Border Areas Still Charged for International Roaming Network
9 July 2018 07:48 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Manager of Kupang Area Network System of PT Telekomunikasi Selular Nusa Tenggara, Jendrohartono, said that the border areas between Indonesia and Timor Leste on Timor Island have still not been able to get free international roaming network.
"The border areas have not got free international roaming network, because it is not our network," he stated on Saturday.
He made the statement with regard to suggestion to provide free international roaming network for people in border areas in East Nusa Tenggara Province.
The telecommunications network in the border area is not a Telkomsel network, so when it is international roaming free off-net or on-net traffic must pass through Timor Leste.
"It is like an analogy; if the data or telephone conversations are considered as passengers of a bus, then we could put these passengers to the bus of other people," he explained.
Jendrohartono continued that when free international roaming is applied traffic in the border region could be mostly from Telkomsel users but must pass through the network of the neighboring country that has a smaller numbet of users.
This condition could lead to further impacts such as the need for additional capacity of network operators in Timor Leste.
"Therefore, the logic is they usually serve their needs with one bus, but because international roaming is connected to us, they have to add two buses. This means the calculations will again about business," he added.
However, to provide network for the people in the border area, his side has built the Telkomsel network tower close to the cross-country border post in Motaain, Belu District.
Telemor`s network from Timor Leste in the border area is slightly superior, using 800 MHz frequency, while Telkomsel uses 900 MHz frequency.
But Telkomsel is still superior in terms of tariff competition, which is still much cheaper, he conveyed.
"Network services at the border areas are still superior in terms of capacity and price, because the rates would be higher when customers are roaming," he remarked.
ANTARA
