Indosat Ooredoo, Indonesia's second largest cellular firm by subscribers, is revamping efforts to promote 4G smartphones among its customers with the knowledge that a lack of 4G-enabled devices stands as the main obstacle hindering its push into the mobile broadband business.
Indosat Ooredoo has invested Rp 22 trillion ($1.7 billion) since 2012 to upgrade its network to 4G, which promises a date transfer speed that is 10 times faster than the current 3G network.
However, only three million out of 68.5 million Indosat Ooredoo customers own 4G-capable devices, the company's president director Alex Rusli said on Monday.
Its closest rival XL Axiata caters to 46 million customers.
"Some say that we are too early in preparing for 4G. But the positive side is that we can turn it on now at anytime," Alex said.
"We are collaborating with local smartphone producers to provide cheap 4G smartphones," he said, adding that the company also worked with local app developers to provide cloud-based services in Indosat Ooredoo's network.
Operators often offer smartphone or cheap data plans at a discounted price, provided customers agree to use the device in their network for a certain period.
Indosat's 4G network now covers 21 cities across Indonesia, including Jakarta, Bandung, Surabaya and Pontianak in West Kalimantan.
The company aims to add 14 cities to its portfolio by the end of this year, including Tegal and Pekalongan in Central Java; Medan, North Sumatra; Batam and Pekanbaru in Riau; Palembang, South Sumatra; Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan; Manado, North Sulawesi; Mataram, West Nusa Tenggara; Madura and Pacitan in East Java; and Cirebon and Purwakarta in West Java.
Source: http://jakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/business/indosat-gears-4g/