Smartfren Plans on Providing 4G/LTE Services in This Year’s Second Semester

CDMA-based telco Smartfren soon to follow its fellows in supporting 4G/LTE network. The plan is expected to be started in the the second semester of this year. Hence, the telco has assigned Nokia and ZTE as its partnering producers of base transceiver station (BTS).

“Our 4G service will be commercially introduced in this coming semester II. Just wait,” said Smartfren Telecom’s Deputy CEO Djoko Tata Ibrahim.

Ibrahim further explained that his side doesn’t want to be in a rush, since Smartfren always regards customer’s satisfaction as the first priority. “We don’t expect customers to get unpleasant experience. We will also keep educating them about CDMA’s presence in the midst of 4G-based services,” he claimed.

Smartfren, along with Nokia and ZTE, has ratified the MoU to hold the service in 10 or 20 big cities all over Indonesia. Ibrahim stated that both Nokia and ZTE will complement each other in the process. Nokia will deal with the implementation in Sumatera, Jabodetabek, and West Java, while ZTE will handle Central Java, East Java, Kalimantan, and Sulawesi.

“We prepare US$ 400 million to US$ 500 million for 4G LTE,” Ibrahim claimed, as being cited from CNN Indonesia.

According to the plan, Smartfren will use two types of 4G LTE technology, which are FDD (Frequency Division Duplex) and TDD (Time Division Duplex). FDD is a technology that lies on 850 MHz of frequency, which Smartfren utilizes all this time. Meanwhile, TDD lies on 2.300 MHz of frequency, which Smartfren will soon cover after the government granted their wish to move from 1.900 MHz of frequency.

Previously, the Ministry of Communication and Information has allowed the procurement of neutral technology on 850 MHz and 2.300 MHz. This neutral technology enables an operator to hold two network technologies at once at one spectrum range. Hence, Smartfren may now inaugurate their 4G LTE-based services really soon.

“The target is this year. It’s still being prepared, so that we can compete with GSM providers,” Ibrahim confidently said.

To complete the 4G LTE commercialization, Smartfren has reportedly prepared a blueprint of smartphone, which belongs to the Andromax series, that will support both 4G LTE and CDMA network. The devide is planned to be released this coming May or June.