"The current challenging condition demands startups to be able to immediately prove that their businesses are headed toward profitability," CEO of INDICO Andi Kristianto noted through a statement, Monday.
"To this end, the existence of a digital ecosystem that can support startups becomes more crucial," he remarked.
The maturity of the telecommunication industry after decades of experience can provide accurate digital ecosystem support and help startups in navigating business, he explained.
"As one of the actors in the telecommunication industry, Telkomsel, which has innovated itself for the last 27 years, has assets and capabilities that will be useful as differentiation within the startup business development," he stated.
In addition, he outlined assets and capabilities that the telecommunication industry has to be able to drive the formation of an accurate digital ecosystem in order to develop startup businesses.
The first concerns adequate connection network. Digital connectivity in Indonesia becomes a solution that can bridge various islands.
Telkomsel has the widest network in Indonesia, with more than 260 thousand BTS, most of which have been supported with the latest broadband technology, 4G and 5G.
This wide network connection will help startups to develop their digital-base service due to stable and broad digital infrastructure that already exists in various regions, even remote areas.
The next asset involves the userbase scattered in various regions. One of the challenges for startups, especially in its early-stage, is user acquisition.
Meanwhile, the telecommunication industry is one of the industries capable of having the biggest number of users in a country.
For instance, Telkomsel has over 170 users spread across more than 514 cities or districts in Indonesia. This userbase ecosystem support can be an extraordinary starting market for startups to conduct market penetration.
Finally, the telecommunication industry also has a granular understanding of market characteristics.
The maturity of the telecommunication industry that has been operating for decades, with the biggest network coverage and userbase, allows the creation of a granular understanding of market characteristics.
This will certainly help startups in understanding the market demand and in creating products that cater to the public's demand in an accurate and efficient manner.
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Translator: Arnidhya Nur Z, Fadhli Ruhman
Editor: Sri Haryati
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