Telkomsel's customer base increases to 55 million

Indonesia's largest cellular operator PT Telkomsel on Friday disclosed that its customer base had increased to a total of 55 million numbers as of the end of July from 48 million at the end of last year.

Telkomsel president Kiskenda Suriahardja explained that the increasing number of people using cellular phones would eventually help reduce digital gaps between those in the urban and rural areas.

Despite the increase in customers, Telkomsel recorded a decline in revenue in the first semester of this year to Rp 2.2. trillion (US$240,000) from Rp 2.45 trillion in the same period last year.

Kiskenda attributed the decrease to the reduction in tariffs as a result of tariff war among cellular operators.

"That's the consequence of tariff cuts, as a result of the government's decision to reduce interconnection costs," Kiskenda told Antara.

Telkomsel is a subsidiary of state telecommunication firm PT Telkom.(Jakarta Post)