Addressing the remote communications needs of this important high growth market

Kerry Technology Park, Ireland, 27th May, 2010 - Altobridge, the leading supplier of remote communications solutions, has established a presence in the Indonesian capital, Jakarta, to meet the increasing demand for telecommunications in the region.  Building on its existing Asia Pacific team in Malaysia, the Jakarta representation aims to address both the communications needs of Indonesia’s rural population and the many remote enterprises operating across the country. Altobridge Country Manager, Mark O’Sullivan, will head up the Indonesian team to provide comprehensive sales and service support to mobile network operators (MNOs) in the region.

Indonesia has an overall population of over 242 million distributed over 17,500 islands. Of these, approximately 72 million are adults, most of whom live in rural areas and are without any basic communication services. It is these potential customers in communities with populations as low as 100 who can now be served profitably by MNOs using the Altobridge Remote Community solution. This solution uses intelligent patented technology which reduces transmission and power requirements, making it the most cost-effective and power-efficient system available on the market for remote communities. Apart from low capital and operational costs, an important  differentiating factor of this solution is its compact size and portability, enabling set up of a site within a couple of days in the most geographically challenging areas. Altobridge also offers MNOs a Fully Managed Service, removing the burden of initial capital and resource costs and providing 24/7 support, maintenance and network management services.

This latest strengthening of its presence in the Asia-Pacific region follows the announcement, earlier this month, of Altobridge’s three-year contract win with Tonga Communications Corporation, underpinning the company’s understanding and capabilities in dealing with large numbers of remote island communities.

Mike Fitzgerald, CEO of Altobridge, said, “There are thousands of small enterprises and market villages across Indonesia which could immediately benefit from the impact of mobile communications.

“We have the ideal combination of technology and experience across the region, particularly in South East Asia and the South Pacific. The Altobridge Remote Community solution generates incremental revenue for the mobile operator from these remote subscriber groups, and Indonesia is a very important growth market for such mobile communications.”

At a reception on Wednesday 26th May in the Shangri-La hotel, Jakarta, the Irish Ambassador to Indonesia, His Excellency Dr. Richard A. O’Brien launched the Ireland-Indonesia Business Network. Earlier today at a Business Media Lunch the Ambassador briefed the Indonesian press on developments in the Ireland-Indonesia bilateral relationship and announced Altobridge’s new Indonesian presence. The lunch was also attended by the Altobridge Country Manager for Indonesia, Mark O’Sullivan.