The potential of Indonesia’s 3G network

The potential of Indonesia’s 3G network Benhard Siagian ;  Country Manager of Qualcomm Indonesia

JAKARTA POST, 17 Maret 2013

As the number of Twitter and Facebook users in Indonesia continues to rise, it is no secret that the country has established itself as home to the most digital and social media users in Southeast Asia. In TIME Magazine’s global Mobility Poll, it found that Indonesians particularly enjoyed the ability to connect with others using mobile devices and believed that the latest mobile technology was essential for keeping in touch with friends and family. While SMS remains the main function of mobile phones for Indonesians, mobile Internet services follow closely behind. Not only are people using their mobile devices to stay in touch with their friends and listen to music and videos, a growing number of Indonesians are also using these devices for business activities such as email and file transfer. According to the TIME Mobility Poll, Indonesians are more likely than citizens of the other countries surveyed to use wireless devices for business purposes and 93 percent of those surveyed said mobile technology has made Indonesia a more efficient place to do business. The poll also stated that existing mobile technology has helped citizens improve their quality of life by providing them with access to information on areas such as health, well-being and public education. In Indonesia, there is also a budding market for different kinds of online businesses, which is likely to lead to higher demand for fast and reliable 3G services from operators. With such an appreciation for the value of mobility, the potential of 3G in the country is enormous and it is well-positioned to become a leader in the adoption of mobile technology. Indonesia is already a major market for data services such as ringtone downloads, news, music and video. This trend is set to continue and dramatically accelerate in the coming years. To encourage growth and maximize the industry’s potential, it is imperative for the country to build a wireless technology ecosystem to support the surge in demand for data services that will emerge over the next few years. There are some areas on which the mobile industry could direct attention as 3G service roll-out continues. Certainly, the quality of these 3G networks could be further optimized to provide both better connectivity as well as geographical coverage; educational efforts on the benefits of 3G services to consumers could also accelerate. It is only when these are achieved that consumers will truly begin to utilize services such as social networking, mobile commerce or even gaming and social networking. For operators, growing consumer demand for online activities will lead to an increase in 3G subscriptions and profits. However, without proper preparation and rollout of networks that provide fast and reliable mobile connections, the current networks will appear to be vulnerable and reduce consumers’ satisfaction toward operators. Despite the challenges, there are several steps that stakeholders in Indonesia can take to strengthen the wireless technology ecosystem. The Indonesian government has been successful with policy development initiatives that encourage the adoption of new technologies to support faster data connections. In order to optimize their investment in the building of 3G networks, local Indonesian telecom operators should play a key role in the promotion of 3G technology. To increase the adoption of 3G, operators need to go beyond their existing promotional strategies, which include offering lower Internet rates and free access to social networks to consumers. They need to look to drive awareness of the kind of functions that 3G smartphones can offer, which go far beyond checking Facebook and posting on Twitter. By way of example, 3G smartphones open up a world of opportunity to consumers; mobile banking, mobile healthcare and mobile education applications. In order to increase 3G subscriptions and accelerate 3G migration, it is important to educate consumers about the benefits and possibilities of using smartphones and other mobile broadband devices. TIME Magazine’s Mobility Poll has highlighted the benefit of mobile and the resulting need for greater collaboration between key stakeholders in Indonesia’s telecom industry in order to build a stronger mobile ecosystem. By working together, the government, telecom operators and other industry stakeholders can raise awareness of the importance of reliable mobile broadband infrastructure to meet the projected demand for data and applications from Indonesian consumers. Combined with the country’s enthusiasm for digital technology, Indonesia can reap the benefit of wireless technology and unleash its potential in the areas of technology and business. ●