Wednesday, August 29, 2007

Bakrie Telekom to open networks in 17 cities

Solo, C Java (ANTARA News) - Publicly-listed telecommunications operator PT Bakrie Telekom Tbk is planning to open new networks in the country`s 17 major cities at a total cost of Rp2 trillion this year. [more, antaranews]

ST Telemedia Increases Equity Stake in Global Crossing

... Singapore Technologies Telemedia (ST Telemedia) is a leading player in the telecommunications and information services industry, with core competencies in mobile telephony and global IP services. ST Telemedia invests in and manages an innovative group of companies globally, including StarHub, Indosat, Global Crossing, TeleChoice, Camshin and Lao Telecoms. [more, CNNMoney]

Excelcomindo's rating outlook revised to positive - Moody's

MUMBAI (Thomson Financial) - Moody's Investors Service said it has changed PT Excelcomindo Pratama Tbk's (XL) outlook to positive, while affirming the company's 'Ba2' local currency issuer rating. [more, forbes]

Altimo insists on Indonesia investment

... "We will never give up on our plan, including the possibility of buying a mobile telecoms operator here," Altimo local chief representative Soeharto told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday. [more, thejakartapost]

Alfa reps to accompany Russian president to RI

... According to a story by Russia's online business news portal Kommersant published last week, the main objective of Alfa's visit is to negotiate with the Indonesian government for the purchase of a 41 percent stake in the country's main telecommunication company, Indosat. [more, thejakartapost]

Sunday, August 26, 2007

Indosat’s first half net profit up 54% year on year

Indonesian telecommunications operator Indosat's operating revenues were IDR7.69 trillion (USD821.3 million) and operating income was IDR2 trillion for the first half of 2007. Mobile, fixed data and fixed voice services contributed 77%, 13% and 10% to operating revenues respectively. [more, telegeography]

Telkomsel projects one million subscribers with access to mobile Internet Yahoo! by end of 2007

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Cellular operator PT Telkomsel predicted that its subscribers with access to the Mobile Internet service Yahoo! Go and Yahoo! on Search, may reach one million by end of 2007. [more, antaranews]

Friday, August 24, 2007

Indosat ups CAPEX to USD1.2 billion to meet wireless demand

... Indosat president director Johnny Swandi Sjam told the paper that around 15%-20% of the total would be spent on network expansion, including work on new base transceiver stations (BTSs), while the remainder would be used to improve services. [more, telegeography]

Thursday, August 23, 2007

Indosat Acquisition to Be Deliberated at the Highest Level

... “Alfa will attempt to use the president’s visit to agree with Indonesian government on the parity buyout of 41 percent in Indosat from Singapore Temasek subsidiary - Singapore Technologies Telemedia," a source that arranges the event said on condition of anonymity. [more, kommersant]

Indosat boosts capital expenditure to $1.2b

PT Indosat, the country's second largest mobile phone operator, will increase its capital expenditure this year to US$1.2 billion from $1 billion as initially planned to further expand its networks and improve the quality of its services. [more, thejakartapost]

Sinar Mas to Enter Indonesian Mobile Market, Stoking Price Cuts

Aug. 22 (Bloomberg) -- PT Sinar Mas Telecommunications, controlled by billionaire Eka Tjipta Widjaja, plans to become the 10th mobile-phone operator in Indonesia, where competition has forced companies to slash call rates.
The company, a unit of the nation's largest palm oil producer, plans to build a network capable of serving 1.4 million users by the end of the year, Director Ubaidillah Fatah said in an interview. Jakarta-based Sinar Mas aims to attract 700,000 users this year, after starting services next month. [more, bloomberg, telegeography]

Wednesday, August 22, 2007

PT Ericsson Indonesia’s Holders Send to Sweden

Ericsson first arrived in Indonesia in 1907 and has been supplying the country's telecommunications sector ever since. It provided Indonesia's first cellular network in 1987 and GSM (global system for mobile communications) network in 1995. In 2006, it introduced 3G technology to Indonesia. [more, scandasia]

Hutchison Telecom Reports 2007 First Half Unaudited Results

... Hutchison Telecom launched its Indonesian operations through PT Hutchison CP Telecommunications ("HCPT") during the reporting period, using the global brand '3'. In the cities where our GSM services are available, including Jakarta and Bali as well as Batam, HCPT has already garnered a double-digit market share in gross customer additions. This is largely due to our extensive retail distribution network, strong branding and simple tariffs that fulfil the needs of a vast and underserved segment. [more, sys-con]

Indonesia`s Mobile-8 sells $100 mln bonds to finance 2008 capex, debt

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Indonesia's fourth largest mobile telephone operator PT Mobile-8 Telecom said Tuesday its unit Mobile-8 Finance BV has sold bonds worth 100 million US dollars.Mobile-8 president Hidadjat Tjandradadja told Thomson Financial that Mobile-8 will guarantee the bonds and will use the proceeds to finance its 2008 capex and refinance old debt. [more, antaranews]

Investigation into alleged Temasek price fixing extended

Indonesia’s anti-trust commission has extended its investigation into Temasek Holdings by 30 days as the Singapore government investment agency seeks to fend off criticisms that it has too much control of the Indonesian mobile market [more, telecomtv]

Friday, August 17, 2007

INDONESIA: Anti-monopoly law probe into Temasek yields no verdict

Jakarta --- Indonesia's anti-monopoly watchdog yesterday failed to reach a verdict on its controversial probe into Singapore's Temasek Holdings' alleged monopolistic practices in the telecommunication business.
Its 60-day period of investigation into the case ended yesterday without any conclusion whether Temasek breached Indonesia's anti-monopoly law by dominating the market and engaging in price-fixing. [more, asiamedia.ucla]

Wednesday, August 15, 2007

Leading Mobile Operator PT Excelcomindo Pratama Deploys Cantata’s VoIP Media Gateway

NEEDHAM, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Cantata Technology™, Inc., one of the world’s leading providers of enabling communications technology, today announced that PT Excelcomindo Pratama Tbk (XL), a leading mobile operator in Indonesia and a Telekom Malaysia Berhad (TM) subsidiary, has deployed Cantata’s IMG 1010™ integrated media and signaling VoIP Gateway. The IMG 1010 will enable XL to provide an innovative hosted PBX solution to its corporate clients and allow for the expansion of its international VoIP network. [more, businesswire]

Ericsson awarded network expansion contract by XL in Indonesia

Ericsson (NASDAQ:ERIC) has been awarded an expansion contract by PT Excelcomindo Pratama Tbk (XL) to expand its GSM/GPRS and WCDMA/HSPA in the country. [more, techwhack]

Indonesia Telekom plans broadband focus as cellular competition hots up

Telekom Indonesia is retreating from its exposure to Indonesia’s highly competitive wireless market and is to invest more in promoting fixed broadband services. There are now 10 cellular operators in Indonesia and Telkomsel’s ARPU has declined by eight per cent so far this year. [more, telecomtv]

Telkom sees 30 pct jump in 07 Indonesia mobile users

JAKARTA, Aug 14 (Reuters) - Indonesia's top telecommunication firm, PT Telekomunikasi Indonesia Tbk (TLKM.JK: Quote, Profile, Research), said on Tuesday it expects the number of mobile phone users in the country to grow more than 20 million this year, representing a gain of about 30 percent. Rinaldi Firmansyah, Telkom's president director, also said he was optimistic that the largest company on the Jakarta bourse would meet its targets for this year. [more, reuters]

Saturday, August 11, 2007

Indonesia Mobile-8 prices $100 mln high-yield bond

LONDON, Aug 8 (Reuters) - Indonesian mobile phone operator PT Mobile-8 Telecom (FREN.JK: Quote, Profile , Research) priced a smaller-than-expected $100 million high-yield bond on Wednesday as improving credit market conditions allowed a number of borrowers to issue. [more, reuters]

Telekomunikasi Indonesia Upgrades VoIP Network with MERA Systems’ Softswitch

Toronto, ON, Canada (August 07, 2007) — MERA Systems – a key provider of VoIP softswitches and session controllers for efficient management of VoIP communications – has won a contract to provide a softswitch solution for PT Telekomunikasi Indonesia (Telkom), the major Indonesia-based telco. [more, mera-voip]

Wednesday, August 8, 2007

Telkomsel selects Comverse Fun Dial™

Comverse, a subsidiary of Comverse Technology, Inc. and the world's leading supplier of software and systems enabling network-based multimedia enhanced communication and billing services, today announced that Telkomsel, Indonesia’s largest operator with more than 42 million customers, is replacing its current system with Comverse Fun Dial™ for personalized ringback tones and content management. With this selection by Telkomsel, Fun Dial achieves a key milestone: 50 operators around the world have now chosen Comverse Fun Dial as their ringback tone vendor, helping them to realize their marketing strategies by maximizing the content experience and extending it in new and creative directions. [more, moneycontrol]

07-08-2007: Ericsson to expand 2G, 3G coverage in Indonesia

PETALING JAYA: Telekom Malaysia (TM) Bhd’s unit PT Excelcomindo Pratama Tbk (XL) has awarded Ericsson a contract to expand its 2G and 3G cellular networks in Indonesia.
The three-and-a-half-year agreement will see Ericsson supplying both 2G and 3G radio access networks and Mini-Link transmission equipment to XL for its expansion in Indonesia besides the deployment of its mobile softswitch solution. [more, theedgedaily]

Ericsson wins network expansion order from Indonesia's XL

STOCKHOLM (Thomson Financial) - LM Ericsson AB said it has won an order to expand Indonesian operator PT Excelcomindo Pratama Tbk's (XL) GSM/GPRS and WCDMA/HSPA networks. [more, forbes]

Indonesia's Mobile-8 says may defer dlr bond issue

JAKARTA, Aug 6 (Reuters) - Indonesian mobile phone operator, PT Mobile-8 Telecom, said on Monday it would decide this week whether to proceed with a planned $150 million bond issue given recent market volatility. [more, reuters]

Sunday, August 5, 2007

Internet providers offer free Wi-Fi access

To promote the use of handset Internet, PT Nokia Indonesia has teamed up with three Internet service providers to offer free access to owners of N-series mobile phones at their Wi-Fi zones or wireless Internet connection areas. [more, thejakartapost]

Friday, August 3, 2007

Excelcomindo Finance's foreign currency rating on review for upgrade - Moody's

MUMBAI (Thomson Financial) - Moody's Investors Service has placed the Excelcomindo Finance Company BV's 'Ba3' foreign currency senior unsecured bond rating on review for possible upgrade following Moody's decision to review Indonesia's 'Ba3' foreign currency bond ceiling for upgrade. [more, forbes]

Ericsson expands WCDMA/HSPA network for Indosat in Indonesia

PT Indosat Tbk. (Indosat) has awarded Ericsson (NASDAQ: ERIC) a contract extension to expand its WCDMA/HSPA network coverage in greater Jakarta, Indonesia. Indosat consumers in the area will receive wider coverage and faster mobile broadband speeds.
Ericsson will be responsible for supplying core, radio access network and transmission equipment, covering network design, deployment, integration, performance and improvement of their WCDMA/HSPA network. The network coverage expansion would bring Indosat service to more of its greater Jakarta subscribers. [more, money.cnn]

Indonesia's MGTI bond rating on review for possible upgrade - Moody's

... MGTI has a fixed-line telecommunications network in the Central Java area (known as KSO IV) and assigns all of its exclusive operating rights to state-owned telecommunications incumbent, PT Telekomunikasi Indonesia, under an amended Joint Operating Scheme (KSO) agreement that expires on Dec 31, 2010. [more, forbes]

Wednesday, August 1, 2007

Indonesia Indosat ARPU down 7 pct so far in '07

JAKARTA, July 31 (Reuters) - Indonesia's second largest telecoms firm, PT Indosat Tbk (ISAT.JK: Quote, Profile, Research), said average revenue per mobile phone user (ARPU) had fallen around 7 percent so far this year as tough competition forces mobile operators to cut prices. [more, reuters]

Telkom’s Q2 net income rises 50% on mobile growth

Indonesia’s largest fixed and mobile telecoms operator, PT Telekomunikasi Indonesia (Telkom), yesterday reported a net profit of IDR3.58 trillion (USD388.5 million) in the April-June period, up 51.9% from IDR2.36 trillion a year ago, according to Reuters calculations, while revenue rose 25.5% to IDR15.28 trillion. [more, telegeography]

Indonesia to provide phone links to all villages by end 2008

JAKARTA (Thomson Financial) - The Indonesian government wants to provide telephone links to all villages in the country by the end of 2008, Communications Minister Muhammad Nuh said Tuesday. [more, forbes]

Telkomsel Deploys Flash Networks' Quality of Experience Management Solution

Flash Networks, a provider of mobile data Quality of Experience (QoE) management solutions has announced that Telkomsel has deployed its NettGain solution.Boasting a subscriber base of 40 million subscribers, Telkomsel is a well known telecom operator in Indonesia. It will employ NettGain to enhance the mobile data user quality of experience over GPRS and UMTS networks. [more, tmcnet]

Telkomsel Selects Comverse Fun Dial for Personalized Ringback Tones

Telkomsel, Indonesia’s largest operator with more than 42 million customers is replacing its current system with Comverse Fun Dial for personalized ringback tones and content management. Comverse is a subsidiary of Comverse Technology (News - Alert), Inc. and a supplier of software and systems enabling network-based multimedia enhanced communication and billing services. [more, tmcnet]

Indonesia's Telkom Q2 net up

INDONESIA'S largest telecommunications company, PT Telekomunikasi Indonesia Tbk, posted a better-than-expected 50 per cent rise in its second quarter net profit, led by strong growth in its mobile phone business.
State-owned Telkom, also the biggest listed firm on the Jakarta exchange with a market capitalisation of US$23.1 billion, controls 65 per cent of PT Telekomunikasi Selular (Telkomsel), Indonesia's top mobile operator. [more, bruneitimes]

Indonesia's Telkom's H1 net profit up 14 pct on stronger sales

JAKARTA (Thomson Financial) - Indonesia's largest telephone company, PT Telekomunikasi Indonesia (Telkom), posted net profit of 6.62 trillion rupiah for the first half of this year, 14 percent more than it made a year before because of stronger sales, the company said Tuesday. [more, forbes]

ICT stakeholders prepare roadmap for convergence

... "The roadmap basically says how we want the ICT sector to move forward, considering all the existing challenges faced by all the stakeholders involved," Indonesian Telecommunications Regulatory Body (BRTI) member Heru Sutadi told The Jakarta Post after a seminar on fixed-mobile convergence in Jakarta on Monday. [more, thejakartapost]
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