US : The CDMA Development Group said that Indonesia has emerged as a new hotbed for CDMA2000(r) deployments. Due to the number of CDMA2000 operators, the variety of new services offered, and the market's response to the large selection of affordable devices and tariff plans, the total number of CDMA2000 subscribers in Indonesia has surpassed 6 million.

"The CDG is pleased to see CDMA2000's growth in Indonesia," said Perry LaForge, executive director of the CDG. "CDMA2000 connects both urban and rural communities that have limited or no telecommunications and Internet access. We expect to see more of this expansion throughout Indonesia and around the globe, as leading operators, consumers, enterprises and public service organizations recognize the performance and value that 3G delivers today."

There are currently five commercial CDMA2000 operators in Indonesia, including: Telekomunikasi Indonesia (TelkomFlexi), Indosat (StarOne), Bakrie Telecom (Esia), Mobile-8 (Fren), and Sampoerna Telekom Indonesia (Ceria). A large selection of CDMA2000 services from pre-paid voice communications to advanced data services, such as video messaging, are available for individual, government and corporate customers. These services are supported by a large variety of devices beyond the standard mobile handset, such as fixed wireless phones, pay phones, PC data cards, and desktop modems. Users across the many islands of Indonesia have access to one of the largest selections of CDMA2000 devices in the world. These devices are available from numerous local distributors and retail outlets that represent an abundant supply of manufacturers and vendors, including: Motorola, Nokia, Samsung, LGE, ZTE, Huawei, Daxian, Giga, Growell, and Westech.

CDMA2000 operators and their customers widely recognize the technology for its ability to offer the most affordable voice and data packages in the market, as well as for its flexibility to offer a wide range of services across a selection of more than 100 devices, with handset pricing spanning from the high-end (up to US$300) to low-end (less than US$50).

In May 2006, Mobile-8 launched Indonesia's first commercial CDMA2000 1xEV-DO network to enable faster and more affordable access to the Internet and other mobile data applications. The network is delivering average data speeds between 400 kbps to 700 kbps -- much faster than most wired connections in Indonesia. This performance improves the user experience and enhances customer satisfaction. Other Indonesian operators are expected to make similar upgrades by 2007.

"CDMA2000 has enhanced the day-to-day lives of millions of people in Indonesia," said Mr. Guntur S. Siboro, head of integrated marketing, Indosat. "Plus, many large companies are recognizing that CDMA2000 can streamline the mobile workforce operations and increase their efficiencies. But more importantly, entrepreneurs and smaller businesses, sometimes as small as a single owner-operator business, are identifying the benefits of CDMA2000," he added.

"CDMA2000 is an enabler to provide affordable telephone and Internet connectivity for the masses. This shall lead to increasing teledensity, Internet penetration and a better economy," commented Mr. Anindya N. Bakrie, chief executive officer, PT Bakrie Telecom Tbk. He continued, "Furthermore, CDMA broadband services with EV-DO open more opportunity for various public services such as distance learning, telemedicine, e-government and public safety applications."

CDMA2000 offers several advantages over other technologies, including open standards, interoperability, large economies of scale, removable user identity modules (R-UIM), seamless global roaming, post- and prepaid solutions, Java, Windows Mobile and BREW-enabled phones, and a large selection of rich and versatile value-added services. CDMA2000 is also capable of enabling the full spectrum of telecommunications from satisfying universal service obligations in the rural areas of Indonesia to meeting the increasing demand for voice and wireless broadband connectivity in its densely populated urban centers, such as Jakarta.

In most markets, operators will eventually have to deploy 3G technology to support the increasing demand for voice and high-speed data services from consumers and enterprises. These services will require large amounts of bandwidth to ensure sufficient capacity, data throughput, and a satisfactory end-user experience. CDMA2000 has at least a two-to-three year lead over other technologies, such as GSM/GPRS/EDGE, WCDMA and WiMAX, in delivering these important services.

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