Five Indonesian telcos launch LTE on 1800-MHz
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Indonesia’s five largest mobile operators have all launched 1800-MHz LTE services, while a new player has indicated an intention to enter the LTE market.
Telkomsel, PT Indosat, XL Axiata, Hutchison’s 3 and Smartfren all recently rolled out 4G services over the band in various cities and regions.
Telkomsel switched on its network in Makassar, South Sulawesi, Indosat went live in Balikpapan, East Kalimantan, XL held a lunch on the island of Lombok, 3’s network has been rolled out to Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan, while Smartfren activated its network in Batam, Riau Islands.
Mobile operators have been rushing to roll out LTE services in Indonesia after the government opened up use of the 1800-MHz band for 4G.
Telkomsel, XL Axiata and Indosat have already launched LTE over the 900-MHz band. Incumbent Telkomsel already has 620,000 LTE subscribers, while XL Axiata has around 200,000.
The report adds that Berca Hardayaperkasa, a unit of Central Cipta Murdaya, has revealed plans to enter the increasingly crowded 4G market as well. The company is targeting a launch in Bali, Makassar and Pekanbaru in October.
Central Cipta Murdaya has committed up to $150 million to deploy the service in the three cities. The company is ultimately planning to launch in 12 cities outside Java. Berca was originally a Wimax operator, having secured 2300-MHz spectrum in 2009.
Questions & Answers
Q.Which specific cities have the five existing telcos launched their 1800-MHz LTE services in?
Which specific cities have the five existing telcos launched their 1800-MHz LTE services in?
Telkomsel launched in Makassar, Indosat in Balikpapan, and XL on Lombok. 3's network is in Banjarmasin, and Smartfren activated in Batam.
Q.Why are mobile operators quickly deploying LTE services in Indonesia?
Why are mobile operators quickly deploying LTE services in Indonesia?
Operators are rushing to roll out LTE services because the government has now allowed the use of the 1800-MHz band for 4G.
Q.Which of the established telcos already had LTE subscribers before these new 1800-MHz launches?
Which of the established telcos already had LTE subscribers before these new 1800-MHz launches?
Telkomsel already had 620,000 LTE subscribers, and XL Axiata had around 200,000. These were likely on the 900-MHz band.
Q.How much investment is the new entrant, Berca Hardayaperkasa, committing to its initial 4G service deployment?
How much investment is the new entrant, Berca Hardayaperkasa, committing to its initial 4G service deployment?
Central Cipta Murdaya, Berca's parent company, has committed up to $150 million. This investment is for deploying the service in Bali, Makassar, and Pekanbaru.
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