TALKING
‘‘ business the merger of Indosat Ooredoo and Hutchison 3 Indonesia and significantly improved network quality and user experience . Independent third-party testing has shown Indosat has achieved substantial improvements in download speed year-on-year ( YoY ), including increases of 44.1 % YoY in rural areas , 43.5 % YoY in urban areas and 43.9 % YoY in suburban areas . This has contributed significantly to higher customer satisfaction and network performance . At the same time , Indosat has expanded our network to cover an additional 12.7 million people . Through this fast and reliable connectivity , Indosat is providing the backbone that is empowering Indonesia ’ s digital economy to thrive .
How are you improving network performance and redefining the way you serve your customers ?
First and foremost , nowadays , getting good connectivity is vital . Connectivity is the core of our business and provides the backbone for Indonesia ’ s digital economy . One of our biggest challenges as a leading digital telco in Indonesia is to expand network infrastructure to rural areas so that villages are served just as well as cities . Over the next four years , the expansion of Indonesia ’ s 4G network is expected to connect 23 million more Indonesians – the equivalent of Australia ’ s entire population .
Tell us how the Digital Intelligence Operations Center will serve as the nerve centre of Indosat ’ s network operations ?
The DIOC has new advanced functionalities such as Real-time Network Insights , enabling Indosat to shift from reactive problem-solving to proactive service management , leveraging real-time data to optimise network performance and reliability . The DIOC also provides comprehensive End-to-End Service Management of all services , including performance , application experience and quality , which empowers Indosat to swiftly resolve customer issues and enhance satisfaction . In the end , the ability of DIOC to integrate data analysis and cutting-edge technologies can fuel continuous Data-Driven Innovation , which enables Indosat to develop new customer-centric products and services , leading the way in digital service advancements .
How do you ensure cutting-edge technology and innovative solutions remain at the core of your operations ?
Since our merger in January 2022 , we have leveraged our scale and resources to expedite the growth of our 4G network in rural areas , thereby enhancing our network quality and speed and delivering an even better customer experience . In 2023 , we made a substantial investment of approximately $ 800 million in capital expenditure , with a significant portion , around 60 %, dedicated to fortifying our network in rural Indonesia . We expect to continue this level of investment in 2024 .
How do you plan to nurture innovation and remain committed to catalysing Indonesia ’ s digital future ?
Indosat plans to establish an AI Center of Excellence , focusing on AI-cloud infrastructure and developing human capital in AI . I am a big believer in the need to develop Indonesia ’ s human capital and think every dollar invested in technology needs to be matched by a dollar invested in training and development . With this goal in mind , we are supporting a range of digital training initiatives through our own programmes like IDCamp and SheHacks , and via partnerships with international organisations like ITU and Cisco .
At Indosat , we have embarked on our journey from a traditional telco to an AI-native TechCo . This means we are transforming from a company that only provides connectivity to one that leverages new technologies – cloud , AI and cybersecurity – and partners with global technology companies to offer digital services and experiences on top of our connectivity and to drive the productivity of our operations . Our focus on data analytics and AI is not just a strategic move , but a commitment to our more than 100 million customers . We believe that these technologies are foundational elements for enhancing their experience . Hence , we are spearheading the democratisation of data access , a step that will significantly improve our service and customer experience , while ensuring robust security measures are in place , as our top priority .
One area I am particularly excited about is Indosat partnering with a tech giant to build the first LLM in the Indonesian language , named Sahabat-AI . This is a unique , first-of-its-kind , Bahasa Indonesia LLM foundational model . It will be deployed in local servers to support national AI use cases and make GenAI accessible to millions of Indonesians in their native language . These investments in Indonesia ’ s human capital and technology capabilities are more than just good business , they are about contributing to the development of a truly digital nation in Indonesia .
By democratising access to AI and bringing digital skills to Indonesia , we are unlocking infinite possibilities and potential of every Indonesian and every business , creating jobs and fostering opportunities for all Indonesians . p
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