Telkomsel To Provide Extra Spectrum For 4G LTR Service

Kupang, E Nusa Tenggara, (Antara Sumbar) - Telkomsel President Director Ririek Adriansyah said the mobile phone operator will provide additional spectrum of 2.3 GHz frequency to strengthen 4G LTE service and maximize broadband service quality for customers in various regions across Indonesia.

"We hope this project will support the digital ecosystem in Indonesia, including for e-commerce, and encourage the development of small and medium-sized businesses, especially in the rural areas that are directly adjacent to the neighboring country, like East Nusa Tenggara and East Timor," he stated in a statement received by Antara here on Thursday.

The government, through the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, has announced the winner of the spectrum project for a frequency of 2.3 GHz.

"We are grateful that we have become the winner of the frequency project auction, which is based on a sound investment strategy with strong financial support," he noted.

Telkomsel has affirmed its commitment to maximize the use of additional spectrum to support the Indonesian Broadband Plan 2014-2019.

"The investment made by Telkomsel to provide additional spectrum reveals Telkomsel's commitment to provide the best broadband services to customers," Ririek remarked.

This additional spectrum will also support the company to open wider access to information for people in rural areas.

"With the higher speed of mobile broadband access, we will present the best digital lifestyle experience for all Indonesian people," he noted.

Telkomsel has gained a spectrum with a fair price that is much lower than other operators in other developing countries. One of the telecom operators in India pays about four times more, at US$0.34 / MHz / population, than that paid by Telkomsel, at $0.08 / MHz / population.

Compared to developed countries, such as South Korea, Singapore, Australia, and Hong Kong, the price paid by operators in these countries are 1.5 to 5 times higher than that paid by Telkomsel.

"Currently, the availability of spectrum in Indonesia is still very limited and very rare, while the comparison between the number of subscribers and the allocation of frequency spectrum owned by Telkomsel is not proportional," Ririek explained.

Telkomsel plans to build more than 500 BTS (Base Transceiver Station) using the 2.3 GHz spectrum in the next three months, especially in the areas where data accessibility is highly needed.

If the project is completed, the customers can enjoy maximum mobile broadband access of up to 400 Mbps and make Telkomsel the operator with the best access speed in Indonesia, Ririek revealed.

Telkomsel is a brand name of a GSM and UMTS Mobile phone network operator which operates in Indonesia. It was founded in 1995 and is a subsidiary of Telkom Indonesia. The company currently has 122 million subscribers. (*)

Editor: Vicha Faradika