COSTA MESA, Calif., June 24, 2008 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- The CDMA Development Group (CDG) today announced that, as of Q1 2008, Indonesia had more than 16.3 million CDMA2000(r) subscribers -- making it the leader in Southeast Asia for 3G CDMA subscriber growth. The CDG attributes the increase in large part to the availability of ultra low-cost handsets and affordable tariffs, which are critical to technology and service expansion in emerging markets.
"Indonesia has emerged as a prime showcase of CDMA2000's core value proposition," said Perry LaForge, executive director of the CDG. "With a dynamic combination of ultra low-cost handsets and value-added broadband services, Indonesia's six CDMA operators have boosted their revenue streams and propelled the region into the spotlight for mobile telephony and Internet growth."
Indonesia's CDMA2000 operators are Telkom Flexi (PT Telkom), StarOne (Indosat), Smart Telecom, Fren (Mobile-8 Telecom), Esia (Bakrie Telecom) and Ceria (Sampoerna Telekomunikasi Indonesia or STI). By March 2008, the total number of CDMA2000 subscribers among all six carriers exceeded 16.3 million, up from 14.4 million at the end of 2007 and 7.8 million at the end of 2006, representing annual growth rates of 53 percent and 85 percent, respectively. Indonesia has the highest number of CDMA subscribers in Southeast Asia.
"With CDMA2000, we are confident in providing a telecommunication service that is within reach by all people from all levels of society," said A.R. Martirez, Chief Executive Officer of PT Smart Telecom. "We are taking rapid steps to expand our penetration and market development through various products and services. This proves that CDMA2000 can readily fulfill all telecommunication wants and needs of customers in this country. And we demonstrate this with our value-for-money offer to the market, in terms of an economical tariff and affordable handsets, on a network that provides a pervasive yet efficient coverage. Best of all, it delivers a superior quality of service in both Voice and Data that customers expect."
"Customers expect telecommunication services that are dependable, high quality and yet affordable," said Rakhmat Junaidi, Corporate Services Director at PT Bakrie Telecom. "With CDMA2000, we believe that the majority of Indonesians will use this service for voice, SMS, Internet, emails, and even to watch TV, send photos and conduct financial transactions; so access to telecommunications that is affordable and convenient is no longer a dream."
"With the economic advantages of CDMA2000, we are able to deliver affordable voice, SMS and broadband data services to customers in Indonesia's most populated areas as well as its underserved regions," said Guntur S. Siboro, Marketing Director of Indosat. "Yet, what is most fulfilling is to be able to enhance the lives of our citizens by offering inexpensive Internet access across the country. By providing early Internet users immediate access to information, we are able to narrow the digital gap in the most remote rural areas of our country."
More information on CDMA is available at www.cdg.org.
About CDMA2000
CDMA2000 is the most widely deployed 3G technology, with 258 operators in 98 countries serving more than 438 million subscribers. Counting 2G cdmaOne(tm) subscribers, there are more than 451 million CDMA users worldwide. CDMA2000 has become the technology of choice for developed and emerging market operators, and is deployable in the 450, 700, 800, 1700, 1900, AWS and 2100 MHz bands. More than 1,980 CDMA2000 devices from over 110 suppliers have been introduced to the market, including more than 519 Rel. 0 and 62 Rev. A devices on 100 CDMA2000 1xEV-DO Rel. 0 and 41 Rev. A systems. More information on CDMA2000 is available on the CDG Web site at www.cdg.org.
About CDG
The CDMA Development Group is a trade association formed to foster the worldwide development, implementation and use of CDMA2000 technologies. The more than 130 member companies of the CDG include many of the world's largest wireless carriers and equipment manufacturers. The primary activities of the CDG include development of CDMA2000 features and services, public relations, education and seminars, regulatory affairs and international support. Currently, there are more than 500 individuals working within various CDG subcommittees on CDMA2000-related matters. For more information about the CDG, contact the CDG News Bureau at +1-714-540-1030, or visit the CDG Web site at www.cdg.org.
The CDG logo is available at http://www.primenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=2911
Note to editors
cdmaOne is a registered trademark of the CDMA Development Group. CDMA2000 is a registered trademark of the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA-USA). All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.