Indonesia as a prosperously market target for 3G Technology

Third-Generation Technology or which is often shortened by 3G is Telecommunications technology of wireless that makes customers can do communications of Voice, Data-Internet, and Video at a time of mobile.

If we see rear upon as a flash back, the growth step of cellular technology can be described as following :
1G

Technology of Cellular 1G (first generation) started in late of 1970’s and ended in 1980’s. This system still used the analogue signal processing. Telecommunication systems in this period such as AMPS ( Advanced Mobile Phone System) in United States, Amateurish Radio, NMT (Nordic Mobile Telephone) in Nations of Nordic and some State in Eastern European, and TACS (Total Access Communications System) in English. Available service was still limited to voice. That voice services is still half duplex (both way communications, but not yet simultaneously).

2G

This technology started to expand in 1990’s and still used until now. Systems which at most used in this technology are CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) and GSM (Globe System for Mobile Communication). This available service was expand to voice (full duplex), internet (low speed), and also text. These later continue to be developed for the next generation. In some other countries, there is also using system besides CDMA and of GSM, such as system that developed in Japan that called PHS (Personal Handy-Phone System), and also TDMA (Time Division Multiple Access). In this second generation system, the signal processing is digitally.

3G

This system is the development of the second generation (2G), where the available services make users can do the both way communication in Voice, Data Internet, Video Call, and other multimedia services like Mobile Banking. Technologies used in this system such as : EDGE (Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution) that is developed from GPRS (General Packet Radio Services), and CDMA 2000 1X that is developed from CDMA IS 95. The next evolution which sometimes is often called as 3,5G and or 4G, using system like : CDMA EVDO (Evolution Data of Only), CDMA VOD (Video On Demand), HSDPA (High Speed Downlink Packet Access), WCDMA (Wideband CDMA), and Wimax (Worldwide Interoperability Microwave Access).

Asia Pacific, including Indonesia is a very promise region for telecommunication market. Economic growth as cellular growth is very fast in this region. Implementation of cellular technology continuously developed for solving the needs of customers. Technological evolution of cellular in Indonesia even also pertained quickly. In recently 3 years, 3G is implemented in Indonesia with continuously developed any available service. From MMS (Multimedia Message Service), Internet Mobile, PDN (Packet Data Network), Mobile Banking, Cyber Media, even now the capability for Video Call and Mobile TV. This growth is very possible if we see the pattern of Indonesian people that very consumptive in telecommunication. This can be shown by the ability of market in pervading new models of handphones. With tariff war that make tariff more competitively, it’s not impossible for the cellular growth more faster like mushroom.

In marketing concept, pricing (which trend decreased) and product (which make the availability services more variously with 3G) are two of the key success factor in marketing strategy. These are intensively doing by wireless/cellular operators in Indonesia. More, with promotion and communication that intensively doing by operators by many brandings (namely : Xplor 3G-HSDPA, Telkomsel Flash, IM2) for introduce the new technologies, and outlet (retailer) spreading to suburban, it’s no doubtful that the evolution of 3G will be occurred faster than anyone can thought. The question is : how about the wireline (fixed phone service) future with the prosperously development of 3G ? How about the government regulation in anticipating it ? Will the fixed phone have the same fate like Post ? when post function was changed by the telephony services ?