suppliers and a
synergistic multivendor policy, Telkomsel is able to offer the
latest technology and related services to its customers.
Telkomsel uses ultramodern network planning tools, network
management equipment, high-capacity fiber optic transmission
links, internationally accepted signaling protocols and a fully
equipped maintenance division, including mobile temporary base
stations to guarantee smooth, effective and high-quality
communications to its customers.
Mainly to support simPATI Nusantara, the company operates an
intelligent network which provide users convenience in utilizing
the service. This allows users to check the validity of the card
and the remaining credit on the card at any given time.
During the ongoing economic crisis, the company has continued
to broaden its services and extend its coverage area throughout
Indonesia and to other countries through a rapid expansion of its
international roaming agreements. This international roaming
feature benefits Telkomsel customers traveling out of the country
as well as foreign guests visiting Indonesia.
As a trendsetter in Indonesia's telecommunications industry,
Telkomsel has created dozens of features and innovations based on
international standards.
Telkomsel's commitment to continuously extend its coverage
area has been proven by its national operations. Moreover,
Telkomsel continuously improves its network quality and capacity,
while also extending its coverage area. At the moment, Telkomsel
serves more than 340 cities, regions and smaller towns all across
Indonesia.
For users of the kartuHALO, maximum value can be gained from
the full range of services offered by the card. Besides the
standard facility of being able to make and receive calls
anywhere and anytime, kartuHALO offers a long list of value-added
services which can be enjoyed for no cost or for very small added
costs. Among these services is the Veronica voice mail service,
including the unique, innovative fax message service feature,
which allows storage and retrieval of fax messages by any
available fax machine.
A history of excellence
Established on May 25, 1995, Telkomsel is owned by PT Telkom,
PT Indosat, KPN Netherlands and PT Setdco Megacell Asia.
Telkomsel plans to become a cellular telecommunications
service facilitator for the entire Indonesian community, make the
telecommunications business speedier and more convenient, and to
provide solutions for telecommunications needs anytime and
anywhere. The company operates more than 50 Customer Care
offices, called Graha Pari Sraya, strategically located in every
province and in big cities across Indonesia.
Telkomsel has proved itself to be an innovative company,
becoming a pioneer in the open distribution channel policy and
multivendor infrastructure, the most complicated supporting
system and the largest number of Mobile Switching Centers in the
world.
Hasnul said that to extend its service, Telkomsel launched
Compact Mobile Base Station (Combat) in areas not yet covered by
base transceiver stations (BTS). Telkomsel was the first operator
in Indonesia to launch the Compact Mobile Base Station.
In 1999, the number of base stations will be increased to
extend the company's coverage area and network capacity, and to
reduce the number of "blank spots" in coverage areas.
The company continues to fortify its position as Indonesia's
leading cellular operator. Telkomsel also plans to continue
investing in its services, with the purpose of safeguarding total
network quality and customer satisfaction. After reaching earlier
milestones, such as achieving coverage in all 27 of Indonesia's
provinces and roaming with 50 countries spread over five
continents, Telkomsel has now installed 1,040 base transceiver
stations.
Telkomsel keeps improving itself and its performance in order
to continue growing and to remain the most innovative cellular
operator in the country.
This is proof of Telkomsel's constant commitment to support
and fulfill the communications needs of all people, even during
these tough times.
Table: Tariffs simPATI Nusantara
Local calls 8 a.m.-10 p.m. 10 p.m.-8 a.m.
- to fixed phone Rp 670 Rp 600
- to cellular phone Rp 1,220 Rp 1,100
Intercity calls
- in same area Rp 3,000 Rp 2,750
- interarea Rp 3,500 Rp 3,250
International calls
- class I, II, III Rp 8,000 Rp 7,500
Incoming calls
- in original area free free
- when roaming starting from starting from
Rp 2,000 Rp 1,750
Outgoing calls when roaming are subject to a 10 percent
surcharge.