Jakarta (ANTARA) - PT Telekomunikasi Indonesia (Persero) Tbk's (TLKM’s) plan to invest in Gojek, through subsidiary PT Telekomunikasi Selular (Telkomsel), is very strategic and envisaged to further encourage economic digitization in Indonesia, capital market observer Fendi Susiyanto stated.

According to Susiyanto, with the largest infrastructure and network, Telkomsel can optimize every business potential that exists in the Gojek ecosystem. Moreover, Gojek already has millions of partners and customers from its various products and services.

"As a major player in the digital industry, Telkomsel's entry into Gojek will also accelerate the strengthening of the digital economy in Indonesia. This condition will greatly benefit Telkomsel, which has a network and infrastructure business base," Susiyanto, concurrently an analyst and founder of Finvesol Consulting Indonesia, noted in a statement in Jakarta, Wednesday.

Susiyanto remarked that fundamentally, the collaboration between Telkomsel and Gojek will also proffer benefits to both parties. Furthermore, it allows for operational and financial synergies that can boost added value.

During a pandemic, Susiyanto stated that efficiency, through collaborative efforts, and reformulation of medium- to long-term business strategies are necessary to respond to the changing business environment.

"Everything will benefit, since both of them are market leaders in their respective industries. However, Telkomsel, with its experience and capabilities, should be able to derive bigger benefits," Susiyanto stated.

With the development of data and digital business, the Gojek ecosystem, which has millions of users, driver partners, and businesspersons, is a lucrative market potential.

In 2019, Telkomsel's digital business revenue rose 23.1 percent (yoy) to Rp58.24 trillion.

The increase in Telkomsel's digital business revenue is driven by the increasingly massive digital lifestyle that necessitates continued growth in data services. Last year, Telkomsel's data traffic shot up 53.6 percent (yoy) to 6,558 petabytes.

With a total of 171.1 million subscribers and mobile data users reaching 110.3 million, the digital business' contribution to Telkomsel's revenue in 2019 rose to 64 percent, from 53 percent in the previous year.

"Telkomsel's decision to enter Gojek has certainly been through careful consideration. As the leader of the telecommunications market, it would be interesting if Telkomsel also entered into an established startup business, such as Gojek," Susiyanto remarked.

Chairman of the Next Indonesia Unicorn Foundation (NextICon) Daniel Tumiwa assessed that Telkomsel's plan to enter Gojek would encourage the company to adopt a more mature approach in preparing products.

"Telkomsel can decipher changes in behavior and lifestyle from the data available on Gojek," Tumiwa remarked.

According to Tumiwa, the Telecommunication industry already has ample data, but the quality cannot be maximized, as it does not reflect personal behavior and lifestyle data.

"Gojek is not only rich in transaction data but also the behavior and lifestyle of its customers. Regardless of the operator, a detailed description of each individual can be an attractive asset for Telkomsel," Tumiwa stated.
Related news: Telkom books net profit of Rp18.66 trillion for 2019

Related news: Minister Soemarno urges Telkom to expand digitalization in education


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